Wood-Pressed, Cold-Pressed, or Refined Oil? What Your Cooking Oil Label Really Means? With so many cooking oil labels claiming to be healthier than the rest, understanding what terms like wood-pressed, cold-pressed, and refined actually mean can help you make a more informed choice.
Walk through the cooking oil section of any supermarket, and you’ll find labels such as wood-pressed, cold-pressed, refined, filtered, and kachi ghani. While these terms often sound like marketing jargon, some describe genuine differences in how the oil is extracted and its nutritional value.
Wood-Pressed, Cold-Pressed, and Kachi Ghani
Traditionally, oils in India were extracted using a ghani—a wooden mortar-and-pestle system operated manually or by bullocks. This slow extraction process crushed oilseeds without applying external heat, helping preserve the oil’s natural flavour and nutrients.
The term kachi ghani literally means “raw mill” and refers to oil extracted without heating the seeds before pressing. Although friction during pressing generates some warmth, the temperature generally remains below 49°C, which is considered the limit for cold-pressed oils.
In most cases, wood-pressed, cold-pressed, and kachi ghani oils refer to similar products. Modern cold-pressed oils may be extracted using slow-moving metal or stainless-steel presses instead of traditional wooden ghanis, but the principle remains the same—minimal heat to preserve the oil’s natural qualities.
How Refined Oil Is Different
Refined oil undergoes a completely different manufacturing process. After the initial mechanical extraction, the leftover seed cake is treated with a solvent, typically hexane, to extract nearly all the remaining oil.
The crude oil is then processed through several refining stages, including degumming, neutralisation, bleaching, and deodorising. During deodorisation, the oil is heated to temperatures of around 250°C under vacuum.
The result is a clear, odourless oil with a longer shelf life and a higher smoke point. However, the refining process also removes many naturally occurring compounds such as antioxidants, vitamin E, lecithin, and flavourful plant nutrients. While the basic fat composition remains largely unchanged, much of the oil’s natural character is lost.
Why Cold-Pressed Oils Cost More
The higher price of cold-pressed oil is mainly due to lower extraction efficiency. For example, pressing one kilogram of groundnuts in a traditional ghani may produce only about 280 grams of oil, whereas solvent extraction can yield nearly 470 grams.
Because less oil is recovered from the same quantity of seeds, cold-pressed oils naturally cost more. If a product labelled “cold-pressed” is priced similarly to refined oil, it may be blended, incorrectly labelled, or produced using methods that don’t match the claim.
How to Identify Genuine Cold-Pressed Oil
A few simple signs can help you recognise authentic cold-pressed oil:
• Natural aroma: Coconut oil should smell like coconut, groundnut oil like peanuts, and mustard oil should have its characteristic pungency. Refined oils are generally odourless.
• Slight cloudiness or sediment: Unfiltered cold-pressed oils may contain tiny particles from the seeds, giving them a slightly hazy appearance.
• Colour variations: Since cold-pressed oils are minimally processed, colour may vary between batches depending on the harvest and growing conditions.
• Shorter shelf life: Most cold-pressed oils remain fresh for about six months, whereas refined oils can last 12–18 months. A very long shelf life may indicate additional processing.
Understanding oil labels helps consumers make informed choices. While refined oils offer convenience and longer storage, cold-pressed and wood-pressed oils retain more of the seed’s natural flavour, aroma, and beneficial nutrients. Choosing the right oil ultimately depends on your cooking needs, taste preferences, and nutritional priorities.
Prashanth Sundaresh
Co founder and operations head, Woodified Natura
65/2, 6th Cross, Kaveri Pura, Bengaluru – 560079
E-mail: prashanth@woodifiednatura.in
Ph: 91485 43303/ 9845764343
https://woodifiednatura.in
