While the vibrant, strong sunflower is recognised worldwide for its beauty, it is also an important source of food. Sunflower oil is a valued and healthy vegetable oil and sunflower seeds are enjoyed as a healthy, tasty snack and nutritious ingredient to many foods.

Sunflower oil is obtained from the seeds within the brown hub in the centre of the sunflower plant - Helianthus Annuus. Sunflower oil is light in taste and appearance and supplies more Vitamin E than any other vegetable oil. Of those oils in common daily use, sunflower has the highest level of polyunsaturates which are predominantly of the linoleic variety. The actual level can vary from below 60% to over 70%, with the highest levels being found in crops grown in areas experiencing the largest variation between day and night-time temperatures.

The wild sunflower is native to North America but commercialisation of the plant took place in Russia. Evidence suggests that the plant was cultivated by Indians in present-day Arizona and New Mexico about 3000 BC. Some archaeologists suggest that sunflower may have been domesticated before corn. The sunflower plant was taken to Europe by Spanish explorers some time around 1500 but it was in 1716, an English patent was granted for squeezing oil from sunflower seed.

Nowadays, the crop is predominant in Russia, Ukraine, Europe, Argentina and the USA. The seed contains 40-45% oil. Sunflower oil is a combination of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats with low saturated fat levels. The versatility of this healthy oil is recognized by cooks internationally. Sunflower oil is valued for its light taste and health benefits. There are three types of sunflower oil available, linoleic, high oleic and mid oleic. All are developed with standard breeding techniques and differ in oleic levels with each one offering unique properties.

Linoleic sunflower oil found on grocery store shelves today is high in polyunsaturates or linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid. It is an excellent home cooking oil and salad oil with a light, clean taste, relatively low level of saturated fat. Linoleic sunflower oil is the original sunflower oil and until recently has been the most common type of sunflower oil. It is a polyunsaturated oil with low saturated fat levels, and is relatively high in Vitamin E.

This type of sunflower oil is predominantly (65%) polyunsaturated. The type of polyunsaturated fat it contains is linoleic acid (an omega-6 acid) and is one of two essential fatty acids. Our bodies need this essential nutrient but can't make it. It must be supplied by food sources. However, latest research has indicated that we are consuming too much Omega 6 and this should be reduced in favour of Omega 3 fatty acids found in oily fish.

The balance of this sunflower oil is monounsaturated fats (oleic) at 21% and a low saturated fat level of 11%.

Linoleic sunflower oil is available as a liquid salad oil and is used in margarine and shortening applications. Home users find it an excellent choice for any liquid oil application such as dressings.

Because of the high levels of polyunsaturated fats in linoleic sunflower oil, the oil is susceptible to oxidation during commercial usage, especially frying. Like other highly polyunsaturated oils, such as soyabean and rapeseed, it can be hydrogenated to a more stable form.

High oleic sunflower oil is premium sunflower oil with minimum levels of 80% monounsaturated acids. It is used in food and industrial applications where high monounsaturated levels are required.

The oil has a very neutral taste and provides excellent stability without the need for hydrogenation. High oleic sunflower oil offers a trans free oil solution for customers. The oil has many uses including bakery applications, spray coating oils for cereal, crackers and dried fruit; it is used in non-dairy creamers, many types of frying and other uses.

Mid-oleic sunflower oil is fairly new to the market. Developed by standard hybrid procedures, it has a monounsaturated level (oleic) of between 55-75% with an average of about 60-65%. Saturated fat levels of 8-9% are 20% lower than linoleic sunflower oil. The balance of its composition is linoleic acid. Initial frying tests reveal mid oleic sunflower oil works very well in commercial frying applications. It is not hydrogenated thereby eliminating the concern of trans fatty acids.