Corn oil (North American) or maize oil (British) is
oil extracted from the
germ of corn (
maize). Its main use is in cooking, where its high
smoke point makes refined corn oil a valuable
frying oil. It is also a key ingredient in some
margarines. Corn oil is generally less expensive than most other types of
vegetable oils.
Almost all corn oil is
expeller-pressed, then solvent-extracted using
hexane or
2-methylpentane (isohexane).[1] The solvent is evaporated from the corn oil, recovered, and re-used. After extraction, the corn oil is then refined by degumming and/or alkali treatment, both of which remove
phosphatides. Alkali treatment also neutralizes free fatty acids and removes color (bleaching). Final steps in refining include
winterization (the removal of waxes), and deodorization by steam distillation of the oil at 232–260
°C (450–500
°F) under a high vacuum.[1]
Some specialty oil producers manufacture unrefined, 100%-expeller-pressed corn oil. This is a more expensive product since it has a much lower yield than the combination expeller and solvent process, as well as a smaller market share.[citation needed]
^
abc"US National Nutrient Database, Release 28". United States Department of Agriculture. May 2016. All values in this table are from this database unless otherwise cited or when italicized as the simple arithmetic sum of other component columns.
^"Avocado oil, fat composition, 100 g". US National Nutrient Database, Release 28, United States Department of Agriculture. May 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
^"Brazil nut oil, fat composition, 100 g". US National Nutrient Database, Release 28, United States Department of Agriculture. May 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
^"Canola oil, fat composition, 100 g". US National Nutrient Database, Release 28, United States Department of Agriculture. May 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
^"Coconut oil, fat composition, 100 g". US National Nutrient Database, Release 28, United States Department of Agriculture. May 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
^Callaway J, Schwab U, Harvima I, Halonen P, Mykkänen O, Hyvönen P, Järvinen T (April 2005). "Efficacy of dietary hempseed oil in patients with atopic dermatitis". The Journal of Dermatological Treatment. 16 (2): 87–94.
doi:
10.1080/09546630510035832.
PMID16019622.
S2CID18445488.
^"Palm oil, fat composition, 100 g". US National Nutrient Database, Release 28, United States Department of Agriculture. May 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
^Orthoefer FT (2005). "Chapter 10: Rice Bran Oil". In Shahidi F (ed.). Bailey's Industrial Oil and Fat Products. Vol. 2 (6th ed.). John Wiley & Sons, Inc. p. 465.
doi:
10.1002/047167849X.
ISBN978-0-471-38552-3.
Dupont J; PJ White; MP Carpenter; EJ Schaefer; SN Meydani; CE Elson; M Woods;
SL Gorbach (October 1990). "Food uses and health effects of corn oil". J Am Coll Nutr. 9 (5): 438–470.
doi:
10.1080/07315724.1990.10720403.
PMID2258533.