What are seed oils exactly?

Seed oils are fats extracted from plant seeds -- soybean, canola, sunflower, corn, cottonseed, safflower, and grapeseed are the most common. They undergo industrial refining that includes solvent extraction, high-heat deodorizing, and bleaching before reaching store shelves.

Why are seed oils considered ultra-processed?

The NOVA food classification system considers them ultra-processed because the extraction and refining process uses chemical solvents, extreme temperatures, and multiple purification steps that fundamentally change the oil from its original state in the seed.

Are all seed oils equally concerning?

Not necessarily. Cold-pressed or expeller-pressed versions of these oils skip the chemical solvent step and retain more of their original nutrients. The issue is mainly with the industrially refined versions found in most packaged foods, which make up the vast majority of seed oils on the market.

Is olive oil a seed oil?

No. Olive oil is a fruit oil pressed from the flesh of olives, not from a seed. Extra virgin olive oil is mechanically pressed at low temperatures, making it one of the least processed cooking fats available.

How can I avoid seed oils when eating out?

Most restaurants cook with soybean or canola oil because they are cheap. You can ask your server what oil the kitchen uses, request dishes be prepared in butter or olive oil, or choose grilled and steamed items that use less added fat. At home, scanning packaged ingredients with BerryPure helps you keep your pantry seed-oil-free.

Do seed oils cause inflammation?

Seed oils are high in omega-6 linoleic acid. Some research suggests that a very high omega-6-to-omega-3 ratio may promote inflammatory processes, though the science is still evolving. Reducing your intake of highly refined seed oils while eating more omega-3-rich foods like fatty fish is a reasonable approach supported by most nutrition guidelines.

What Are Seed Oils? A Label-Scanning Guide

Seed Oils: The Basics Everyone Should Know

Seed oils are cooking fats extracted from the seeds of plants like soybeans, sunflowers, canola (rapeseed), corn, cottonseed, safflower, and grapeseed. They go through heavy industrial processing that includes high heat, chemical solvents like hexane, bleaching, and deodorizing. This refining strips away most of the original nutrients and can introduce compounds that did not exist in the raw seed.

These oils became staples of the food industry starting in the mid-20th century because they are inexpensive to produce at scale and have a neutral flavor. Today you will find them in salad dressings, chips, frozen meals, bread, granola bars, and even items marketed as healthy. A single trip down the grocery aisle can expose you to half a dozen different seed oils without you ever realizing it.

The debate around seed oils centers on their high ratio of omega-6 fatty acids relative to omega-3s. While omega-6 fats are essential in small amounts, consuming them in large quantities -- as the modern Western diet tends to do -- may promote inflammatory pathways in the body. Scanning ingredient lists is the fastest way to understand just how often these oils appear in the foods you buy.

How to Identify Seed Oils on Any Label

Point your camera at the ingredient list

Open BerryPure and hold your phone over the back of any packaged food. The app reads every ingredient in seconds, even fine print that is hard to see with the naked eye.

Review flagged seed oils instantly

BerryPure highlights soybean oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, and grapeseed oil whenever they appear. Each flag includes a brief explanation of why that ingredient was called out.

Check your purity score

The app assigns a purity score to the product based on all detected ultra-processed ingredients, not just oils. A higher score means fewer industrial additives overall.

Browse cleaner alternatives

When a product scores low, BerryPure suggests similar items made with olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, or butter -- fats that require far less processing.

Swap Out Common Seed Oil Products

Canola oil cooking spray

Avocado oil spray (Chosen Foods or similar)

Avocado oil has a high smoke point and is cold-pressed, avoiding the solvent extraction used for canola.

Soybean-oil-based mayonnaise

Avocado oil mayo (Primal Kitchen)

You get the same creamy texture without the highly refined soybean oil that dominates conventional mayo brands.

Sunflower oil tortilla chips

Chips cooked in coconut oil or avocado oil (Siete, Jackson's)

These brands use minimally processed fats and still deliver a satisfying crunch.

Vegetable oil blend for baking

Extra virgin olive oil or grass-fed butter

Both are single-source fats with straightforward processing, and they add richer flavor to baked goods.

Corn oil salad dressing

Extra virgin olive oil vinaigrette (homemade or Primal Kitchen)

Olive oil is cold-pressed and retains polyphenols that refined corn oil loses during processing.

What Are Seed Oils and Why Should You Check Your Labels?