Uses of Castor Oil

Food Industry: Food Grade Castor Oil is widely used in the food processing industry. It is used as food additives, lavorings, candy (i.e., chocolate), as a mold inhibitor, and also in packaging. The food stuff industries also use polyoxyethylated castor oil (eg. Cremophor EL) as a vehicle for oral and intravenous administration of water-insoluble compounds

Uses in Medicinal Science: From centuries, castor oil has been widely used as home remedy for many disorders. This unsaturated fatty acid contains ricinoleic acid, a unique subtance with great healing capabilities. Ricinoleic acid inhibits the growth of many viruses, bacteria, yeasts and molds. The most common and most frequent of the medical uses for castor oil are the way it is used for treating constipation. Application of the castor oil is also beneficial in cases of ringworm, keratoses, skin inflammation, abrasions, fungal infections, and acne. One study has found that castor oil decreased pain more than ultrasound gel or vaseline during extracorporeal shock wave application.

A crunchy biennial plant, Celery is a herb in the Apiaceae family, which has been cultivated for centuries in various forms. It was primarily cultivated for its medicinal properties; but now it has become the part of daily diet of consumers around the world. All parts of a celery plant are edible and usable including the root, also known as celeriac, crisp stalks, seeds, and feathery green leaves. Its leaves are also used as seasoning in preparing many recipes.

Celery is a biennial plant in the family apiaceae, and is related to dill, carrots, fennel, and parsley. It requires deep, well drained soil with plenty of organic matter and a pH between 6.5 and 7.5. Its leaves are finely divided and light to dark green in colour. The flowers are creamy-white which are 2-3 mm diameter and produced in dense compound umbels. The seeds are broad ovoid to globose, 1.5-2 mm long and wide

Corn Oil Composition
Refined corn oil contains 99% triglyceride, with proportions of approximately 59% polyunsaturated fatty acid, 24% monounsaturated fatty acid, and 13% saturated fatty acid.

The following chart itself explains the nutritional value of corn. It comprises of:

• Carbohydrate 80 %
• Protein 10 %
• Oil 4-5 %
• Fibrous 3-5 %
• Mineral 2 %

Uses of Palm Oil
As much as 90% of the palm oil produced finds its way into food products, while remaining 10% is consumed by various industries. It is widely used preparing margarine, shortening, and vegetable cooking oil. In many parts of the world, it is still consumed in its unrefined state to obtain a distinctive colour and flavour. Palm oil is extensively used in preparing dry cake mix used for baking biscuits, cakes and sponge cakes, soaps, sauces, fat substitutes, etc. Recently, palm and kernel oils have been increasingly used as biodiesel fuel.

Culinary Uses
Peanut oil is one of the widely used vegetable oils of the world. A pretty common cooking oil in Asian countries, this oil is also used in western countries. It also has numerous  applications in Asian cooking. In west, it is widely used for frying foods, particularly french fries, turkey and chicken. This edible oil is often used in salad dressings, marinades, and baked goods.

It is the most widely used cooking oil in the South Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is one of the healthiest cooking oils for day to day needs and a tablespoon (approximately 15 grams) of peanut oil has just under 120 calories. In China, the peanut oil used is less refined, retaining a little bit more of the protein of the peanut and producing a stronger peanut flavor.

Culinary Uses
It is widely used in the food industry for preparing variety of products including:

• Breads
• Margarine
• Snack Foods
• Mayonnaise
• Salad Dressings
• Sandwich Spreads
• Non-dairy Coffee Creamers, etc.