How To Check If Your Cooking Oil Is Pure? Identify Fake Oil At Home

Which is the most used ingredient in your pantry? You might say rice, onion, and potato, all varying based on your cooking styles. However, all those answers aren’t quite right. The most used ingredient in your kitchen is the cooking oil. Whether you are cooking a curry, pasta, snacks, or making any dish, we all use oil in almost every dish. However, in recent years, there has been a rise in ‘fake’ or adulterated cooking oil, causing health issues.

Adulteration isn’t new or uncommon in the Indian market. FSSAI edible oil survey found that 24% edible oils were adulterated. So, how do you know if yours is pure or fake at home?

In this post, we will discuss three ways oil can be ‘faked’ and share 8 tips to check the purity of your cooking oil.

What Does Fake Cooking Oil Really Mean?

The oil can be ‘fake’ in many ways. Therefore, understanding the difference is important to help you avoid picking the wrong one.

Fake Claims And Labels

This is one of the most common forms of fraud happening in India. Many cooking oil companies use vague terms like ‘natural’ or ‘fresh’ on their labels, which don’t really indicate whether they are cold-pressed.

Additionally, many companies use fake food certificates or no certificates at all. Therefore, you must check the label for the exclusive ‘cold-pressed’ term and any relevant food certification.

For example, the manufacturer may claim to offer kachi ghani groundnut oil, but use different vague terms or fake certificates. Cross-check the certificates if you feel the oil isn't authentic.

Adulteration

Adulteration is when a company mixes toxic or inferior oil along with the fresh cold-pressed oil to increase profits. They often add argemone, mineral, or palm oil into the original oil to increase its volume and refine it to avoid detection.

They charge a premium price for compromised oil. Furthermore, many oil brands refine used oil and repackage it as fresh.

Misleading Location

One of the most common marketing gimmicks these fake cooking oil manufacturer us is specifying a location. For example, the use of ‘made with the best peanuts from Gujarat’ to sell groundnut oil for cooking.

However, when you cross-check, you’ll find that the factory doesn’t exist in that area at all. Some companies may be sourcing from a different location at a subpar quality.

How To Check The Purity Of Cooking Oil At Home?

The following are 8 tricks to check the quality of your cooking oil at home.

Check The Colour And Smell

The first very obvious sign of adulteration can be found in its colour and smell.

Let’s start with the colour. If the oil comes in a clear bottle, you can check the colour by holding it in front of the light. Cold-pressed oil doesn’t lose colour. For example, the kachi ghani groundnut oil or mustard oil is supposed to have a yellow or amber hue. If the oil is strongly yellow or neutral, it is either refined or adulterated oil.

Smell is one of the most common giveaways for oil. Any cold-pressed oil has a slight aroma of the seed and nuts it’s made of. For example, the groundnut oil for cooking retains its unique nutty aroma when cold-pressed. If you smell something off or do not smell at all, the oil is most probably fake.

Taste The Oil

This one might be uncommon or uncomfortable for many, but it is one of the direct ways to check oil. Place a small drop of oil on your tongue. If it’s fresh, you will taste a mild flavour and nothing else. However, if the oil tastes weird, bitter, and leaves a chemical-like aftertaste, it might be fake.

Test The Viscosity

The viscosity is the thickness of the oil. The natural or cold-pressed oils aren’t supposed to be too thick. You can check the viscosity of oil by rubbing a small amount of oil between your fingers. If it’s too thick, greasy, or seems like wax, something is wrong with the oil.

Refrigerator Test For Oil

This test is best to identify the quality of unrefined or cold-pressed oil. Put a small quantity of oil in a clear container or glass and freeze it. Cold-pressed oil will solidify evenly. However, adulterated oil might not solidify at all or may have white patches showing adulteration.

Heat Test For Cooking Oil

Next on the testing list is the classic: heating the oil.

Take a tablespoon or a little more oil in a pan and put it on the heat. If the oil is pure, it will heat up evenly, and in the case of cold-pressed oil, give off its natural smell. However, adulterated oil may have foam, an unpleasant smell, and smoke may start rising in a few seconds only.

Water Test

One of the easiest cooking oil quality tests is to use water. Fill a glass with room-temperature water and add a few drops of oil to the glass. The normal oil will create an even layer, while the adulterated oil will create uneven clusters.

You can also add shampoo or soap to this water. The natural oil will emulsify, while the adulterated one might not emulsify easily.

The Price Is Too Low

Low prices are possible for factory outlets; however, too much difference in prices is a very clear red flag. If the deal is too cheap, they might be selling cheap, quality cooking oil as well.

So, check the prices online to get an estimated price. Anything too cheap might not be trustworthy.

Check The Label

The label on the packaging is one of the most important ways to identify fake cooking oil brands.

To identify an authentic cooking oil brand, check if the label has:

• FSSAI license number
• Clear ingredient list without preservatives for cold-pressed oils
• Batch number, manufacturing date, and expiry date
• Net weight or volume
• Manufacturer's full address and contact information
• Clearly defined oil pressing method

Vague details, blurry print, and fake or lack of FSSAI certificates are a few giveaways of fake oil.

Buy Pure Cold-Pressed Cooking Oil From Gopinath Cooking Oil

Gopinath cooking oil is the best cooking oil brand in India, known for offering high-quality cold-pressed groundnut and sesame cooking oil. Our factory and factory outlets are settled in Gujarat.

You can check our products or visit our factory to check the oil production process. Buy the best cold-pressed groundnut oil now!

Conclusion

Your cooking oil is one of the most used ingredients in your kitchen. Therefore, choosing pure oil is important for your and your family’s health.

We have listed a few ways to help you test the purity of cooking oil at home. From the taste, smell, and thickness to freezing and heating the oil, we have conducted various tests to help you identify the fake oil.

If you are looking for pure cold-pressed groundnut or sesame oil, you are in the right place. Buy authentic cold-pressed cooking oil from Gopinath Cooking Oil now!

FAQs

How To Check If Cooking Oil Is Good Or Bad?

The quickest way to test the quality of oil is to check its colour, aroma, taste, and thickness. You can also check the details on the label. If the label has vague information, it might be a red flag.

Furthermore, you can freeze or heat the oil to identify fake oil, as it doesn’t solidify and gives a foul smell.

How To Choose The Best Cooking Oil Brand In India?

To choose the right cooking oil brand in India, focus on:

• FSSAI and other food safety certificates
• Terms used on the packaging (avoid companies using vague terms)
• Ingredient list of the oil
• Reputation of the oil manufacturer
• Source of raw materials
• Customer reviews

Which Oil Is Best For Cardiac Patients?

Cardiac patients should use oils with higher unsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs and PUFAs). A few popular oils for heart patients are kachi ghani groundnut oil, olive oil, rice bran oil, and avocado oil.

Which Brand Is Best For Pure Cooking Oil?

Gopinath Cooking Oil is one of the best brands offering high-quality cold-pressed groundnut (peanut) and sesame oil. We source our raw material from the farms of Dhari, Khobha, and Mahuva in Gujarat.

We use the cold-pressed technique and follow hygiene and safety standards to create the best oil. You can visit our factory or factory outlet in Surat as well. Contact us to know more.