Linseed oil also known as flaxseed oil, which has numerous health benefits, is ready to be used for cooking purpose as government research body ICAR has improved the quality to make it fit for human consumption in both pure as well as blended form.
Linseed oil was otherwise more suitable for industrial application and not as a cooking oil because of high content of alpha-linolenic acid.
After long research, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) found a solution to improve the quality and shelf life of linseed oil by lowering its linolenic acid content, thus making it suitable for cooking.
The ICAR tested genotype variety of seed (TL99), which has less than 5 per cent linolenic acid, during last year. It also got good results from the experiment of blending linseed oil with other edible oils to enhance shelf life of the oil, the research body said in its latest report.
It found that "cold pressed linseed oil' can be used in preparation of several food items like banana chips, papad, pakoda, puri and bhaji," it said.
ICAR also found that products prepared from 'blended oil' were acceptable in terms of taste, quality and shelf life.
"Hence, linseed oil is now almost ready to join the group of edible oil in both pure as well as blended form," it added.
According to ICAR, linseed is the richest plant source of alpha linolenic acid, one of the most important Omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential fats that have numerous health benefits.
Linseed helps in reducing the chances of cardiovascular diseases and it is the richest dietary source of "lignan" which acts as antioxidants in humans. It is also an important source of both soluble and insoluble fibres, important for efficient digestive system.
Last year, ICAR was asked to explore the edible properties of linseed oil and improve its shelf life and quality for consumption purpose.
At present, India is dependent on import of edible oils. The government is making efforts to boost the domestic production of oilseeds and reduce import dependency.
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