The first industrial seed oils made their way into modern diets in the late 1800s. As animal fats – a key ingredient in cooking – became more and more expensive, companies like P&G sought out lower-cost alternatives to market and sell. In 1907, a German chemist named Edwin Kayser, wrote to Proctor and Gamble about a chemical process that could create a solid oil from liquid and “Crisco” was born. At the time, cottonseed oil (the main product in Crisco) was as deemed “toxic waste” but P&G was able to chemically alter it into cooking fat that closely resembled lard. Crisco became the first seed oil sold mass marketed for human consumption.
Before the 1900’s these oils were scarcely used and were definitely not viewed as a food product. People used fats that could easily be extracted from foods, like tallow, lard, butter, olive oil and coconut oil. However, In the early 1900s, North Americans started consuming industrial seed oils, we swiftly began replacing animal fats with their seed oil counterparts. Through clever marketing hacks, seed oils like Crisco became a staple in the North American diet and a product that was seen as a waste product in the 1860s, became a common table food by the early 1900s.
Since then, these oils have influenced most westernized diets. In fact, there deeply ingrained in our food system, used in virtually all ultra-processed and frozen foods.
Seed oil is any vegetable oil that comes from the seed of a plant; sunflower, canola, linseed, grapeseed and sesame oils are all common seed oils. Along side olive oil, seed oils are among the most popular oils worldwide.
Unfortunately, as many staples in western diets, there around downsides to consuming these products. Using seed oils too often can contribute to an imbalance in your omega-6 to omega-3 ratio and contribute to a pro-inflammatory environment in your body. There are also environmental concerns that come with the heavy use of herbicides on GMO oil seed crops.
Up until 1990 McDonalds had the best fries in the business, unfortunately, for economic reasons, they switched from using beef tallow to the cheaper option of vegetable oil. After the switch, the fries where not as good as before and McDonalds stock dropped by 8%. The fries cooked in beef tallow were not only better tasting but was also better for your health.
Before seed oils, humans consumed animal fats. This was common practice that has been used since 250,000BC when man learned how to produce fire to cook meat and collect the fat. I am sure around this time we did not have a high rate of metabolic disease, diabetes or heart disease. Cooking food with nature’s products is always better than cooking with man made industrial products. If you are trying to be healthier and change your diet, then seed oils have to go.