Grapeseed Oil

Food · Fat & Oil · Food, Typed Supps

Sixty-four per cent polyunsaturated — the highest here — and almost no vitamin E to protect it.

Stage by stage

Neutral flavour (Taste): Very little character of its own, which is most of its appeal.
Polyunsaturated (Liver): 64.05 g per 100 g — the highest here, and the most oxidisable.
No protection (Cell membranes): 2.3 mg of vitamin E per 100 g, a tenth of canola’s.
Saturated fat (Circulation): 11.38 g per 100 g, which is reasonable — stability is the issue, not this.

Timing

Not for high heat, despite how it is often sold. Its polyunsaturated fat and near-absent vitamin E are the wrong combination for a hot pan.

Time to effect

Weeks–months: How quickly it oxidises once opened.
—: Very little vitamin E contribution at 2.3 mg per 100 g.

Allergens

None of the fourteen major allergens. Derived from what this food is, not from a product label.

Eating patterns

Fits: Vegan, Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Halal, Kosher, Gluten-free. Depends on the product: Keto, Low-FODMAP.

Environmental footprint

1.5 kg CO2e and 420 litres of freshwater per kg, matched to "Berries & grapes" in Poore & Nemecek (2018), Science 360.

Cost band

Cheap — roughly £3 per kg, as a band midpoint rather than a price.

Key nutrients

Polyunsaturated fat

Nutrition per 100g

Calories: 884
Fat: 100g
of which saturated: 11.4g

Food vs. supplement

Grape seed extract and grapeseed oil share a name and almost nothing else. The proanthocyanidins that the supplement is sold for stay behind in the seed solids and never reach the oil.

Kitchen tip

Small bottle, dark cupboard, away from the stove. This is the oil most likely to be rancid before you finish it.

Common myth

“Grapeseed oil is a great neutral oil for high-heat cooking.” In reality: Neutral, yes. Stable, no. It carries the highest polyunsaturated fat here at 64.05 g per 100 g and the least vitamin E at 2.3 mg — the most oxidisable fat with the least protection. For a hot pan, canola or rice bran oil are the better choices, and this one is better kept small, dark and cool.