Rice Bran Oil- A Silver Lining to Indian Edible Oil Economy: A Review

Abstract

Edible oil is an integral part of everyday cooking, due to remarkable gain in vegetable oil consumption in India over the past few decades. Accomplishing edible oil requirement of the ever-growing population is a formidable task before the country. On the contrary, annual compound growth rate of major edible oilseeds in India is declining. This phenomenal disparity in demand and supply of vegetable oil in the country is tending to bother through profuse investment on overseas purchase. At this point of time, in order to meet on-growing demand of edible oil, rice bran oil can be the available option before the country. India being the major producer of rice, yields significant amount of bran which contain upto 24% edible grade superior quality vegetable oil. It essentially contains 48.48% oleic acid, 35.26% linoleic acid, 14.54% palmitic acid, 8.15% free fatty acid besides contain good number of antioxidants such as tocopherols, tocotrienols and oryzanol. Therefore, rice bran oil became the integral part of oil market in India and abroad. Inspite of its benefits, it has not been fully exploited. If its potentiality is harnessed completely, rice bran oil could emerge as silver lining of Indian edible oil economy.