Physico-chemical and nutritive characteristics of selected cold-pressed oils found in the European market

Commercially available cold-pressed oils found in the European market were evaluated for their fatty acid composition, omega 6/omega 3 ratio, tocopherols profile, and oxidative stability. Olive, hazelnut, avocado, almond, and rapeseed oils were found to be rich in omega-9 (oleic acid); hemp, pumpkin, and almond oils were rich in omega-6. The highest omega 3 fatty acids content was found in flax (53.49 %), camelina (35.71%), and hemp (19.08%) oils, while the hemp and rapeseed oils, according to the modern nutritional guidelines, had the best omega 6/omega 3 ratio (3.1:1 and 2.3:1, respectively). Flax and camelina oils had a reversed omega 6/omega 3 ratio (0.3:1 and 0.5:1, respectively). The highest alpha-tocopherol content was found in hazelnut oil (360.0 mg/kg); the highest gamma-tocopherol content was found in hemp oil (817.14 mg/kg). Based on the fatty acid profile, omega 6/omega 3 ratio, and tocopherol content, hemp, high-oleic rapeseed, and walnut oils have nutritional advantages over other investigated oils.