To read a cooking oil label, start with the words that describe processing, such as refined, blended, filtered or cold pressed. Then check the ingredient list for INS numbers, the manufacturer and FSSAI details, the packing and best-before dates, and the nutrition panel. Claims such as pure, natural or cholesterol free tell you very little.
Last updated: 6 Oct 2026 | Shop cold pressed groundnut oil
A cooking oil bottle carries a lot of text, and some of it is required by law while some of it is marketing. Knowing which is which makes it much easier to tell what is in the bottle and how it was made. This guide goes through a label from top to bottom and explains what each part does and does not tell you.
We press unrefined oil at our own mill in Nagpur, so we have a stake in what labels say. We have kept to what is documented and to practical checks you can do in a shop.
Start with the words that describe processing
The front of the bottle is where processing terms live. The table explains the common ones and what to check behind each:
| What the label says | What it usually means | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Refined, double refined, filtered refined | The oil has been through a refining line: degumming, neutralising, bleaching and deodorising | Look for INS numbers in the ingredients and read what refined oil is if you want the detail |
| Edible vegetable oil | A general name, often for refined oil; the source may be a single oil or several | The ingredient list should name the oil or oils |
| Blended edible vegetable oil | Two or more oils combined | The declaration and percentages described below |
| Filtered | Sediment has been removed; says nothing about refining | Look for the word refined, or ask the producer |
| Cold pressed, wood pressed, kachi ghani | A description of how the oil was extracted | Not tightly regulated terms; see below |
| Pure, natural, traditional | Marketing words with no processing meaning | Ignore them and read the ingredients |
The key point from this table is the “filtered” row. A filtered oil can be refined or unrefined, so the word on its own does not answer the question most people care about. If a label does not say whether the oil is refined, ask the seller or the producer.
Cold pressed, wood pressed and kachi ghani are descriptions, not grades
There is no single legal grade called “cold pressed” for Indian cooking oils in the way there is for extra virgin olive oil, so the words describe a method the producer says it uses. Cold pressed means the oil is extracted mechanically without added heat or solvents. Wood pressed or lakdi ghani describes the equipment, a slow wooden press, and kachi ghani means the seed is pressed raw without pre-heating, a term mostly used for mustard oil. We explain the differences in wood pressed vs cold pressed vs kachi ghani vs refined oil and the equipment in what is lakdi ghani oil.
Because the terms are claims, the useful questions are factual ones. Who presses the oil? Where? On what equipment? A producer that owns its mill can answer these directly, and one that only bottles cannot. Our guide to testing cold pressed oil at home covers the simple checks you can add.
The ingredient list and INS numbers
An ingredient list on an oil should be short. A single-seed oil should list one oil. If you see more, work out what they are:
- INS 319, INS 320 or INS 321 are the codes for the synthetic antioxidants TBHQ, BHA and BHT, which are added to extend shelf life within permitted limits. They are declared on the label, and unrefined wood-pressed oil usually contains none.
- An anti-foaming agent is sometimes added to frying oils. It should also be declared.
- More than one oil means the product is a blend, which has its own labelling rules, covered next.
- Hexane will not appear. It is a processing aid used in solvent extraction, not an ingredient, so you will not find it listed. If you want to avoid solvent extraction, choose a producer that says plainly that the oil is only pressed and filtered, and read chemicals in refined oil for what is involved.
Blended oils and the mustard oil rule
FSSAI issued a direction in June 2019 on how blended oils must be labelled. The words “BLENDED EDIBLE VEGETABLE OIL” must appear in bold capitals directly under the brand name, followed by each component oil and its percentage by weight, with a note of whether each is raw or refined. The pack must also say “NOT TO BE SOLD LOOSE”. In practice, if a bottle lists several oils but does not carry that declaration, it is worth asking why.
Mustard oil has its own rule. FSSAI prohibited blending mustard oil with any other edible oil from 1 October 2020, so a bottle sold as mustard oil should contain mustard oil alone. If the ingredient list of a mustard oil names anything else, treat it as a red flag.
Who made it, and is it licensed?
Every packaged oil should name the business behind it and carry the FSSAI logo with a 14-digit licence number beneath it. Read the small print around the address. “Manufactured by” or “Packed by” tells you who made or filled the bottle. “Marketed by” or “Distributed by” tells you who sells it, and that company may not own a mill at all. Neither is wrong, but if the pressing is what you are paying for, the manufacturer line is the one that matters.
The licence details are there so a buyer can identify the business, and a brand that is open about its mill is usually happy to say where its oil is pressed. You can see where we press ours on our Nagpur oil mill page.
Dates, batch and storage
Look for the date of packing and a best-before or use-by date, and for a batch or lot number that lets the producer trace the bottle. For unrefined oil, a recent packing date is a good sign, because the natural compounds that carry flavour can oxidise over time. Store the bottle away from light and heat with the cap tight, and use it within the stated date.
The nutrition information panel
The panel lists energy, fat and its breakdown into saturated and trans fat, usually per 100 millilitres or grams and sometimes per serving. Every cooking oil is essentially 100 per cent fat, so the totals will look alike across brands. The lines worth reading are saturated fat and trans fat. Compare the per-100 figures so serving size does not mislead you. For why trans fat deserves attention, see trans fats in cooking oil and the FSSAI limit.
Be wary of front-of-pack health claims. “Cholesterol free” is true of every vegetable oil, because cholesterol comes only from animal sources, so it does not distinguish one bottle from another.
A quick checklist for the shop
- Does the label say whether the oil is refined? If it only says filtered or pure, ask.
- Does the ingredient list name one oil, and are there any INS numbers?
- If it lists several oils, is the blended oil declaration with percentages present? If it is mustard oil, is it mustard oil alone?
- Does the manufacturer line name the place where the oil is made?
- Are the packing date, best-before date and batch number present?
- Do the saturated fat and trans fat lines in the nutrition panel look reasonable on a per-100 basis?
Our oils are pressed and packed at our own mill, with nothing added. If you would like to start with one, cold pressed groundnut oil is the most versatile for everyday cooking, with sesame oil and mustard oil for specific dishes.
Frequently asked questions
What does refined oil mean on a label?
It means the oil has been through a refining line, typically degumming, neutralising with alkali, bleaching with clay and deodorising with steam. The result is pale and near-odourless. A label that says only filtered or edible vegetable oil does not tell you whether the oil is refined, so check the ingredients or ask the producer.
What are INS 319, 320 and 321 on an oil bottle?
They are codes for synthetic antioxidants: INS 319 is TBHQ, INS 320 is BHA and INS 321 is BHT. They are added to extend shelf life within permitted limits and must be declared on the label. Unrefined oils pressed and only filtered, such as wood-pressed oil, usually contain none of them.
How is a blended oil labelled in India?
Under an FSSAI direction of June 2019, the label must show Blended Edible Vegetable Oil in bold capitals under the brand name, followed by each oil with its percentage by weight and whether it is raw or refined. The pack must also say Not to be sold loose.
Can mustard oil be blended with other oils?
No. FSSAI prohibited blending mustard oil with any other edible oil from 1 October 2020, so a bottle sold as mustard oil should contain mustard oil only. If the ingredient list names another oil, treat it as a red flag and check with the seller or the producer.
Is filtered oil the same as unrefined oil?
No. Filtered means sediment has been removed, and both refined and unrefined oils can be filtered. The word that answers the question is refined. Ask the producer whether the oil is only pressed and filtered, and where it is pressed.
Does cholesterol free on an oil label mean it is healthier?
No. Cholesterol comes only from animal sources, so every vegetable oil is cholesterol free. The claim does not tell you how the oil was made or what fats it contains. Read the ingredient list and the saturated fat and trans fat lines in the nutrition panel instead.
Written by Dushyant Waghmare, founder — Parampara Naturals, who operates a wooden ghani oil mill in Nagpur.
Last updated: 6 Oct 2026