My diet:

Canola oil

No E-numberFats & oilsOrigin: Plant
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Every diet

VeganYes

Canola oil comes from a seed.

Gluten-freeYes
HalalYes
KosherYes
KetoYes

Canola oil has no carbs.

Low-FODMAPYes
The short answer
Canola oil is a neutral cooking oil from low-erucic rapeseed. Canola oil is vegan and gluten-free. The old worry about erucic acid applies to industrial rapeseed, not to the canola sold as food.
Generally safe

Fine for most people at normal amounts.

E-numberNone
Comes fromPlant
What it doesFats & oils
Glycemic index—
Daily limitNot set
Also calledCanola oil, Rapeseed oil

Rules by country

🇺🇸 US FDANot evaluated as an additive
🇪🇺 European UnionNot evaluated as an additive
🇨🇦 Health CanadaNot evaluated as an additive
CaliforniaNo extra rules

Canola oil is a food oil, not an E-number. The word canola itself means the low-erucic crop. High-erucic industrial rapeseed is a different oil and is not what a grocery bottle contains.

Daily limit: Experts haven’t set a number because normal food amounts are far below any level of concern.

What is it?

Refiners crush the seed, often with hexane, then strip the solvent by heat. What reaches a bottle is the oil, not the solvent. Cold-pressed canola skips that step and tastes more of the seed.

Where it comes from: Canola is a low-erucic form of rapeseed, bred so the oil is suitable for food. The bottle is mostly unsaturated fat, including some alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3.

Why it’s in food

  • Fries without a strong taste
  • Bakes in a box mix
  • Dresses a salad
  • Replaces butter in a sauce

Often found in

Bottled cooking oilMayonnaiseSalad dressingCrackersFrozen friesCake mixes

Also listed as: Canola oil, Rapeseed oil, Low erucic acid rapeseed oil, Cold-pressed canola oil

Health & gut impact

Erucic acidBenefit

Food canola is defined by a low erucic acid content. The heart-lesion studies that worry people were done with the old high-erucic rapeseed oil.

Codex standard for canola and low-erucic rapeseed oil

Hexane in refiningUnder study

Many large crushers dissolve the oil out of the flake with hexane, then evaporate the solvent. Food rules limit what may remain. Cold-pressed oil never sees that solvent.

Edible-oil refining practice

What can I use instead?

Sunflower oil

Ratio: The same volume in a pan or a dressing

Best for: Everyday cooking

Soybean oil

Ratio: Another neutral seed oil, with a different fatty-acid mix

Best for: Mayonnaise and frying

Related

More fats & oils:

Beef tallowBeef tallow is cattle fat. It is not vegan. It is gluten-free and used for high-heat frying. Halal and kosher versions exist only when the animal and the plant are certified.Use in moderationButterButter is a dairy fat. It is not vegan. It is gluten-free, and a normal pat is low enough in lactose that many low-FODMAP plans allow it. Peanut butter and cocoa butter are not this food.Use in moderationCocoa butterCocoa butter is the vegan fat of the cocoa bean. It is what makes chocolate snap and then melt. It is gluten-free and keto-friendly, and it is not a dairy butter.Generally safeCoconut oilCoconut oil is a vegan plant fat that stays solid in a cool kitchen. It is popular on keto labels. Feeding trials show it raises LDL cholesterol more than unsaturated oils do.Use in moderation

Common questions

Is canola oil the same as rapeseed oil?

On a European label, huile de colza or rapeseed oil is the food crop. Canola is the North American name for the low-erucic version of that plant.

Does canola oil contain hexane?

Refined canola is made with a solvent that is then removed. The ingredient in the bottle is the oil. A cold-pressed label means the solvent step was skipped.

Is Canola oil safe?

Generally safe (88/100). Canola oil is a food oil, not an E-number. The word canola itself means the low-erucic crop. High-erucic industrial rapeseed is a different oil and is not what a grocery bottle contains.

Is Canola oil vegan?

Yes. Canola oil comes from a seed.

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Scientific sources & regulatory citations
  • Codex standard for canola and low-erucic rapeseed oil
  • Edible-oil refining practice