New golden oil is testing farmers’ marketing skills
Cold-pressed rapeseed oil arrived promising everything olive oil offers, closer to home and lower in saturated fat. It is a genuinely good oil — but the ‘olive oil dethroned’ story is more marketing than nutrition. Here is the honest comparison.
Every few years a new oil is announced as the one that will finally topple olive oil, and cold-pressed rapeseed — what North America calls canola — is a serious contender. It is pressed from home-grown oilseed rape, it is a handsome golden colour, and its backers make real nutritional claims. As someone with a foot in the olive trade, I think it is an excellent oil that deserves its shelf space — and that the ‘olive oil is finished’ headline is nonsense. Both things can be true.
The nutrition, calmly
The headline claims are broadly fair. Cold-pressed rapeseed oil is lower in saturated fat than olive oil — roughly half — and higher in omega-3 (as the plant form, ALA), with a favourable omega-3 to omega-6 ratio. Olive oil answers with a different strength : it is rich in monounsaturated fat and, crucially, in polyphenol antioxidants that give good extra virgin its peppery bite and much of its studied benefit. They are good in different ways, not one simply better than the other. This is general information, not medical advice.
| Saturated fat | Rapeseed lower (roughly half of olive oil’s) |
|---|---|
| Monounsaturated fat | Both high ; olive oil’s signature |
| Omega-3 (ALA) | Rapeseed notably higher |
| Polyphenols | Extra-virgin olive oil far richer |
| Smoke point | Rapeseed higher — better for high-heat frying |
| Flavour | Rapeseed mild/nutty; good olive oil grassy, peppery |
| Note | This is general information, not medical advice. |
In the kitchen
This is where the two oils stop competing and start dividing the work. Rapeseed’s higher smoke point and mild, subtly nutty flavour make it genuinely better for high-heat frying and for bakes and dressings where you do not want a strong taste. Extra-virgin olive oil, by contrast, is a finishing oil : its whole point is the flavour and the polyphenols, both of which are wasted — and partly destroyed — by hard heat. The sensible kitchen keeps both : rapeseed for the pan, good olive oil for the plate.
Food miles and the marketing angle
Rapeseed’s strongest card is not nutrition but proximity : grown and pressed close to where northern Europeans buy it, it carries far fewer food miles than oil shipped from the Mediterranean. That genuinely appeals to the environmentally-minded premium buyer. But notice the move : the ‘golden oil’ borrows olive oil’s entire playbook — cold-pressed, artisan, healthy, local — to sell itself. It is a compliment to olive oil, not a eulogy for it. Treat sweeping ‘X beats olive oil’ claims with the same scepticism whichever oil is doing the boasting.
The practical takeaway
- Cold-pressed rapeseed is a fine oil — lower saturated fat, more omega-3, better for high heat.
- Extra-virgin olive oil wins on polyphenols and flavour, which is why it is a finishing oil.
- Use rapeseed for frying and baking, good olive oil raw on the plate — they are teammates, not rivals.
- Be wary of any ‘dethrones olive oil’ headline ; it is marketing, not a verdict.
Rapeseed oil versus olive oil: common questions
Is rapeseed oil healthier than olive oil?
It is lower in saturated fat and higher in omega-3, but extra-virgin olive oil is far richer in polyphenol antioxidants. They are good in different ways. This is general information, not medical advice.
Which is better for frying?
Rapeseed oil — its higher smoke point and mild flavour suit high heat. Save extra-virgin olive oil for finishing, where its flavour and polyphenols survive.
Is rapeseed oil the same as canola?
Essentially yes — canola is the name used in North America for oil from low-erucic-acid oilseed rape. Cold-pressed versions keep more flavour and colour.
Does rapeseed oil have less flavour?
Yes — it is mild and subtly nutty, which is an advantage for baking and dressings but means it lacks the grassy, peppery character of good olive oil.
Should I stop buying olive oil?
No — the two do different jobs. A well-stocked kitchen keeps rapeseed for the pan and good extra-virgin olive oil for finishing raw.
General comparison of cold-pressed rapeseed and olive oil ; nutritional points are broad and not medical advice.
I sell olives, and I will still tell you rapeseed oil is good — for frying, baking and mild dressings, it beats pouring expensive extra virgin into a hot pan where its flavour and polyphenols are destroyed anyway. The mistake is framing it as a duel. Keep both : cheap neutral oil for heat, one good bottle of grassy, peppery olive oil for the plate. The ‘new golden oil topples olive oil’ story is a press release, not a fact.
General nutritional and culinary comparison of rapeseed and olive oil ; not medical advice.