Pressed oil and refined oil: are they the same?
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Pressing takes oil out; refining changes the extracted oil.
“Pressed” describes how oil is taken from the seed. “Refined” describes further cleaning or treatment of the extracted oil. These are not opposite definitions of the same step. Some oil is mechanically expressed and sold after suitable settling or filtering. Other oil undergoes refining steps.
Refining methods vary and may include reducing free fatty acids, removing impurities, changing colour or reducing strong odours. The exact sequence depends on the product and process. Solvent extraction is a different extraction route; The FSSAI compendium dated 4 November 2024 requires solvent-extracted mustard oil supplied as food to be refined and meet its limits.
Do not assume every refined oil used chemical solvent extraction. Do not assume every pressed oil is free of contaminants. The correct choice starts with a lawful, appropriately labelled product.
| Term | What it describes |
|---|---|
| Pressed | Oil extraction from the seed |
| Refined | Further cleaning or treatment |