Rapeseed Oil
Completeness scorecard
Deterministic gap audit — no score is composite, no cell is LLM-judged. Each chip is re-derivable by re-running tools/evidence/build-ingredient-scorecard.mjs. review: residuals and missing data are worked autonomously via data/evidence/ingredient-scorecard-review-flags.csv and wiki/completeness-gaps.md.
| Dimension | Status | What’s there (auditable counts) | What’s missing |
|---|---|---|---|
| D1 Analyte coverage (tier: unset) | tier-unset | 5/10 HMTc analytes, total n=13 | consumption tier unset; depth bar uncheckable |
| D2 Regional coverage | OK | 26 jurisdictions, top CN 50% | — |
| D3 Anthropogenic evidence | GAP | 1 drinking-water; no supply-chain link | link a supply-chain/ hub page |
| D4 Background mechanism | OK | section present, 5 drivers, 1 upstream source(s) | — |
| D5 Pooling depth | THIN | Pb POOLABLE, Cd POOLABLE, tAs THIN, tHg THIN, Ni THIN, Cr THIN | tAs: needs 1 more study(ies); tHg: needs 2 more study(ies); Ni: needs 1 more study(ies); Cr: needs 1 more study(ies) |
| D6 Speciation | OK | iAs, tAs, tHg declared | — |
| D7 Basis declaration | GAP | 0/10 populated cells declare a basis token | 10 populated cell(s) lack a basis token: Pb, Cd, iAs, tAs, tHg, Ni, Al, Cr, Sn, U |
| D8 Provenance integrity | OK | 8 claims checked, 8 supported; 3 citations, 0 orphan, 0 foreign | — |
| D9 Mitigation | GAP | 0 cited lever(s), 0 mitigation/ link(s) | section present but no source-cited lever |
| D10 Regulatory coverage | GAP | 0 rule link(s), 0 metal(s) covered | no regulations/ link in section |
| D11 Standards-readiness | NOT-READY | priority: Pb, Cd, tAs, tHg, Ni, Cr; pairing 0 paired, 6 single, 0 unpaired | tAs: THIN, needs 1 more study(ies); tHg: THIN, needs 2 more study(ies); Ni: THIN, needs 1 more study(ies); Cr: THIN, needs 1 more study(ies); basis: 10 populated cell(s) lack a basis token: Pb, Cd, iAs, tAs, tHg, Ni, Al, Cr, Sn, U; consumption tier unset (depth bar uncheckable) |
| Principle balance | flag | consumer-protection 1.00, contamination-reduction 0.00, brand-value 0.50, legal-defensibility 0.50, scale 0.25 | spread 1.00 — starved: contamination-reduction |
Rapeseed oil (also called canola oil in North America; the term “canola” was originally a trade name for low-erucic-acid varieties developed in Canada) is pressed from Brassica napus or Brassica rapa seeds and is the second-most-produced vegetable oil globally after palm oil. The heavy-metals profile follows the standard refined-seed-oil pattern: modest baseline Pb-and-Cd from upstream seed agronomy, partial reduction through the refining chain, and trace Ni from bleaching-clay contact. As a brassica, rapeseed has the family-characteristic moderate Cd uptake; the seed itself can carry slightly higher Cd than non-brassica oilseeds, though most of the seed’s Cd partitions with the spent meal rather than the oil during extraction. The current corpus loads 3 sources covering rapeseed oil through the broader vegetable-oils literature: Ashraf 2012 Saudi market survey including 17 rapeseed oil samples within 161-sample multi-oil panel (ashraf2012-heavy-metals-vegetable-oils-saudi-arabia), González-Torres 2023 global systematic review covering rapeseed oil among 35 oil types (gonzalez-torres2023-heavy-metals-vegetable-oils-review), and Scutarasu 2023 global foods-and-beverages review (scutarasu2023-heavy-metals-foods-beverages).
Why this commodity accumulates heavy metals
Rapeseed (Brassica napus) is a brassica oilseed grown predominantly in Canada (the largest producer, branded as canola), the EU (France, Germany, Poland, UK), China, India, and Australia. The brassica-family Cd-uptake pathway carries seed-Cd at moderate levels reflecting soil chemistry and Zn-availability. The seed metals partition during extraction: most metals stay with the spent meal (used for animal feed), and a small fraction transfers to the oil. Refining (degumming, neutralisation, bleaching, deodorisation) further reduces residual metals through filtration and bleaching-clay adsorption. Bleaching with acid-activated clay can introduce Ni at 5-50 ppb in finished oil. The Saudi Ashraf 2012 dataset placed rapeseed oil at the lower-middle of the Saudi retail edible-oil Pb-Cd distribution (ashraf2012-heavy-metals-vegetable-oils-saudi-arabia). The González-Torres 2023 global systematic review identified rapeseed oil among the broadly-similar refined-seed-oil category occupying the lower-middle of the global edible-oil heavy-metals distribution (gonzalez-torres2023-heavy-metals-vegetable-oils-review).
Heavy metal contamination profile
Per-analyte snapshot derived from the machine-readable contamination_profile in the frontmatter above. data gap indicates the literature has been reviewed for this commodity-analyte combination and no usable occurrence data was found (a finding, not a placeholder). The Key sources column shows the top 2-3 contributing sources by year and sample size, with numbered wikilink aliases.
| Analyte | Coverage | Typical (ppb) | p95 (ppb) | Confidence | Key sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pb | n=3 | 5–100 | 250 | medium | 1, 2 |
| Cd | n=3 | 1–30 | — | medium | 1, 2 |
| iAs | data gap | — | — | — | — |
| tAs | n=2 | 1–50 | — | low | 1 |
| tHg | n=1 | — | — | — | — |
| Ni | n=2 | 10–200 | — | low | 1 |
| Al | data gap | — | — | — | — |
| Cr | n=2 | 5–100 | — | low | — |
| Sn | data gap | — | — | — | — |
| U | data gap | — | — | — | — |
Ranges by source, region, and variety
The Saudi Ashraf 2012 dataset (n=17 rapeseed oil within 161-sample multi-oil panel) places rapeseed oil at the lower-middle of the Saudi retail edible-oil distribution (ashraf2012-heavy-metals-vegetable-oils-saudi-arabia). The González-Torres 2023 global systematic review identifies rapeseed/canola oil as broadly equivalent to soybean and sunflower oil within the refined-seed-oil category on heavy metals (gonzalez-torres2023-heavy-metals-vegetable-oils-review). The Scutarasu 2023 global review confirms the lower-middle positioning (scutarasu2023-heavy-metals-foods-beverages). Origin pattern: Canadian canola, EU rapeseed (France, Germany, Poland, UK), and Chinese-Indian rapeseed are broadly equivalent on heavy metals in the loaded literature; specific-origin specifications add cost without meaningful metal-load shift. Cultivar pattern: low-erucic-acid canola varieties versus traditional rapeseed do not produce meaningfully different heavy-metals profiles in the oil. GMO status (Canadian canola is dominantly GMO Roundup-Ready) does not affect the heavy-metals profile.
Processing effects
Cold pressing (mechanical, used for premium unrefined cold-pressed rapeseed oil) retains a slightly higher metal load than solvent extraction followed by refining. Solvent extraction (hexane-based, the dominant industrial method) recovers higher oil yield. Refining reduces Pb-and-Cd through filtration and bleaching-clay adsorption; bleaching introduces trace Ni. Deodorisation at high temperature does not affect metal content. Hydrogenation (used for partially hydrogenated rapeseed oil, declining under FDA’s trans-fat policy) introduces Ni from catalyst residue.
Ingredient-derivative risk
Refined rapeseed/canola oil in glass packaging sits at the baseline-lowest-metal-load form. Refined product in PET, tin, or aluminium picks up modest additional metals through packaging-migration over shelf life. Cold-pressed unrefined rapeseed oil carries slightly higher Pb-and-Cd but lower Ni. Hydrogenated rapeseed oil (used in some industrial applications) carries additional Ni from catalyst residue. Rapeseed-oil-based salad dressings, mayonnaise, and finished sauces inherit the baseline load at the inclusion ratio.
Mitigation options
Sourcing levers
Specify refined oil over unrefined for the lowest baseline Pb-and-Cd load. Source from suppliers with documented seed-source agronomic screening. Canadian, EU, and Australian commodity supply chains are broadly equivalent.
Agronomic levers
Soil pH management and Zn-availability management reduce brassica Cd uptake at the seed-production stage. Phosphate-fertiliser screening reduces ongoing Cd loading.
Processing levers
Specify refining protocols with food-grade bleaching clay and Ni-screened catalysts.
Formulation levers
For finished products, the inclusion ratio caps per-serving exposure.
Testing and QC levers
Lot-level ICP-MS testing for Pb (detection floor ≤ 5 ppb), Cd (≤ 1 ppb), and Ni (≤ 10 ppb) is the standard intervention.
Packaging and storage levers
Glass is the baseline-cleanest option. PET is comparable. Tin and aluminium packaging contribute modest additional metals.
Regulatory limits that apply
The Codex Alimentarius Standard for Named Vegetable Oils (CXS 210-1999) sets specific provisions for rapeseed/canola oil: iron 1.5 mg/kg max (virgin), 1.5 mg/kg max (refined), copper 0.1 mg/kg max. The EU Regulation 2023/915 applies the general fats-and-oils Pb maximum of 0.10 mg/kg. The FDA has not set rapeseed-or-canola-specific action levels. Commercial product consistently sits below applicable Pb limits per the loaded retail-market data.
Sources
Auto-generated from source-page frontmatter. The “Used on this page for” column is populated by the orchestrator’s POPULATE-SOURCE-LEGEND action; pending entries appear as *[awaiting synthesis]*.
| # | Citation | Year | Type | Used on this page for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abedi et al. 2025. Comparison Between Emerging and Conventional Methods for Edible Oils Bleaching, Food Science & Nutrition | 2025 | Peer-reviewed | Pb, Cd, Ni, Cr, Co, Al, Cu, Fe occurrence in Narrative review of published literature on industrial and emerging bleaching technologies for edible vegetable oils. No primary measurements;… |
| 2 | Matei et al. 2025. Physicochemical Properties, Trace Elements, and Health Risk Assessment of Edible Vegetable Oils Consumed in Romania, Applied Sciences | 2025 | Peer-reviewed | RO Pb, Cd, Cu, Cr, Co, Mn, Ni occurrence in 24 edible vegetable oil samples (three samples each of eight oil types: sunflower, grapeseed, extra virgin olive, organic… (n=24) |
| 3 | VdS et al. 2025. Edible Oils from Health to Sustainability: Influence of the Production Processes in the Quality, Consumption Benefits and Risks, Lipidology | 2025 | Peer-reviewed | MA/IR/GR Pb, Cd, tAs, Ni, Cr, Al, Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, V, tHg occurrence in Systematic review of 35 studies meeting eligibility criteria (of 125 articles screened), including 7 studies on contaminants (PAHs… |
| 4 | S-T et al. 2024. Determination, distribution, and health risk assessment of 12 heavy metals in various edible oils in Taiwan, JSFA Reports | 2024 | Peer-reviewed | TW tAs, Pb, Cd, Ni, V, Cr, Co, Cu, Fe, Zn, Mn, Ba occurrence in 12 types of refined commercial edible oils (n=25 samples) and 12 types of unrefined (cold-pressed/virgin) commercial edible oils… (n=50) |
| 5 | González-Torres et al. 2023. Comparative Study of the Presence of Heavy Metals in Edible Vegetable Oils, Applied Sciences | 2023 | Peer-reviewed | Global systematic review of 35 vegetable oil types from 24 countries including rapeseed |
| 6 | Nazari et al. 2023. Impacts of Heavy Metals in Seed Crops and Oil Seed on Human Health: A Threat to Food Safety — Review, Carpathian Journal of Food Science and Technology, 15(2), 106-124 | 2023 | Review | global/EU/IR Pb, Cd, iAs, tAs, tHg, MeHg, Ni, Cr, Cr-VI occurrence in Narrative literature review of published studies on heavy metal occurrence in oilseeds (sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, rape, mustard, linseed,… |
| 7 | Scutarasu et al. 2023. Heavy Metals in Foods and Beverages: Global Situation, Health Risks and Reduction Methods, Foods | 2023 | Peer-reviewed | IR/CN/GR Pb, Cd, tAs, Ni, Cr, tHg, Al, Cu, Zn occurrence in Narrative literature review covering heavy metals in fruits and vegetables, milk and dairy, meat, edible oils, wine, and… |
| 8 | EFSA 2014. Scientific Opinion on the risks to public health related to the presence of chromium in food and drinking water, EFSA Journal 2014;12(3):3595 | 2014 | Government report | EU Cr, Cr-VI occurrence in Analytical results submitted to EFSA on chromium in food (27,074) and drinking water (52,735) reported by EU Member… (n=79809) |
| 9 | Ashraf 2012. Levels of Selected Heavy Metals in Varieties of Vegetable Oils Consumed in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Health Risk Assessment of Local Population, Asian Journal of Chemistry (Uncorrected Proof) | 2012 | Peer-reviewed | Saudi market survey including 17 rapeseed oil samples within 161-sample multi-oil panel |
| 10 | Zhu et al. 2011. Health risk assessment of eight heavy metals in nine varieties of edible vegetable oils consumed in China, Food and Chemical Toxicology | 2011 | Peer-reviewed | CN Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, Cd, Ni, Pb, tAs occurrence in 109 commercial edible vegetable oil samples purchased from Chinese supermarkets during 2009-2010: 13 soybean, 12 corn, 14 peanut,… (n=109) |
| 11 | Chen et al. 2001. Determination of arsenic in edible fats and oils by focused microwave digestion and atomic fluorescence spectrometer, Journal of Food and Drug Analysis | 2001 | Peer-reviewed | TW tAs occurrence in Twenty-one market samples of edible fats and oils in Taiwan, including peanut oil, sesame oil, olive oil, sunflower… (n=21) |
Page history
The five most recent substantive edits to this page. The full version history lives in git; when DOI minting comes online (see schema docs), each entry below will also link to a version-pinned DataCite DOI.
| Commit | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|
| b0f3d38 | 2026-06-12 | batch | corpus rescreen b04 old terminal skips |