Is Vegetable Oil Ultra Processed?
Not Typically Ultra-Processed
Vegetable oil is moderately to highly processed (Level 2-3). Despite its "natural" name, industrial vegetable oil extraction uses hexane solvent, chemical degumming, alkali refining, bleaching, and deodorizing — a far cry from simply pressing vegetables.
Key Findings
- •Hexane solvent extraction is the industry standard for vegetable oil — a petroleum derivative used to dissolve oil from seeds
- •The refining process (degumming, bleaching, deodorizing) involves phosphoric acid, sodium hydroxide, and bleaching clay
- •Despite 6+ industrial processing steps, the final product is technically a single-ingredient food
Why Is Vegetable Oil Level 3?
The term "vegetable oil" typically refers to soybean oil in the US. The extraction process reveals why the Level 2-3 rating applies: soybeans are crushed, then washed with hexane (a petroleum-derived solvent) to dissolve and extract the oil. The hexane is evaporated off and recycled. The crude oil then undergoes degumming (phosphoric acid removes phospholipids), alkali refining (sodium hydroxide neutralizes free fatty acids), bleaching (bleaching clay removes pigments), and deodorizing (high-temperature steam strips volatile compounds). While trace hexane remains in the finished oil (FDA permits up to 25 ppm), the final product contains no added ingredients — it is still "just oil." The processing is industrial but the end result is a single-ingredient product.
Vegetable Oil Processing Level Distribution
How 876 vegetable oil products break down by processing level:
Average ingredient count: 4.5 · Average nutrition score: 2.9/10
Vegetable Oil Brand Comparison
Comparing the least to most processed vegetable oil products in our database:
| Product | Brand | Level | Score | Ingredients |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vegetable Oil | First Street | Processing Level: 1 out of 4 - Minimally Processed | 1.0 | 1 |
| Vegetable Oil | Tops | Processing Level: 1 out of 4 - Minimally Processed | 1.0 | 1 |
| 100% Pure Vegetable Oil | Lowes Foods | Processing Level: 1 out of 4 - Minimally Processed | 1.0 | 1 |
| 100% Pure Vegetable Oil | Schnucks | Processing Level: 1 out of 4 - Minimally Processed | 1.0 | 1 |
| 100% Pure Vegetable Oil | Pampa | Processing Level: 1 out of 4 - Minimally Processed | 1.0 | 1 |
| 100% Pure Vegetable Oil | Big Y | Processing Level: 1 out of 4 - Minimally Processed | 1.0 | 1 |
| Pork Lard Time Honored Cooking Oil | Epic | Processing Level: 1 out of 4 - Minimally Processed | 1.0 | 1 |
| Pure Vegetable Oil | Shoppers Value | Processing Level: 1 out of 4 - Minimally Processed | 1.0 | 1 |
| 100% Pure Vegetable Oil | Big Y | Processing Level: 1 out of 4 - Minimally Processed | 1.0 | 1 |
| Pure Soybean Oil & Extra Virgin Oil | Premium | Processing Level: 1 out of 4 - Minimally Processed | 1.0 | 1 |
How to Read Vegetable Oil Labels
- 1
Vegetable oil is usually soybean oil — check the label for the actual source
- 2
The ingredient list says only "soybean oil" but the extraction process is far more complex than that implies
- 3
Cold-pressed or expeller-pressed vegetable oils skip the hexane solvent step
- 4
Blended vegetable oils may combine multiple seed oils — not necessarily worse but less transparent
Frequently Asked Questions
Is vegetable oil bad for you?
This is a nutrition question outside the scope of processing analysis. From a processing standpoint, vegetable oil is Level 2-3 due to solvent extraction and multi-step refining. Cold-pressed alternatives exist at Level 1-2 but are more expensive.
What is hexane extraction?
Hexane is a petroleum-derived solvent used to dissolve oil from crushed seeds. The seeds are washed with hexane, the oil-hexane mixture is separated, and the hexane is evaporated off for reuse. Trace amounts (under 25 ppm) may remain in the finished oil.
Is vegetable oil more processed than olive oil?
Yes. Extra virgin olive oil is mechanically pressed (Level 1). Vegetable oil requires solvent extraction, degumming, bleaching, and deodorizing (Level 2-3). The processing gap between them is significant.