"Oeko-Test" Cooking Oil Contamination Check
Impure Cooking Oils: Only Ten Brands Out of Fifty Meet Cleanliness Standards
Make a trip to the supermarket and find out if mineral oil impurities lurk in less popular cooking oils or if they're just ruining the party for the classic trio of olive, rapeseed, and sunflower oils. That's what the "Oeko-Test" investigators aimed to uncover.
These guys stocked up their cart with 50 different oils, ranging from 55 cents to 6.49 euros per 100 ml, including 30 organic options. They scooped up 10 each of walnut, peanut, pumpkin seed, hemp, and sesame oils. And in issue 7/2025, they spilled their findings: Only 10 oils squeak clean, while a disheartening 31 fail the test.
The silver lining? With the exception of hemp oil, there's at least one oil earning a "very good" rating in each of the tested varieties. But remember, this has nothing to do with the oils' quality or flavor—it just indicates they're free from mineral oil contamination or carry only trace amounts.
The ten shining stars with a rating of "very good":
- Biokontor's Walnut Oil (4.76 euros/100 ml)
- Ölmühle Solling's walnut oil nativ (5.56 euros/100 ml)
- Rewe Bio's sesame oil nativ Naturland (1.20 euros/100 ml)
- Allgäuer Ölmühle's Bio pumpkin seed oil (4 euros/100 ml)
- Ölmühle Birnstingl's 100% Steirisches pumpkin seed oil g.g.A. (2.60 euros/100 ml)
- Byodo's Steirisches pumpkin seed oil g.g.A. roasted (5.20 euros/100 ml)
- Reichhold Feinkost's Château de l'huile Steirisches pumpkin seed oil g.g.A. (5.20 euros/100 ml)
- Edeka's Genussmomente Steirisches pumpkin seed oil g.g.A. (1.88 euros/100 ml)
- Ölmühle Esterer's Steirisches pumpkin seed oil g.g.A. (2.80 euros/100 ml)
- Ölmühle Solling's Peanut oil nativ (3.16 euros/100 ml)
Pumpkin seed oils, by the way, seem to be the least contaminated with mineral oil compared to others. But the lab found the most contamination in peanut oils.
The legislator's blind spot: "Oeko-Test" setting the bar higher
"Oeko-Test" calls BS on manufacturers, who for ten years have been dismissing their concerns about mineral oil contamination, citing the absence of specific legal limit values or only self-set industry guidelines[3]—all without any repercussions.
Research on how saturated hydrocarbons might affect the body is ongoing, but "Oeko-Test" insists on maintaining a higher standard to protect consumers[3]. It's a relief to see at least one supplier has pulled the criticized batch from the market.
- In their investigation, the "Oeko-Test" team discovered that some lesser-known cooking oils also contain mineral oil impurities, not just the popular ones like olive, rapeseed, and sunflower oils.
- The investigation revealed that out of the 50 different oils tested, only 10 passed the mineral oil contamination test, while a concerning 31 failed.
- Despite the contamination findings, there are still some oils that earned a "very good" rating, such as Biokontor's Walnut Oil, Ölmühle Solling's walnut oil nativ, Rewe Bio's sesame oil nativ Naturland, and several pumpkin seed oils.
- The "Oeko-Test" team is pushing for manufacturers to adhere to higher standards for food and drink products, particularly in regards to mineral oil contamination, as ongoing research suggests potential health risks from saturated hydrocarbons.
