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Properties of Corn Oil

Corn oil is everywhere in the American diet. The oil is extracted from the corn germ via a process called wet milling. While corn has plenty of uses that range from nutritive to industrial, the current number one use of corn is the production of corn oil for consumer use as bottled oil or margarine, followed by its commercial use in meal or snack-frying. Since corn oil is so prevalent in our society, knowing more about it can help people make healthy and safe choices about its use.

  1. General Properties

    • Corn oil is insoluble in water and combustible, which means it can catch fire. It generally resists smoking, but if you heat it for too long or at extreme temperatures, it may cause toxic fumes. Corn oil is relatively stable and will not change composition or go bad easily, but after exposure to air or bright light for long periods of time, it will become rancid.

    Physical Properties

    • Corn oil's flash point is 490 degrees Fahrenheit. The flash point is the temperature at which a vapor can be ignited in air. Corn oil's auto-ignition point is 740 degrees. The autoignition point is the temperature at which a substance will combust without a source of ignition.

      In most instances, corn oil will never be at risk for fire caused by vapor fires in the home, but be aware of the threshold when broiling with it. The risk is so low that corn oil does not even have a reported vapor pressure or explosive limit value, both of which are normally reported on chemical data sheets.

      Cooking with corn oil simply requires that you store the oil in a sealed container and protect it from direct light. Avoid direct contact with flames or overexposure to high temperatures to prevent fire once the oil is no longer in a safe container.

    Health Properties

    • Corn oil's relationship to disease is noteworthy. Its regular or heavy intake may directly impact the likelihood of cancer, depression, cardiovascular disease and other diseases with an inflammatory component, including irritable bowel syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, and Type 2 diabetes.

      This is because corn oil has an omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio of 49 to 1. The optimal ratio is 4 to 1. Contemporary American diets are already in excess of double the optimal ratio in many instances, but corn oil is a severe component of the imbalance. If high corn oil consumption is going to remain in your diet, you must increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids. Foods rich in omega-3 include salmon, tuna, olive oil, garlic, and others.

    Comparative Properties

    • Compared to other cooking fats, corn oil does have its benefits, too. Its saturated fat levels are favorable in many instances. Saturated fats raise total cholesterol, both the "good" (HDL) and the "bad" (LDL) kinds.

      Corn oil has a very low saturated fat level at 13%. Comparatively, butter has 66% and lard has 41%. Be careful with margarine, though, which comes from corn oil. Its saturated fat level is 80% and often includes trans fatty acids, a type of synthetic fat intended to increase shelf life.

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