Rapeseed oil intolerance question

Honeythief

Rice bran oil seems to be the fashionable thing to use here. It doesn't have any history (at least that I have read) of causing allergic reactions, and doesn't taste of anything so is a good general-purpose oil. I've read so many bad things about canola/rapeseed oil that we stopped buying it even though it's the cheapest option.

[Deleted User]

it is worth while experimenting with coconut oil. I am also very wary of buying olive oils as they are often blended with cheaper oils. I buy named cold pressed olive oil, coconut oil, butter and ghee and that is it. I am also getting rid of/running down, after a thorough read of ingredients, of any items `preserved` in oil or with added oil eg peppers, various sauces etc. My cupboards will be relatively bare soon as I will be down to the very basics. I don`t trust any manufacturer now, even breakfast cereals are tainted. I have just made my own gorgeous granola this morning and I know exactly what is in it

Next stop for `hidden` ingredients is sugars under it`s various addictive guises and don`t get me going about msg and aspartame

Jiffy127

Hi, I've only just seen your post. I too have what sounds like the same as your daughter. I found out quite by chance too. It makes me feel like I have flu, I ache all over and feel really unwell without any symptoms. Sometimes if I don't realise I've eaten something and have it too much it makes my skin very sensitive, feels like I've scalded myself. As you say, vegetable oil is a problem, today I take it that virtually anything that says it is vegetable oil is Rapeseed oil, it is in so many things. I have found a few useful things, Kalo organic stock cubes use Palm Oil. I only use real butter, not the blended stuff, anything that is heat treated isn't nice to use anyway. Beware of dried fruits, eg sultanas they often have oils on them to stop them sticking, check the ingredients. Check crisp packets, biscuits, cakes etc. Most fast food outlets use Rapeseed. I know that KFC and most Chinese takeaways do. Its worth asking at restaurants but make sure you ask if they use Vegetable oil. I usually end up in Italian restaurants as they use Olive oil. Fortunately I like cooking/baking so I do most things from scratch myself. Hope this is helpful. I have to say it is a relief to me to know I am not alone. I often wonder how many others are suffering without knowing the cause . All the best

Jiffy127

Leezy2 wrote: »

Hi all,
Apologies if this is a little long-winded I'll try to be brief.

I became allergic to rapeseed pollen when I was in my teens (25 years ago now!), back when it was not widespread in food. It took me years to find out I was being made ill by this cheap, nasty oil, and yes it is becoming far more widespread than ever. I'll not go into detail about symptoms, but eating this stuff can be very, very painful. It won't kill me, but it really hurts and is extremely unpleasant.

The food industry uses rapeseed oil for two main reasons:

To soften other fats and food products, eg. it makes your stuff 'spreadable' from the fridge, softens your bread rolls, adds a bit of elasticity to cakes and pastry. This is either to make the manufacturing process easier, or (obvious) to change the texture of the final product;
As a substitute for more expensive oils, eg. in mass frying processes (Walkers have just started using it for their crisps instead of the more expensive pure sunflower oil), in place of olive oil in mayonnaise and salad dressings.

The problem these days is that it can be anywhere, and it hides! Where rapeseed is not listed as a specific ingredient you can be pretty sure it's contained in anything listed with 'Vegetable Oils'.

Now 'Vegetable Oil' is fine. This is refined oil and has had virtually all the protein removed. As has already been mentioned, no protein, no reaction. However, try telling a cook in a pub that 'Oil' is fine but 'Oils' is not!

The other major problem is the 'Pure Vegetable Oil' label. Often found on the front of large drums of oil used in catering kitchens. Turn the drum around, and in much smaller writing it will have an ingredients list, that's where rapeseed will be listed if it contains any.

Almost anything can contain rapeseed now, however the dry, crunchy type foods are less likely to have any in (as they don't need to be softened). The main culprits though are:
Salad dressings and mayonnaise, and therefore coleslaw, potato salad etc. Hellmann's is the only mayo I have found without rapeseed. Yes, Heinz often is just veg oil, but then some of their catering packs and sachets have rapeseed in!
Bread. Warburtons and Kingsmill are fine, Hovis and many, many others have the dreaded seed.
Pastries and deserts (usually the types with a biscuit base). Most pubs and mainstream restaurants buy in their deserts so often have no idea what's in them unless someone has saved a box.
Margarine, goes without saying. Especially the spreadable stuff.

Be aware it's fairly widespread, most European countries its called Colza, and in the States and Canada it's Canola oil (seems to originate in Canada, lots of stuff on the net about it). And Rapeseed is the new fashionable oil to use, recommended by medics etc. so we are going to find it more and more difficult to avoid it.

Hope this helps, if I can offer any more just ask, and good luck.

Hellmans Mayonnaise is definitely made with Rapeseed oil these days, I checked with the manufacturer

Lil_Lady

my nephew has been tested in the hospital as allergic to Rapeseed . We have found that generally where it says vegetable oil in a product it will be rapeseed oil. We have found some of the stores cheaper own products eg crisps (morrison) are sunflower oil. We have found that generally most restaurants cook with a rapeseed & groundnut oil mix, so we don't buy food when out unless we have checked in advance
and they have agreed to use sunflower .
Oven chips are generally coated in 'vegetable oil'.
Every single spread is made with vegetable oil and on checking we found it was rapeseed.
Basically its avoid any item that says vegetable oil and you won't go far wrong.
As he has a nut and soya allergy as well we are quite limited but only a dairy intolerance.
I would love to find out how to complain to get the actual ingredients listed as its a nightmare.

suki1964

Just have to add, the cooking oil that we use where I work has just been changed to a rapeseed oil mix. We weren't informed it was just changed and we only found out when we saw the colour change

Broomstick

Some people who are allergic to rapeseed are also allergic to related plants. Mustard is one of these and it's in many mayonnaises. Manufacturers are supposed to list mustard on the list of allergy advice. It may be worth trying a mayo like Real Hellmans which doesn't contain mustard (this is what they told me early this year when I enquired). Mustard is also in lots of rtc meals with cheese sauce, and in pickles.

B x

Chrissiecat

I too have an allergy to rapeseed oil. Originally I thought it was chicken but realised it was mayonnaise and the oil mcdonalds used to cook chicken nuggets in. My Gp does not take this seriously and refused an allergy test because it was too expensive! I have to avoid all fast food outlets and only eat what I prepare. Suffering the allergy is awful but the only way I have found to deal with it is avoidance and keeping antihistermines with me.

Skinnylatte

kippers wrote: »

When my daughter was first diagnosed with having a lactose intolerance / dairy intolerance, you oldstylers were really helpful so I thought I would ask another question....

Since then, my daughter has been occaisionally poorly but we could never figured out what it was, until now. Two weeks ago I changed from 'Pure' marg to a tesco soft spread that has no dairy in...all week she has been poorly and I didn't twig what was wrong until yesterday....I think it's the rapeseed oil.

I have managed to findout that in the uk 'vegetable oils' is all they need to put on the ingredients but this covers any oil that comes from vegetables. On ringing 'Pure' customer services I have been advised that the oil it contains is palm oil and linseed oil, which almost 99% confirms to me it's the rapeseed oil that is causing the problem (as i've been scutinising all ingredients that I have been using for a while) and i'm sure i'll know for definately within the next week or two if she feels a lot better.

I am convinced that my daughter can tolerate a very small amount of rapeseed oil but her sytem just could not tolerate all of my homemade cakes, biscuits, bread etc made with it.

My question is, does anyone else suffer from a rapeseed oil intolerance or allergy and how do you cope with it?

Also, does anyone know what vegetable oil is used in Asda Light mayo (still waiting for them to ring me back) as she has always been bad after eating this even though there is no dairy in it (It has 30% veg oil in the ingredient and i'm wondering if the majority is also rapeseed oil which is why it makes her bad).

I will be going back to the docs to refer her back to the specialist to confirm but I know this takes quite some time so I am doing my research ready.

Thank you for any help you can give me.

The light mayo is rapeseed oil. From December 2014 all foods will have to be labelled with the type of oil they contain under the new Food Information Regulations

meritaten

Leezy2 - I wondered why I no longer like Walkers crisps! the taste has complete changed (for the worst). and I walked into KCF the other night and walked straight back out - the smell of the cooking oil was bluddy awful! I hadn't had one for years and had a sudden craving for Fried chicken - but the smell made me gag! and is probably the reason I cant eat MaccyDs any more either - I get horrendous wind and diarrhea after one - so I now suspect I am allergic to rapeseed oil! Thank you - your post just made the penny drop!