Hexane and Vegetable Oils: Your Questions Answered
What is hexane?
Hexane is a processing aid that has been used worldwide for several decades to extract oil from oilseed crops such as rapeseed and sunflower.
It is used upstream in the manufacturing process and is neither an ingredient nor a food additive.
Why is hexane used?
Oilseeds naturally contain oil.
Hexane enables the recovery of nearly all the oil contained in the seeds during the extraction process.
This technology helps:
- maximize the value derived from harvested crops ;
- improve the efficient use of agricultural resources ;
- minimize raw material losses.
Without hexane extraction, a significant proportion of the oil, between 15% and 20%, would remain in the seeds after crushing.
Is hexane present in edible oils?
Hexane is used exclusively during the extraction stage.
The oil is then refined and subjected to several purification steps involving heat treatment.
Hexane evaporates at temperatures above 68°C (154°F).
During the refining process, oils are heated to temperatures of up to 200°C (392°F), nearly three times higher than hexane’s evaporation point.
How do you ensure oil quality?
Safety is our number one priority, both for our employees and for consumers.
The quality and compliance of our oils are monitored through rigorous controls at every stage of the production process.
All products placed on the market must comply with European regulations, which rank among the strictest food safety standards in the world.
Is the use of hexane authorized?
Yes.
The use of hexane for vegetable oil extraction is authorized and strictly regulated under European legislation.
This practice is widely used throughout the vegetable oil industry in many countries around the world.
Why is extraction important?
A rapeseed typically contains:
- 40% to 45% oil;
- 20% to 25% protein.
Efficient extraction makes it possible to maximize the value of both:
- the oil, used for food applications, biofuels, and oleochemistry;
- the protein-rich meal used in animal feed.
How does this contribute to protein sovereignty?
Each year, the French oilseed sector produces several million tonnes of protein-rich meal that contribute to livestock nutrition.
This domestic production helps reduce reliance on imported plant proteins and directly supports French and European food sovereignty.
Is there any health risk for consumers?
Health authorities establish highly protective thresholds to ensure consumer safety.
To put this into perspective, a person weighing 70 kg (154 lbs) would need to consume up to 1,800 liters of oil per day to reach the reference toxicity thresholds used in regulatory assessments.
This volume is vastly beyond any realistic level of consumption.
Is hexane use specific to Avril?
No.
The use of hexane is a widely adopted industrial practice across the vegetable oil sector, as well as in many other industries in France, Europe, and around the world.
It concerns all industrial sectors that use this technology and is not specific to any single company.
Is Avril working to reduce or replace hexane?
For several years, Avril has been actively identifying and evaluating alternative solutions to this extraction process, which is used globally.
A range of alternatives, including bio-based solvents, are currently under assessment, with the objective of enabling industrial-scale deployment in the medium term.
Representing less than 1% of the global vegetable oil market, Avril remains fully committed to pursuing this work through a rigorous and transparent scientific approach, as part of a collective effort involving all relevant stakeholders.
What is Avril’s position?
Our responsibility is to provide safe, compliant, and accessible products.
We support an open and transparent dialogue on industrial processes and their evolution. This discussion should be grounded in facts, scientific evidence, and clear information.
Avril and the wider industry remain fully committed to providing all relevant data and reaffirm their commitment to ensuring consumer safety.