EDIBLE OIL | VEGETABLE OIL | COOKING OIL | REFINED OIL | FOOD OIL | VEGETABLE FATS & OILS | FATTY ACIDS | MUFA | PUFA | OMEGA 3 | OMEGA 6 | OMEGA 9
ATLAS OIL TESTING LABORATORY specializes in testing and analysis of all different types of Oils and Fats for all the quality parameters to report if the said oil is conforming to the specification.
The various tests performed in our laboratory catering to Oils & Fats are:
TESTS | METHOD |
Acetyl Value | IS/AOCS/ISO |
Acid Value | IS/AOCS/ISO |
Acetone Insoluble Matter | IS/AOCS/ISO |
Adultration with other Oils | IS/AOCS |
Aldehyde Profile | GC |
Appearance | Visual |
Alcohols | GC |
Aliphatic Alcohols | GC |
Ash | IS/AOCS/ISO |
Bellier Turbidity Temperature (B.T.T) | IS/AOCS |
Bleaching Test | Gardner Smith |
Break Test | IS/AOCS/ISO |
Cloud Point | IS/AOCS/ISO |
Cold Test | IS/AOCS/ISO |
Color, Lovibond | IS/AOCS/ISO |
Colour, Bleach | Gardner Smith |
Congeal Point | IS/AOCS/ISO |
Esters | GC |
Fatty Acid Composition | GC |
Fatty Alcohol Profile | GC |
Flash Point | IS/AOCS/ISO |
Free Fatty Acids | IS/AOCS/ISO |
Gums | AOCS |
Halphen Test | IS/AOCS/ISO |
Hexane Residues | GC |
Hydroxyl Value | IS/AOCS/ISO |
Insoluble Impurities | IS/AOCS/ISO |
Iodine Value (Wij’s) | IS/AOCS/ISO |
Melting Point – Capillary – Slip - Wiley | IS/AOCS/ISO |
Moisture & Volatile Matter | IS/AOCS/ISO |
Mono Saturated Fatty Acid (MUFA) | GC |
Nutritional Value – Facts of Oils / Fats | ASTM |
Odour & Smell | Organoleptic |
Omega - 3 | GC |
Omega – 6 | GC |
Omega – 9 | GC |
Peroxide Value | IS/AOCS/ISO |
Phosphorous | IS/AOCS/ISO |
Poly Saturated Fatty Acid (PUFA) | GC |
Rancidity | (Kries Test), B.S. |
Refractive Index | IS/AOCS/ISO |
Refining Loss | AOCS |
Saponification Value | IS/AOCS/ISO |
Saponifiable Matter | IS/AOCS/ISO |
Saturated Fatty Acids | GC |
Smoke Point | IS/AOCS/ISO |
Soap Content | FOSFA |
Specific Gravity | IS/AOCS/ISO |
Titer | IS/AOCS/ISO |
Trans Fatty Acids | GC |
Unsaponifiable matter | IS/AOCS/ISO |
Un-Saturated Fatty Acids | GC |
Wax | AOCS |
Due to our vast knowledge and experience in the Oil & Fats area, we have the capacity to test and analyse all the various categories of Oils detailed as under :
Vegetable oil is a blend of oils from seeds and plants.
Any oil that comes from plants and seeds is known as vegetable oil.
Oils may or may not be edible.
Oils are categorised mainly as under :
MAJOR OILS
These Oils are Major Oils which signifies that they account for the main production and consumption worldwide.
Coconut Oil |
Corn Oil |
Cottonseed Oil |
Palm Oil |
RBD Palm olein |
Peanut Oil |
Olive Oil |
Rapeseed Oil |
Sesame Oil |
Sunflower Oil |
Safflower Oil |
Soybean Oil |
Mustard Oil |
Maize Oil |
NUT OILS
Nut Oils are mainly used in cooking due to their flavour.
Almond Oil |
Cashew Oil |
Hazelnut Oil |
Macadamia Oil |
Mongongo nut Oil |
Pecan Oil |
Pine nut Oil |
Pistachio Oil |
Walnut Oil |
OILS FROM MELON AND GOURD SEEDS
Watermelon seed Oil |
Pumpkin seed Oil |
Bottle gourd Oil |
Buffalo gourd Oil |
FOOD SUPPLEMENTS
Some oils are used as food supplements used for their nutrient content or medical effect.
Acai Oil |
Blackcurrant seed Oil |
Grape seed Oil |
Borage seed Oil |
Evening Primrose Oil |
OTHER EDIBLE OILS
Carob pod Oil |
Amaranth oil |
Apricot oil |
Apple seed oil |
Argan oil |
Artichoke oil |
Avaocado oil |
Babassu oil |
Ben oil |
Borneo tallow nut oil |
Cape chestnut oil |
Cassia oil |
Cocoa butter |
Cocoa oil |
Cocklebur oil |
Cochune oil |
Coriander seed oil |
Dika oil |
False flax oil |
Flax seed oil |
Grapeseed oil |
Hemp oil |
Kapok seed oil |
Kenaf seed oil |
Lallemantia oil |
Marula oil |
Meadowfoam seed oil |
Mustard Oil |
Nutmeg butter |
Okra seed oil |
Papaya oil |
Perilla seed oil |
Pequi oil |
Pine nut oil |
Poppyseed oil |
Prune kernel oil |
Quinoa oil |
Ramtil oil |
Rice bran oil |
Royle oil |
Sacha Inchi oil |
Tea seed oil (Camellia oil) |
Thistle oil |
Tigernut oil |
Tomato seed oil |
Wheat germ oil |
OILS USED FOR BIOFUEL / BIODIESEL
Many oils are used only for Biofuel while some are used of Biofuel in addition to having other uses. Biofuels have started making inroads as Diesel Fuels which are exclusively petroleum based. Hence some oils based and evaluaed for its use as biofuel with regards to :
Suitability as a fuel, based on ignition temperature, flash point, rate of combustion, flammability, calorific value, energy value, viscosity, lubricity and other factors which include ease and effort of growth and harvest of crop or seeds, yeild of crop, cost of processing and harvesting.
OILS ALSO USED AS BIOFUEL / BIODIESEL
These Oils are chiefly used for other uses but due to research they have been considered for use as biofuel.
Castor oil |
Coconut oil |
Corn oil |
Cottonseed oil |
False flax oil |
Hemp oil |
Maize Oil |
Mustard oil |
Palm oil |
Peanut oil |
Radish oil |
Rapeseed oil |
Ramtil oil |
Rice bran oil |
Safflower oil |
Salicornia oil |
Soybean oil |
Sunflower oil |
Tigernut oil |
Tung oil |
INEDIBLE OILS USED ONLY OR CHIEFLY AS BIOFUEL / BIODIESEL
These oils are extracted from plants that are cultivated mainly for production of Biofuels / Biodeisel
Algae oil |
Capaiba oil |
Honge oil |
Jathropa oil |
Jojoba oil |
Milk bush oil |
Petroleum nut oil |
DRYING OILS
Drying oils are vegetable oils that dry up at normal or room temperature to a dry or hard finish. These oils are used in paint industry, varnishing, polishing, coating and wood finishing.
Dammar oil |
Linseed oil |
Poppyseed oil |
Stillingia oil |
Tung oil |
Vernonia oil |
Also in addition to the above oils, Walnut oil, Sunflower Oil and Safflower oil are also considered to be drying oils.
CITRUS OILS
Some citrus plants are pressed to extract citrus oils, also some seeds of citrus give usable oils.
Grapefruit seed oil |
Lemon oil |
Orange oil |
OTHER OILS
Many pressed vegetable oils are either not edible, or not used as edible oil.
Amur cork tree fruit oil |
Balanos oil |
Bladderpod oi |
Brucea javanica |
Burdock |
Candlenut |
Carrot seed |
Castor |
Chaulmoogra |
Crambe |
Cuphea |
Illipe butter |
Jojoba |
Karanjia oil |
Mango oil |
Mowrah butter |
Neem |
Ojon |
Rose hip seed |
Rubber seed |
Sea buckthorn |
Shea butter |
Snowball seed oil |
Tall oil |
Tamanu |
Tonka bean |
Palm oil is extracted from the mature fresh fruit bunches of oil palm plantations. Various edible, non-edible and industrial grades are :
Palm oil |
Crude Palm Oil CPO |
Palm Kernal oil PKO |
Crude Palm Kernal Oil CPKO |
Palm Kernal Fatty Acid Distillate PKFAD |
Palm Acid Oil |
RBD Palm Olein RBDPO |
RBD Palm Oil |
Crude Palmolein |
Distilled Palm Fatty Acid |
Crude Palm Stearin CPS |
FATTY ACIDS
Fatty acids are merely carboxylic acids with long hydrocarbon chains. The hydrocarbon chain length may vary from 10-30 carbons (most usual is 12-18).
Common Name | Carbon |
Double |
Scientific Name |
Butyric acid | 4 | 0 | butanoic acid |
Caproic Acid | 6 | 0 | hexanoic acid |
Caprylic Acid | 8 | 0 | octanoic acid |
Capric Acid | 10 | 0 | decanoic acid |
Lauric Acid | 12 | 0 | dodecanoic acid |
Myristic Acid | 14 | 0 | tetradecanoic acid |
Palmitic Acid | 16 | 0 | hexadecanoic acid |
Palmitoleic Acid | 16 | 1 | 9-hexadecenoic acid |
Stearic Acid | 18 | 0 | octadecanoic acid |
Oleic Acid | 18 | 1 | 9-octadecenoic acid |
Ricinoleic acid | 18 | 1 | 12-hydroxy-9-octadecenoic acid |
Vaccenic Acid | 18 | 1 | 11-octadecenoic acid |
Linoleic Acid | 18 | 2 | 9,12-octadecadienoic acid |
Alpha-Linolenic Acid (ALA) | 18 | 3 | 9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid |
Gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA) | 18 | 3 | 6,9,12-octadecatrienoic acid |
Arachidic Acid | 20 | 0 | eicosanoic acid |
Gadoleic Acid | 20 | 1 | 9-eicosenoic acid |
Arachidonic Acid (AA) | 20 | 4 | 5,8,11,14-eicosatetraenoic acid |
EPA | 20 | 5 | 5,8,11,14,17-eicosapentaenoic acid |
Behenic acid | 22 | 0 | docosanoic acid |
Erucic acid | 22 | 1 | 13-docosenoic acid |
DHA | 22 | 6 | 4,7,10,13,16,19-docosahexaenoic acid |
Lignoceric acid | 24 | 0 | tetracosanoic acid |
Fatty can be subdivided into well-defined families:
SATURATED FATTY ACIDS
Among straight-chain fatty acids, the simplest are referred to as Saturated fatty acids. Which means that there are no doubel bonds beetween carbon atoms so that the fatty acids are saturated with hydrogen. . Saturated fat is less likely to spoil than unsaturated fat and more stable during cooking.
Saturated fats are usually solid at room temperature. Since our body manufactures its own saturated fat we don't need to include any in our diet. It is found mainly in animal foods and dairy products (exceptions: palm oil, coconut oil). Saturated fats increase total cholesterol, LDL-C (bad) and triglycerides. Below, is found a list of the most common saturated fatty acids.
Systematic name | Trivial name |
Shorthand designation |
Molecular wt. |
Melting point (°C) |
butanoic | butyric | 4:0 | 88.1 | -7.9 |
pentanoic | valeric | 5:0 | ||
hexanoic | caproic | 6:0 | 116.1 | -3.4 |
octanoic | caprylic | 8:0 | 144.2 | 16.7 |
nonanoic | pelargonic | 9:0 | 158.2 | 12.5 |
decanoic | capric | 10:0 | 172.3 | 31.6 |
dodecanoic | lauric | 12:0 | 200.3 | 44.2 |
tetradecanoic | myristic | 14:0 | 228.4 | 53.9 |
hexadecanoic | palmitic | 16:0 | 256.4 | 63.1 |
heptadecanoic | margaric (daturic) | 17:0 | 270.4 | 61.3 |
octadecanoic | stearic | 18:0 | 284.4 | 69.6 |
eicosanoic | arachidic | 20:0 | 312.5 | 75.3 |
docosanoic | behenic | 22:0 | 340.5 | 79.9 |
tetracosanoic | lignoceric | 24:0 | 368.6 | 84.2 |
hexacosanoic | cerotic | 26:0 | 396.7 | 88 |
heptacosanoic | carboceric | 27:0 | 410.7 | |
octacosanoic | montanic | 28:0 | 424.8 | |
triacontanoic | melissic | 30:0 | 452.9 | |
dotriacontanoic | lacceroic | 32:0 | 481 | |
tritriacontanoic | ceromelissic (psyllic) | 33:0 | 495 | |
tetratriacontanoic | geddic | 34:0 | 509.1 | |
pentatriacontanoic | ceroplastic | 35:0 | 523.1 |
UNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS
Unsaturated fatty acids are those in which there is at least one double bond within the fatty acid chain.
Unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature. These are mainly plant fats such as corn, safflower, olive, walnut, canola and others. These fats can help clean the blood vessels however; too much of some of these fats can lead to heart disease.
Examples of unsaturated fatty acids:
COMMON NAME | DESIGNATION |
Myristoleic acid | 14:1 |
Palmitoleic acid | 16:1 |
Sapienic acid | 16:1 |
Oleic acid | 18:1 |
Linoleic acid | 18:2 |
α-Linolenic acid | 18:3 |
Arachidonic acid | 20:4 |
Eicosapentaenoic acid | 20:5 |
Erucic acid | 22:1 |
Docosahexaenoic acid | 22:6 |
UNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS are further bifurcated as MONOUNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS (MUFA) and POLYUNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS (PUFA) :
MONOUNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS (MUFA) are those that contain one double bond.
Monounsaturated fat (MUFA) is found in animal products & vegetables.Monounsaturated fat is believed to lower total cholesterol with no change or slight increase in HDL-C. It is cardio-protective, lowers blood glucose and triglycerides in type II diabetes. It may also offer protection against certain cancers, like breast cancer and colon cancer. The major fatty acid composition of MUFA is oleic acid.
Oils high in monounsaturated are best for cooking (frying). For example, groundnut, mustard, canola, rapeseed, olive oil. They have high oxidation thresholds: meaning, they remain stable at higher temperatures and are not easily transformed into hydrogenated or saturated fats. Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) are liquid at room temperature but start to solidify on refrigeration.
Common monounsaturated fatty acids are :
COMMON NAME | DESIGNATION |
Palmitoleic acid | 16:1 |
cis-vaccenic acid | 18:1 |
Oleic acid | 18:1 |
POLYUNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS (PUFA) are those that contain more than one double bond.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are liquid at room temperature and in the refrigerator. PUFA are not manufactured by our body & must be obtained in our diet and are hence called essential fatty acids.
These healthy fats include the family of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids.
Common polyunsaturated fatty acids are :
COMMON NAME | DESIGNATION |
Linoleic acid | 18:2 |
Gamma-linolenic acid | 18:3 |
Alpha-linolenic acid | 18:3 |
Arachidonic acid | 20:4 |
Eicosapentaenoic acid | 20:5 |
Docosahexaenoic acid | 22:6 |
Omega-3
Omega -3 Fatty Acids
n−3 fatty acids (popularly referred to as ω−3 fatty acids or omega-3 fatty acids) are a family of unsaturated fatty acids that have in common a final carbon–carbon double bond in the n-3 position; that is, the third bond from the methyl end of the fatty acid.
Saturated fats are usually solid at room temperature. Since our body manufactures its own saturated fat we don't need to include any in our diet. It is found mainly in animal foods and dairy products (exceptions: palm oil, coconut oil). Saturated fats increase total cholesterol, LDL-C (bad) and triglycerides. Below, is found a list of the most common saturated fatty acids.
COMMON NAME | DESIGNATION |
Hexadecatrienoic acid | 16:3 |
Alpha-linolenic acid | 18:3 |
Stearidonic acid | 18:4 |
Eicosatrienoic acid | 20:3 |
Eicosatetrenoic acid | 20:4 |
Eicosapentaenoic acid | 20:5 |
Docosapentaenoic acid | 22:5 |
Docosahexaenoic acid | 22:6 |
Tetracosapentaenoic acid | 24:5 |
Tetracosahexaenoic acid | 24:5 |
Omega-6
Omega -6 Fatty Acids
n−6 fatty acids (popularly referred to as ω−6 fatty acids or omega-6 fatty acids) are a family of unsaturated fatty acids that have in common a final carbon–carbon double bond in the n-6 position, that is, the sixth bond, counting from the end opposite the carboxyl group
COMMON NAME | DESIGNATION |
Linoleic acid | 18:2 |
Gamma-linolenic acid | 18:3 |
Eicosadienoic acid | 20:2 |
Dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid | 20:3 |
Arachidonic acid | 20:4 |
Docosadienoic acid | 22:2 |
Adrenic acid | 22:4 |
Docosapentaenoic acid | 22:5 |
Omega-9
Omega-9 Fatty Acids
n−9 fatty acids (popularly referred to as ω−9 fatty acids or omega-9 fatty acids) are a family of unsaturated fatty acids which have in common a final carbon–carbon double bond in the n-9 position; that is, the ninth bond from the end of the fatty acid.
COMMON NAME | DESIGNATION |
Oleic acid | 18:1 |
Eicosenoic acid | 20:1 |
Mead acid | 20:3 |
Erucic acid | 22:1 |
Nervonic acid | 24:1 |
Trans Fatty Acid
Trans Fats are the most harmful of the dietary fats. They are more serious than saturated fats and can raise total cholesterol and LDL-C ("bad cholesterol") and lower HDL-C ("good cholesterol"). Eliminating trans fats from the diet is very important to prevent Cardiovascular Disease.
Cholesterol
Cholesterol is synthesized in the body and hence is not essential in the diet. Dietary cholesterol raises plasma total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C levels. Foods high in saturated fat are also sources of dietary cholesterol and hence consumption of these foods should be moderated.