Refined edible oil should have a very low free fatty acid (FFA) level, because refining removes most free acids. Filtered and cold-pressed oils carry more, since nothing takes the acids out after pressing.
There is no single number for every oil. Set the limit by oil type, process, end use and the rules of your market, and write it into the contract.
What FFA tells you and how it is reported
Oil is mostly triglycerides. When seed is damp, damaged, mouldy or stored too long, enzymes and moisture split some of these into free fatty acids. A high FFA in unrefined oil usually points to poor seed or slow processing.
In refined oil, FFA tells you how well the refinery worked and whether the oil has degraded since. A rise between dispatch and arrival suggests heat, moisture or a long time in transit.
Labs report this in two ways. FFA is a percentage, usually calculated as oleic acid for oils like groundnut and sesame. Acid value is milligrams of potassium hydroxide needed per gram of oil. As a rough guide, acid value is about twice the FFA expressed as oleic acid.
Make sure your spec and the lab report use the same unit. Mixing them up is a common cause of disputes.
Reference points
The Codex standard for named vegetable oils sets a much tighter acid value for refined oils than for cold-pressed and virgin oils. For illustration, refined oil limits there are well under one milligram per gram, while cold-pressed oils are allowed several times more. Check the current Codex text and your own national rules for the exact figures.
Many buyers of refined oil set a tighter commercial limit than Codex. FSSAI sets its own limits for oil sold in India, but your import law decides what you may sell.
Setting a sensible limit
FFA also rises after loading. Moisture in the oil, warm containers and old seed all push it up over time. Unrefined oil in clear PET bottles stored in sunlight degrades faster. Packing choices are covered in how edible oil is packed for export. Full certificate content is covered in what tests should be on an edible oil certificate of analysis.
- Start from the oil type and process: refined, filtered or cold-pressed.
- Consider use: frying oil with high FFA smokes earlier and breaks down faster.
- Allow for transit: set a limit at loading and a slightly wider one at arrival, or test both.
- Pair FFA with peroxide value, which shows oxidation rather than splitting.
- Name the test method, such as an ISO or AOCS method, and the lab.
- Ask for the supplier's recent results on actual shipments, not a single sample.
How we help
We help you set FFA and peroxide limits that match the oil and your use, then test the approval and pre-shipment samples at an NABL-accredited lab. If results drift, you see the original report before the container is loaded. Ask for a free sourcing review.