Corn oil (North American) ormaize oil (British) isoil extracted from thegerm ofcorn (maize). Its main use is in cooking, where its highsmoke point makes refined corn oil a valuablefrying oil. It is also a key ingredient in somemargarines. Corn oil is generally less expensive than most other types ofvegetable oils.
Corn oil is also a feedstock used forbiodiesel. Other industrial uses for corn oil includesoap,salve,paint,erasers,rustproofing for metal surfaces,inks,textiles,nitroglycerin, andinsecticides. It is sometimes used as a carrier for drug molecules inpharmaceutical preparations. Due to its low cost, corn oil is also one of the most popular choices for use inegg addling, an avian population control method in which a bird's egg is coated with oil to prevent the embryo from receiving oxygen.[1][2]
Almost all corn oil isexpeller-pressed, thensolvent-extracted usinghexane or2-methylpentane (isohexane).[3] The solvent is evaporated from the corn oil, recovered, and re-used. After extraction, the corn oil is then refined by degumming and/or alkali treatment, both of which removephosphatides. Alkali treatment also neutralizes free fatty acids and removes color (bleaching). Final steps in refining includewinterization (the removal of waxes), and deodorization by steam distillation of the oil at 232–260 °C (450–500 °F) under a high vacuum.[3]
^abc"FoodData Central". United States Department of Agriculture. 1 April 2019. All values in this table are from this database unless otherwise cited or when italicized as the simple arithmetic sum of other component columns.
^abcdKatragadda, Harinageswara Rao; Fullana, Andrés; Sidhu, Sukh; Carbonell-Barrachina, Ángel A. (May 2010). "Emissions of volatile aldehydes from heated cooking oils".Food Chemistry.120 (1):59–65.doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2009.09.070.
^"Canola oil, fat composition, 100 g". US National Nutrient Database, Release 28, United States Department of Agriculture. May 2016. Retrieved6 September 2017.
^"Coconut oil, fat composition, 100 g". US National Nutrient Database, Release 28, United States Department of Agriculture. May 2016. Retrieved6 September 2017.
^"Palm oil, fat composition, 100 g". US National Nutrient Database, Release 28, United States Department of Agriculture. May 2016. Retrieved6 September 2017.
Dupont J; PJ White; MP Carpenter; EJ Schaefer; SN Meydani; CE Elson; M Woods;SL Gorbach (October 1990). "Food uses and health effects of corn oil".J Am Coll Nutr.9 (5):438–470.doi:10.1080/07315724.1990.10720403.PMID2258533.