What is Erucic Acid?

Erucic acid is an Omega 9 fatty acid. It is found in the seeds of species of the Brassicaceae family (these include rapeseed and mustard seed) and seeds from vegetable crops such as kale, cabbage and turnips.

Is too much Erucic acid harmful to humans?

Consumption of Erucic acid at high levels can be linked to adverse effects on the heart tissue, most notably causing myocardial lipidosis.

How much erucic acid does rapeseed oil contain?

Traditional varieties of rapeseed oil can contain around 40% or more Erucic acid. These levels are too high to be safe for regular consumption by humans. However from the 1960’s onwards varieties of rapeseed started to be bred to have very little erucic acid content. In most cases <1% erucic acid.

These low erucic acid varieties of oil seed rape (often known as double low or double zero) are grown by farmers in the UK. They are fit for human consumption, so ideal for culinary applications.

How can you be sure that your rapeseed oil is safe for human consumption?

For rapeseed oil use in food products it is illegal to have erucic acid levels higher than 5%. However the maximum erucic acid level set by many food manufacturers is no higher than 2%.

Most double low varieties have less than 2% erucic acid, however rapeseed oil producers still carry out testing on erucic acid levels to ensure that levels of erucic acid remain at a safe level.

In conclusion

Culinary rapeseed oil does contain a low amount of erucic acid. However the levels are so minimal that it is highly unlikely to have an impact on your health when consumed as part of a balanced diet. Nutritionally there are a lot of benefits to including cold pressed rapeseed oil in your diet. These include a low level of saturated fat compared to other cooking oils, being rich in Vitamin E and a good source of Omega 3.