Preferences for dietary oils and fats in cooking and food preparation methods: a cross-sectional analysis of Australian adults

Dietary oils and fats contain different fatty acid compositions that are associated with cardiometabolic disease risk. Despite their influence on disease outcomes, the types of dietary oils and fats predominately used in Australian households remain unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the use of dietary oils and fats in cooking and food preparation in Australia. Adults living in Australia completed a cross-sectional online survey outlining their current household oil and fat use from July to December 2021. The survey was disseminated via social media platforms and included questions about the types of dietary oils and fats used for different cooking methods and the perceived motivators for choosing the main household oil. A total of 1248 participants responded to the survey. Participants were mostly female (91 center dot 6 %) aged between 25 and 44 years (56 center dot 7 %). The majority of participants (84 center dot 5 %) reported using some form of olive oil as their main source of oil for cooking and food preparation. Almost two-thirds of the sample (65 center dot 4 %) reported using extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), mainly in raw food preparation (71 center dot 5 %) or savoury baking and roasting (58 %). Fewer households reported using rice bran oil (4 center dot 6 %), canola oil (4 center dot 3 %) and vegetable oil (1 center dot 8 %). Almost half of all participants (49 center dot 6 %) identified perceived health benefits as the primary motivating factor for their main choice of oil, followed by sensory preference (46 center dot 7 %), versatility (10 center dot 2 %) and convenience (8 center dot 8 %). Australian adults frequently use olive oil, specifically EVOO, as the main oil for cooking and food preparation in the household.