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Rice bran oil has suddenly been thrust into the foodie spotlight with the recent announcement by Chipotle founder, Steve Ells, that the restaurant chain is now using it for cooking instead of GMO soy oil.
Is rice bran oil a healthy choice for cooking and frying? Is it a traditional fat like peanut oil used by other restaurants like Chick-fil-A also seeking to avoid GMOs?
The first thing to understand is that the announcement that the entire Chipotle restaurant chain is ditching all GMO supply lines is nothing short of huge! It’s a really big deal, and Steve Ells should be applauded and supported for his brave decision that will likely bring the wrath of Monsanto down on his head one way or another.
Way to go Steve! You are going to get nothing but the big thumbs up from this blog regarding that decision!
That said, is the rice bran oil (sources) that is now being used for cooking at Chipotle instead of GMO soy oil really healthier? Is it something that would be ok to buy and use in your home?
The answer to this question is not quite as clear cut. Let’s break it down piece by piece.
Rice Bran Oil is nonGMO
The biggest plus for rice bran oil is that it is nonGMO whether from organic or conventionally grown rice. Anytime you can eliminate a source of genetically modified foods from your life, it is a step toward better health. The conventional thought that GMOs are safe and healthy to eat is nothing but biotech marketing propaganda. This article details 11 scientific reasons to avoid GMOs in the diet as much as possible, unless of course, being a guinea pig is your thing.
The argument that GMOs will “feed the hungry” and “save the starving” is also a hollow one as pointed out by Zambian president Levy Mwanawasa (1),
Simply because my people are hungry, that is no justification to give them poison, to give them food that is intrinsically dangerous to their health.
In sum, the very fact that rice bran oil is not genetically modified means that it is definitely an improvement from the GMO soy oil Chipotle used to use for cooking.
But … It Might Contain Arsenic Residue
Even though rice bran oil is nonGMO doesn’t necessarily mean it is free from contamination. Arsenic in white and brown rice around the world has tested high in recent years due to cultivation in contaminated soils from arsenic-containing pesticides, fertilizing with contaminated CAFO poultry manure and factory emissions.
As of this writing, I have not found any testing protocols used by rice bran oil manufacturers to ensure that their products are arsenic free.
Rice Bran Oil is Not a Traditional Fat
On the downside, rice bran oil is not a cooking oil that was traditionally used anywhere in the world. It was not written about in the nutritional and anthropological classic Nutrition and Physical Degeneration by Dr. Weston A Price. This book details the ancestral diets of 14 isolated and vibrantly healthy cultures from around the world as observed and photographed by Dr. Price early in the last century.
Although rice bran oil is popular today as a cooking oil in several Asian countries including Bangladesh, Japan, India, and China, it was not used as part of the ancestral diets of those cultures. In India, it is typically mixed with safflower oil. This blend is marketed as saffola oil.
In addition to modern Asian cooking, many Japanese restaurants in the United States exclusively use rice bran oil as well.
The Weston A. Price Foundation states that rice bran oil was not used in any traditional diets (2).
Rice Bran Oil is an Industrialized Oil
Rice bran oil is not an oil that is easily made by hand, which is probably why it is not found in traditional diets. Modern manufacturing of rice bran oil involves a high degree of factory refining similar to other fats high in polyunsaturates like grapeseed oil and rapeseed (canola) oil. Here is a brief summary of the steps involved (3):
- The husk of the rice grain is removed leaving a brown rice grain.
- The brown bran layer and rice germ are removed leaving behind a white rice grain.
- Rice bran oil is extracted from the bran and germ which involves a highly industrialized and high-pressure process.
- The resulting oil is then refined and separated into a clear liquid and solids.
Rice Bran Oil Has a High Smoke Point
Rice bran oil has a mild flavor and a high smoke point of 450 F/232 C. This makes it suitable for cooking as rancidity does not occur as long as cooking temperatures are not too high.
Rice Bran Oil is High in Omega 9 Fats
In India, rice bran oil is considered the Eastern version of olive oil as it is high in omega 9 fats:
Here is the breakdown of fats in rice bran oil:
- Saturated fats: 25%
- Monounsaturated (omega 9 fats): 38%
- Polyunsaturated (omega 3 and omega 6 fats): 37% with nearly all as omega 6 fats
This compared with the GMO soy oil previously used by Chipotle:
- Saturated fats: 16%
- Monounsaturated (omega 9 fats): 23%
- Polyunsaturated (omega 3 and omega 6 fats): 58% with nearly all as omega 6 fats
And finally, as compared with the traditional healthy fat olive oil:
- Saturated fats: 14%
- Monounsaturated (omega 9 fats): 72%
- Polyunsaturated (omega 3 and omega 6 fats): 14% with nearly all as omega 6 fats
As you can see, rice bran oil really is a much healthier fat than the soy oil previously used by Chipotle, although I would not go so far as to say that it is as healthy as olive oil which has far less omega 6 fats than either rice bran oil or soy oil.
Excessive consumption of polyunsaturated omega 6 fats from processed foods and the large amounts of grains in the Western diet is partially responsible for the inflammation epidemic and likely contributes to the obesity epidemic as well. Combine this with the fact that they are usually already rancid when you buy them from the factory processing necessary to produce most of them (you don’t smell it because of careful deodorization before bottling). As a result, it is best to avoid omega 6 fats and certainly never use them at home as in all likelihood you are getting enough already.
The Bottom Line About Rice Bran Oil
So can rice bran oil from quality sources be considered a healthy fat? No, it cannot as it is not a traditional fat used by ancestral cultures and because it takes a highly industrialized process to manufacture it which likely denatures the (37%) polyunsaturates. However, as you can see from the discussion above, this is not the entire story.
Rice bran oil is an infinitely healthier choice as a cooking fat than the soy oil Chipotle used before. It is higher in healthy saturated and monounsaturated fats and significantly lower in polyunsaturates which are inflammation producing when consumed to excess (small amounts in the diet are fine). Most importantly, it is nonGMO so will not pose any long term health risks for customers and the environment.
In summary, if you wish to enjoy a meal now and then at Chipotle, don’t worry about the rice bran oil. It is fine to consume once in a while, just don’t buy it to use for your cooking at home. Olive oil, tallow, pastured lard, coconut oil, grass-fed ghee and of course butter would be far better choices.
Sources and More Information
Chipotle Ingredients Statement
Rice Bran Oil FAQ
The Truth About Pumpkin Seed Oil
Selecting a Healthy Cooking Oil and Reusing it Safely
Caution When Using Chicken Fat for Cooking
Cooking with Olive Oil: Yea or Nay?
Vegetable Oils
How Argan Oil Benefits Health
Red Palm Oil Benefits Rival Coconut Oil
Walnut Oil: Healthy Sub for Flax Oil
The Many Shades of Palm Oil
I have never see organic rice bran oil. It is a by product of the conventional rice industry where they use a large amount of pesticides.
I’m ecstatic that Chipotle has gone this far! Way to go! As far as the rice bran oil, yes, I agree it’s a better option, but not the best option. I wonder why they didn’t go back to coconut oil?
Years ago Chipotle used to use coconut oil for their frying. After eating it over time I started to get sick every time I ate it. I decided to check their website and sure enough they had switched to soy oil. I emailed them and asked them why and explained about the GMO’s and they said they liked the way the soy oil tasted. That’s when I quit eating there.
How do you feel about the possibility of arsenic in the rice bran oil?
Not worried about it at all. I think this issue is seriously overblown.
Way to go Chipotle!
Thank you for providing more info on this (:
The bottom line is always money. I have eaten only once at Chipotle’s and would only choose
to so again if I were in dire straights. I don’t believe we will ever see a truly honest, healthy
fast food enterprise, ever. Consider the beautiful balance in Olive Oil. Nature has a
synergy and balance already in place, if we don’t screw it up and pay attention. convenience
has a price.
My 18 year old son eats at Chipotle probably twice a week. One of his best friend’s dad is an architect for them, so often he gets free food. He rarely eats at other fast food places, so Chipotle (and Whole Foods) is his fast food go-to. I told him to eat there as often as he wants. I’m going to try to eat there a little more often as well. I want to support them as much as possible, so hopefully the transition will be good for them and other restaurants will follow.
The great thing about Chipotle is that it is a great middle ground for people … ones who eat healthy and ones who don’t care. I would rather eat at Chipotle than these franchise restaurants that are all fluff and no substance like Red Lobster, Chili’s, Applebees, etc. The food at these places is horrible! People think it’s a better choice than fast food but it really isn’t much better at all. Need to write a post about what goes on in the kitchen at these places.
Hi Sarah!
This latest news about Chipotle makes me absolutely positively GIDDY!!! Doesn’t it feel great knowing that our “movement” is GROWING and making some headway?! That we can go out and enjoy “fast food” now and then is such a treat and I can’t wait to see how other restaurants follow suit!
Kel
Me too Kel! I am very hopeful this Chipotle move is the start of a trend … Steve Ells has shown that clearing the supply chain of GMOs can be done even for a large restaurant chain.
Great post. And just an FYI (because I work for Chipotle), we use non-GMO sunflower oil for frying chips and taco shells. The rice bran oil is used for all other cooking needs.
Yes, I should have mentioned that. Thanks!
Thanks for this! I was wondering about the chips. Sarah, would you have the breakdown of saturated, poly, and monoun fats and omegas for pastured pork fat rendered into lard?
Pork fat is mostly monounsaturated, not saturated as many believe. 40% saturated, 50% monounsaturated (mostly as oleic acid same as olive oil), 10% polyunsaturated (all as omega 6).
The chips at Chipotle are not fried in lard, though. They are fried in sunflower oil (regular, not high oleic), which is 66% polyunsaturated! Far too high and not a suitable oil for frying. I would skip those if you can 🙂 If Chipotle would change to high oleic sunflower oil, that would be a very good step.
I always wondered what high oleic sunflower oil was…
What do you think would be the “least bad”: chips cooked in peanut oil or high oleic sunflower oil?
High oleic sunflower oil would be better as peanut oil is subject to mold issues.
Awesome, thanks! I wanted to compare how lard stacked up for frying, that’s what we use for high heat cooking. I haven’t been to Chipotle in forever (I’m mostly AIP so fajitas don’t work for me), but when I did I stopped getting the chips (even though they are awesome) because I assumed they were fried in something bad. I wish restaurants offered things friend in high heat fats. I guess it’s hard with vegetarianism because they can’t use the animal fats. Our favorite burger joint (grass-fed, organic) uses olive oil for frying which isn’t good. Can’t decide if that’s better than other choices? Wish I could find some chips that aren’t fried in crappy oil. Even the “healthy” ones are fried in bad fats. I need to make my own but haven’t been able to add that to the list of everything I need to make myself. We just avoid chips altogether.
Wouldn’t it be cool if Chipotle could use lard or tallow as their choice of oil?
Yes, fantastic! But, it wouldn’t be inexpensive fast food anymore if they did as these fats aren’t cheap. I understand the practicality of Chipotle’s decision .. in addition, they would lose marketshare from the vegans and vegetarians going with tallow or lard and this could amount to a big dent in the bottom line. One more thing .. tallow and lard can have a stronger taste than many might be used to. Rice bran oil is very mild tasting and pleases everyone’s tastebuds.
As for me, I don’t mind eating rice bran oil occasionally. I don’t eat an excessive amount of omega 6 fats anyway and use no vegetable oils in my home, so as long as it’s nonGMO and only once in awhile, it’s fine.
just what this veggie was thinking. thanks for not knock us. I follow whole food arvactic ugh can’t spell. dyslexic. Indian way..which takes in diff people eat for there body type. my friend and got better using this method.
Wow, those other oils are that much cheaper?! We are using mostly lard instead of our staple coconut oil because it is so much cheaper. We get ours from a great local farm and $5 worth of fat lasts us 2+ weeks when we’d need $40 in coconut oil for the same amount of time. The refined vegetable oils are, of course, cheaper than coconut oil, but they are still that much cheaper than pork fat? That’s crazy!
It’s not just price … can enough be obtained to supply a large restaurant chain 24/7, 365 days a year? Probably not. In addition, it would not have widespread appeal to use pork fat in a large restaurant chain as vegetarians and those who eat kosher would not eat there.
I am a kosher christian AND I also have a disease where I can not eat pork or it worsens. There are also Jews and Muslims who don’t eat swine.
NO, it wouldn’t because swine is a filthy animal. It eats EVERYTHING including its own species RAW when they die of illness (the fastest way to breed disease in ANY species is cannibalism) and if you don’t think they won’t eat ANYTHING, look up Pinkerton, the serial killer who was a pig farmer and fed his victims to the pigs. They do not sweat and are mostly fat, ALL toxins in ANY animal are stored in the fat. I am a kosher Christian, there are also Jews who are kosher and Muslims who don’t eat pork as well as vegetarians who don’t eat pork…so, no it would not be cook if Chipolte could use lard as their choice of oil.