5 Surprising Facts about the Edible Oil Industry

Edible oils are an essential part of our daily lives, but most people don’t know very much about the industry that brings them to our plates. From the outside, it seems simple; but when you take a closer look, you’ll find that it’s anything but boring! Here are five surprising facts about the edible oil industry that you might not know yet...

1) India produces about 1.4 million barrels of oil a day

India is one of Asia’s biggest edible oil manufacturers, with over 350 refineries and production sites. Almost 300 million people in India depend on edible oils as their primary cooking source. The industry supports thousands of jobs for farmers, processors, and other manufacturing employees across India. In fact, India produces almost a quarter of all edible oil in Asia—more than any other country in that region. Due to its abundant sunshine, rich soil, and irrigation infrastructure, many areas are ideal for growing plants like rapeseed or sunflower seeds that can be turned into oil. A lack of strong infrastructure and regulation may make it difficult to produce large quantities of high-quality refined vegetable oils on a large scale though.

2) Most of this is palm oil, which comes from the oil palm tree

Did you know that almost 90% of palm oil is produced in Malaysia and Indonesia? These are called edible oil exporters because much of it is shipped off for use in other countries. Did you also know that palm oil makes up 47% of all edible oils consumed around the world? It’s often used as a cooking ingredient, or for making biofuels. This means that Indonesia and Malaysia both play huge roles in global food consumption and economics. In fact, on average, 10kg (22lbs) of edible oils are exported from these two countries every year. Almost 25% of Africa’s GDP comes from export sales: Though much of Africa exports other raw materials like diamonds or gold, those may not be quite as well-known as edible oils.

3) A single pallet of edible oils can weigh as much as 30 elephants

Did you know that a single pallet of edible oils can weigh as much as 30 elephants? That's because, depending on what type of oil is stored, it may have a density somewhere between water and lead. Yet despite its high density, edible oils are mostly made up of triglycerides--molecules that float in an oily liquid at room temperature and remain pourable (if properly stored) for years on end. This molecular property is essential to large-scale edible oil manufacturing as well as in creating food products that have extended shelf lives. Regardless of how old oil is when it enters your kitchen, you will be able to easily use it in your recipes.

4) Oil palms produce up to 12 times more vegetable oil than other plants

It takes about 18 months for a palm tree to mature and be ready for harvesting. A plantation with 10,000 trees can produce up to 9 tonnes of vegetable oil per hectare in a year. That’s 4 times as much as an average sunflower field (about 2 tonnes per hectare) and 12 times more than rapeseed (about 0.8 tonnes per hectare). That’s an incredible amount of edible oil.

5) 90% of all edible oils are used for cooking

Although it’s hard to believe, 90% of all edible oils are used for cooking (think olive oil, coconut oil, canola oil, etc.). It’s also important to note that many of these other oils are extracted from nuts and seeds by pressing. Canola is a great example. To extract canola oil from seeds or nuts, manufacturers heat them at high temperatures—around 400 degrees Fahrenheit—and keep them at that temperature for hours.