DEFINITION
Edible fats and oils are foodstuffs composed of glycerides of fatty acids. They are of vegetable, animal, or marine origin. They may contain small amounts of other lipids such as phosphatides/phospholipids, unsaponifiable constituents, and free fatty acids naturally present in the fat or oil. Fats of animal origin must be produced from animals in good health at the time of slaughter and be fit for human consumption. They serve as nutrient energy sources, carriers for fat-soluble nutrients, and functional ingredients in food processing; their physical and chemical characteristics (melting, oxidative stability) influence food quality and safety
Virgin fats and oils are edible vegetable fats and oils obtained, without altering the nature of the oil, by mechanical procedures, e.g., expelling or pressing, and the application of heat only. They may be purified by washing with water, settling, filtering, and centrifuging only.
Cold-pressed fats and oils are edible vegetable fats and oils obtained, without altering the oil, by mechanical procedures, e.g., expelling or pressing, without the application of heat. They may have been purified by washing with water, settling, filtering, and centrifuging only.
Refined fats and oils are edible fats and oils that have been subjected to one or more purification processes following initial oil extraction to remove impurities, free fatty acids, gums, colorants, odors, and volatile compounds to produce a clear, stable, neutral-flavored product suitable for human consumption and industrial food use.
