Two honest offers for "sunflower oil" can be for crude refinery feedstock and for refined, dewaxed oil in retail bottles. Their prices cannot be compared until that is named.
Short answer: most legitimate price variation between sunflower oil suppliers comes from six things: the refining stage (crude, degummed or fully refined, and whether the oil is winterised); the grade, meaning the fatty-acid profile (conventional linoleic, mid-oleic or high-oleic); the analytical limits and the methods behind them, chiefly acid value, peroxide value and moisture; the pack format; the shelf life left after a long sea leg; and origin and season. Have every supplier state each on the same basis before comparing prices.
Crude, degummed, refined: what each stage means for the buyer
Crude oil carries phospholipids, free fatty acids, colour and waxes. The FAO/WHO expert report on fats and oils lists the classical alkaline refining route: degumming with water to remove easily hydratable phospholipids and metals, acid treatment for the non-hydratable ones, neutralising free fatty acids with sodium hydroxide, bleaching with clay to adsorb colour and decompose hydroperoxides, and deodorisation to remove volatile compounds that carry taste and smell. In physical refining, the free fatty acids are stripped by steam distillation instead. For some oils, sunflower oil among them, a clear table product needs a further dewaxing step, crystallising the waxes at low temperature and filtering them out. FAO, processing and refining edible oils In trade, dewaxing is usually called winterisation, and refined, bleached and deodorised oil is abbreviated RBD.
| Stage | What has been removed | What it means for the buyer |
|---|---|---|
| Crude | Nothing beyond pressing or extraction | Feedstock for a refinery, not a table oil; priced and contracted as such |
| Degummed | Hydratable phospholipids | Still needs refining; confirm the degumming type if it matters to your refinery |
| Neutralised and bleached | Free fatty acids, colour, hydroperoxides | Intermediate; taste and odour not yet removed |
| Refined (RBD) | Volatile odour and taste compounds as well | Ready for food use; may cloud in the cold if not winterised |
| RBD winterised | Waxes too | Stays clear in cool storage; an extra processing step the price should reflect |
Crude and refined prices are for different products, and the rules differ too. The Codex Standard for Named Vegetable Oils applies to oils "presented in a state for human consumption", so its quality factors for refined oil do not describe crude feedstock. Codex, CXS 210-1999 Codex's code for bulk storage and transport also treats them differently: stainless steel is the preferred tank metal and is particularly recommended for fully refined oils, mild steel tanks should preferably be coated inside, and for pipelines mild steel is acceptable for crude and semi-refined oils while stainless steel should be used for fully refined products. Codex, CXC 36-1987
Linoleic, mid-oleic, high-oleic: the grade is a fatty-acid profile
"High-oleic" is not a quality tier. It describes oil from seed varieties with more oleic acid (C18:1) and less linoleic acid (C18:2). Codex CXS 210 defines three sunflower oils by fatty-acid composition, as a percentage of total fatty acids:
| Codex type (CXS 210, Table 1) | Oleic C18:1 | Linoleic C18:2 |
|---|---|---|
| Sunflower seed oil | 14.0–43.0 | 45.4–74.0 |
| Sunflower seed oil (mid-oleic acid) | 43.1–71.8 | 18.7–45.3 |
| Sunflower seed oil (high oleic acid) | 75–90.7 | 2.1–17 |
Table 1 also sets ranges for palmitic (C16:0), stearic (C18:0) and linolenic (C18:3) acids; the grade itself is defined by oleic and linoleic content. Source: Codex, CXS 210-1999, cover dated "Amended 2026". The standard says samples within these ranges comply, and that supplementary criteria such as geographical or climatic variation may be considered.
The grade is a claim a laboratory can check. If you pay a high-oleic premium, state the minimum oleic content and the fatty-acid method. Codex's methods standard lists AOCS Ce 2-66 with Ce 1h-05 (Type II) and ISO 12966-2 with ISO 12966-4 (Type III) for fatty-acid composition; for a dispute, say which governs. Codex, CXS 234-1999 ISO 12966-4 was republished in March 2026, so name the edition. ISO, ISO 12966-4:2026
The analytical parameters buyers specify, and their methods
The limits below are Codex reference values, not a contract. The CXS 210 Appendix calls its quality factors supplementary: a product meeting the essential composition can conform without them. Codex texts are also voluntary and do not bind national food law. Codex, are Codex standards mandatory? Your contract and the destination's rules decide the limits that apply.
| Parameter | Codex reference (CXS 210 Appendix) | Methods listed in CXS 234 (examples) | Why it matters commercially |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acid value | Refined: 0.6 mg KOH/g. Cold-pressed and virgin: 4.0 mg KOH/g | ISO 660 / AOCS Cd 3d-63 (Type I) | Measures free fatty acids: refining quality at dispatch and hydrolysis in transit |
| Peroxide value | Refined: up to 10 meq active oxygen/kg. Cold-pressed and virgin: up to 15 | AOCS Cd 8b-90 / ISO 3960 (Type I) | Early oxidation; rises with time, heat and air, so the sampling point decides the result |
| Matter volatile at 105 °C | 0.2% m/m | ISO 662 | Water promotes hydrolysis; also paid for as oil |
| Insoluble impurities | 0.05% m/m | ISO 663 | Filtration quality |
| Soap content | 0.005% m/m | ISO 10539 / AOCS Cc 17-95 | Residue of alkaline refining |
| Iron; copper | Refined: 1.5 mg/kg; 0.1 mg/kg | ISO 8294 / AOAC 990.05 / AOCS Ca 18b-91 | Both metals speed oxidation, shortening shelf life |
| Colour | "Characteristic of the designated product" | None listed; ISO 15305 (Lovibond) exists | A numeric colour limit is a commercial term you must write in |
Sources: Codex, CXS 210-1999; Codex, CXS 234-1999; ISO, ISO 15305:1998.
Settle three points in writing:
- Acid value or acidity. ISO 660 expresses acidity preferably as acid value, or alternatively as acidity calculated conventionally. ISO, ISO 660:2020 "FFA %" and acid value are different numbers; ask which is reported.
- The peroxide method. ISO 3960 uses a visual iodometric endpoint. ISO, ISO 3960:2017 Where more than one method is listed, name one.
- Cold test. If winterised oil must stay clear in cool storage, name the test and pass condition. AOCS publishes a Cold Test for Fats and Oils (Cc 11-53); take its conditions from your laboratory.
The general method for limits, sampling and certificates of analysis is covered in the guide to writing a specification suppliers can quote against.
Packaging formats and their handling risks
| Format | Typical use | Main handling risk to control |
|---|---|---|
| Retail bottles in cartons | Household shelf | Carton compression and leaks; label and artwork per destination |
| Food-service containers | Kitchens, bakeries | Closure integrity; mixed pack sizes complicate counts |
| Flexitank in a dry container | Bulk into a local packer | Leaks and container damage; tank and product compatibility |
| Ship's tanks or storage tanks | Large bulk parcels | Tank cleanliness, previous cargoes, heating, copper contact |
For bulk, Codex says tanks should be clean and dry before use, excludes copper and its alloys from contact surfaces, recommends inert-gas blanketing for high-quality products or long storage, and says the three previous cargoes in a ship's tank should be declared and the records made available. It also lists acceptable and banned immediate previous cargoes. Codex, CXC 36-1987 For flexitanks, October 2024 guidance from TT Club, a transport insurer, and the Container Owners Association stresses compatibility, movement, temperature and leaks. TT Club, flexitank safety guidelines That is practical context, not a rule.
Packed and bulk prices are not comparable unless packing cost is shown separately.
Shelf life, temperature and the long sea leg
Oxidation accelerates as temperature rises, while water can break fats down into free fatty acids. Codex gives sunflower oil an ambient storage and shipping temperature and a loading and discharge range of 10 °C to 20 °C, while recognising that ambient temperatures may exceed the recommended maxima. Heating, when needed, should not exceed 5 °C over 24 hours, and the ship's heating log should be provided. Codex, CXC 36-1987
A peroxide value that passed at loading may fail at discharge after weeks in a warm hold, so decide which result governs. Shelf life is a supplier declaration for a stated pack and storage condition, not a Codex figure. Ask for the production date and declared shelf life, and state the remaining life needed at your checkpoint.
Origin and season as price factors
In its October 2026 circular, the US Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) reports world sunflowerseed oil exports of 13.662 million tonnes in 2024/25 and 13.589 million in 2025/26, with 15.968 million forecast for 2026/27. USDA FAS, Oilseeds: World Markets and Trade, October 2026
| Exporter (FAS Table 13, thousand tonnes) | 2024/25 | 2025/26 | 2026/27 forecast |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ukraine | 4,744 | 4,036 | 5,000 |
| Russia | 4,200 | 4,200 | 5,100 |
| Argentina | 1,686 | 1,925 | 2,050 |
| Turkey | 1,001 | 1,044 | 1,100 |
| European Union | 691 | 700 | 850 |
Supply is concentrated; the mechanisms matter more than the numbers:
- Crop size. FAS attributes two smaller crops to below-average Black Sea yields. Set validity to suit a volatile season.
- Marketing years. FAS runs Russian, Ukrainian and Turkish sunflowerseed oil on a September–August year and Argentina on March–February. At the turn of a season, ask for the production date.
- Dispatch and seed origin can differ. Turkey imported 1,236 thousand tonnes of sunflowerseed oil in 2024/25 while exporting 1,001 thousand. If origin matters, document where the seed was grown, crushed and refined.
Certificates that accompany an oils shipment, and who issues each
| Document | Usually issued by | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of analysis | Supplier's or an independent laboratory | Parameters, methods and sampling point match the contract; lot identified |
| Inspection or quality certificate | Independent inspection company | Scope: quality, quantity, tank or container condition |
| Previous-cargo and tank records (bulk) | Ship operator; inspector for tank inspection | Three previous cargoes declared; acceptable under the Codex lists |
| Certificate of origin | Authority or body designated in the export country | Consistent with the invoice and your origin requirement |
Kenya: under the Kenya Bureau of Standards' Pre-Export Verification of Conformity programme, consignments must be accompanied by a Certificate of Conformity issued before shipment by an appointed inspection agent in the exporting country. KEBS, PVoC Nigeria: the Standards Organisation of Nigeria's SONCAP FAQ lists food products among the exemptions from the SONCAP Offshore scheme, while noting that exemption does not mean a product is unregulated by SON; confirm current requirements with SON and the food regulator. SON, SONCAP FAQ Other markets differ; confirm requirements with the importing authority or a customs broker. How these documents fit together is covered in the document set behind one shipment.
A structured enquiry for this category
Add these oil-specific lines to an enquiry:
- Oil and grade: sunflower seed oil, mid-oleic or high-oleic, with any minimum C18:1 and the fatty-acid method. Use the wider guide to write a specification suppliers can quote against.
- Stage: crude, degummed, RBD or RBD winterised; cold test and pass condition if needed.
- Limits and methods: acid value (or acidity, stated as which), peroxide value, moisture and volatile matter, colour, each with the method.
- Bulk only: tank type, cleanliness, previous three cargoes and heating log.
- Governing sample: loading or discharge for peroxide and acid value; record how the contract reference sample is identified and retained.
- Origin chain: country of seed, crushing and refining.
Everything else in the enquiry follows the general specification guide named above.
If independent inspection is required, specify the sampling point, tests and pass/fail criteria. See independent inspection certificates.
Worked example: three offers, one comparable basis
Hypothetical teaching example. Suppliers and figures are invented, in currency units (CU). They are arithmetic, not market prices.
A buyer tenders for 100 tonnes net of RBD winterised sunflower oil in 1-litre bottles, CFR a named port, with an acid value limit and the peroxide value at discharge governing. All three offers are CFR, 1 L, per tonne of net oil.
| Offer A | Offer B | Offer C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| As quoted | CU 1,480/t | CU 1,440/t | CU 1,455/t |
| Stage | RBD winterised | RBD, not winterised | RBD winterised |
| Peroxide value governs at | Discharge | Discharge | Loading only |
| Acidity reported as | Acid value | Acid value | "FFA %" |
Normalising. Offer B fails the stated stage, so the buyer asks for winterised oil; B requotes CU 1,470/t, CU 30/t more. Offer C shifts risk: a peroxide value that passes at loading can fail after a warm voyage, and its "FFA %" cannot be checked against an acid value limit. Asked to accept the discharge result and report acid value, C requotes CU 1,478/t, CU 23/t more.
| Normalised, per tonne net | Offer A | Offer B | Offer C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comparable price | CU 1,480 | CU 1,470 | CU 1,478 |
| Lot of 100 t | CU 148,000 | CU 147,000 | CU 147,800 |
| Gap to the lowest, per lot | CU 1,000 | — | CU 800 |
B's CU 40/t headline advantage falls to CU 10/t, and C's CU 25/t discount to CU 2/t, once the offers describe the same oil tested at the same point. The decision now rests on validity, payment terms, origin evidence and supplier record.
Common mistakes
- Comparing crude or non-winterised prices with RBD winterised offers.
- Paying a high-oleic premium without a minimum oleic figure and a test method.
- Accepting an FFA percentage against a limit written as acid value.
- Measuring peroxide value at loading only, then rejecting on arrival without an agreed rule.
- Comparing packed and bulk prices without separating the pack cost.
- Treating the country of dispatch as proof of seed origin.
Limits and what to recheck
This is general commercial guidance, not laboratory or regulatory advice, and has not been reviewed by an oils and fats technologist. Codex values are reference points, not the law of any market. Before contracting, recheck Codex amendments, ISO method editions, the latest monthly FAS circular and each destination's limits, additive rules and documents.
FAQ
What is the difference between crude and refined sunflower oil? Crude oil still contains phospholipids, free fatty acids, colour and waxes and is sold as refinery feedstock. Refined oil has been degummed, neutralised (or steam-stripped in physical refining), bleached and deodorised for food use.
What is high-oleic sunflower oil? Oil from varieties bred for more oleic acid: 75–90.7% of total fatty acids under Codex CXS 210, against 14.0–43.0% for conventional oil.
What acid value should refined sunflower oil have? Codex gives 0.6 mg KOH/g as a supplementary reference for refined oils. The limit that binds is the one in your contract and your destination's rules.
Next step
Build a one-page comparison sheet before requesting revised offers. Use columns for grade, refining stage, winterisation, acid and peroxide values, sampling point, pack, remaining shelf life, origin, Incoterm, validity and certificates. Mark blanks as not comparable until answered, then confirm destination limits and import documents before contracting.
Resources
- FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius — Standard for Named Vegetable Oils, CXS 210-1999 — https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/sh-proxy/en/?lnk=1&url=https%253A%252F%252Fworkspace.fao.org%252Fsites%252Fcodex%252FStandards%252FCXS%2B210-1999%252FCXS_210e.pdf (accessed 16 October 2026)
- FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius — Recommended Methods of Analysis and Sampling, CXS 234-1999 — https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/sh-proxy/en/?lnk=1&url=https%253A%252F%252Fworkspace.fao.org%252Fsites%252Fcodex%252FStandards%252FCXS%2B234-1999%252FCXS_234e.pdf (accessed 16 October 2026)
- FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius — Code of Practice for the Storage and Transport of Edible Fats and Oils in Bulk, CXC 36-1987 — https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/sh-proxy/en/?lnk=1&url=https%253A%252F%252Fworkspace.fao.org%252Fsites%252Fcodex%252FStandards%252FCXC%2B36-1987%252FCXC_036e.pdf (accessed 16 October 2026)
- FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius — Are Codex standards mandatory? — https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/about-codex/faq/faq-detail/en/c/454753/ (accessed 16 October 2026)
- FAO — Fats and oils in human nutrition, chapter 5: Processing and refining edible oils — https://www.fao.org/4/v4700e/V4700E0a.htm (accessed 16 October 2026)
- USDA Foreign Agricultural Service — Oilseeds: World Markets and Trade, October 2026 — https://apps.fas.usda.gov/psdonline/circulars/oilseeds.pdf (accessed 16 October 2026)
- ISO — ISO 660:2020 Determination of acid value and acidity — https://www.iso.org/standard/75594.html (accessed 16 October 2026)
- ISO — ISO 3960:2017 Determination of peroxide value, iodometric (visual) endpoint — https://www.iso.org/standard/71268.html (accessed 16 October 2026)
- ISO — ISO 12966-4:2026 Gas chromatography of fatty acid methyl esters, part 4 — https://www.iso.org/standard/84626.html (accessed 16 October 2026)
- TT Club — Guidelines to flexitank safety issued — https://www.ttclub.com/news-and-resources/news/article/guidelines-to-flexitank-safety-issued/ (accessed 16 October 2026)
- Kenya Bureau of Standards — Pre-Export Verification of Conformity — https://www.kebs.org/pre-export-verification-of-conformity/ (accessed 16 October 2026; official page timed out during the publication-day recheck, so the approved wording was not expanded)
- Standards Organisation of Nigeria — SONCAP FAQ — https://son.gov.ng/soncap-faq/ (accessed 16 October 2026)
