Fatty Acids in Cooking Oils and Ghee (IFCT 2017)
हिंदी में पढ़ें: तेल और घी में सैचुरेटेड फैट कितना (IFCT 2017 के आँकड़ों के साथ)
Which oil is "high in saturated fat" is a question the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (IFCT 2017, ICMR-NIN) answer in Table 12, which lists the fatty acids of 14 edible oils and fats. Every figure there is a percentage of the oil's total fatty acids, not grams per 100 g and not calories. To keep each figure solid, this page uses only the rows IFCT averaged over 2 or more regions, and says how many regions each row has.
The short answer
Saturated fatty acids make up 5.72% of mustard oil, 11.39% of sunflower oil, 18.94% of groundnut oil, 44.98% of palm oil, 61.44% of vanaspati, 71.02% of ghee and 90.86% of coconut oil. Mustard oil is mostly monounsaturated (67.09%), and safflower oil is mostly polyunsaturated (76.78%). The saturated share differs widely between these oils, from 5.72% to 90.86%, and this page makes no health claim about it.
How the rows were chosen
IFCT 2017 Table 12 has 14 oil and fat rows (T001 to T014). 12 of them are averages of 2 or more regions, sampled in 3 to 6 regions. Left out are the single-region rows: corn oil (T002) and cottonseed oil (T003). IFCT prints each value as a percentage of the total methyl esters of fatty acids, and a blank cell means below the detectable limit; we show a dash for a blank. The table sits on PDF pages 474 and 475 (printed pages 425 and 426).
Saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated share, per oil
IFCT 2017, Table 12, the three totals (TSFA, TMUFA, TPUFA), sorted from the smallest saturated share to the largest. Each row adds up to about 100%. "Regions" is how many regions the average comes from.
| Oil or fat (IFCT row) | Saturated | Monounsaturated | Polyunsaturated | Regions | IFCT code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mustard oil | 5.72% | 67.09% | 27.19% | 6 | T006 |
| Safflower oil | 9.19% | 14.04% | 76.78% | 3 | T009 |
| Sunflower oil | 11.39% | 25.96% | 62.65% | 6 | T012 |
| Soyabean oil | 15.96% | 24.06% | 59.98% | 6 | T011 |
| Gingelly (sesame) oil | 16.25% | 41.41% | 42.34% | 6 | T004 |
| Groundnut oil | 18.94% | 53.89% | 27.17% | 5 | T005 |
| Safflower oil (blended) | 19.53% | 37.61% | 42.86% | 4 | T010 |
| Rice bran oil | 23.76% | 44.12% | 32.12% | 5 | T008 |
| Palm oil | 44.98% | 43.53% | 11.49% | 4 | T007 |
| Vanaspati | 61.44% | 33.87% | 4.69% | 6 | T014 |
| Ghee | 71.02% | 26.44% | 2.54% | 6 | T013 |
| Coconut oil | 90.86% | 7.24% | 1.90% | 6 | T001 |
Mustard oil has the smallest saturated share (5.72%) and the largest monounsaturated share (67.09%). Safflower oil has the largest polyunsaturated share (76.78%). Coconut oil is 90.86% saturated, and ghee 71.02%. Safflower oil and blended safflower oil are separate rows with different shares: 9.19% against 19.53% saturated.
The fatty acids behind the totals
The same rows, with the individual fatty acids that stand out, as a percentage of total fatty acids. A dash means IFCT leaves the cell blank (below the detectable limit).
| Oil or fat | Lauric C12:0 | Myristic C14:0 | Palmitic C16:0 | Stearic C18:0 | Oleic C18:1 | Linoleic C18:2 | Alpha-linolenic C18:3 (omega-3) | Erucic C22:1 | IFCT code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mustard oil | – | – | 2.18% | 1.17% | 10.18% | 15.55% | 11.64% | 51.30% | T006 |
| Safflower oil | – | 0.18% | 6.24% | 2.35% | 13.80% | 76.58% | 0.13% | – | T009 |
| Sunflower oil | – | – | 6.43% | 3.69% | 25.96% | 62.65% | – | – | T012 |
| Soyabean oil | – | – | 11.51% | 4.08% | 24.06% | 54.78% | 5.20% | – | T011 |
| Gingelly (sesame) oil | – | – | 9.34% | 5.75% | 40.87% | 41.96% | 0.39% | – | T004 |
| Groundnut oil | – | – | 10.27% | 3.38% | 53.89% | 27.17% | – | – | T005 |
| Safflower oil (blended) | – | – | 15.71% | 2.28% | 37.37% | 42.09% | 0.78% | – | T010 |
| Rice bran oil | – | 0.29% | 19.51% | 2.03% | 43.84% | 31.56% | 0.56% | – | T008 |
| Palm oil | – | – | 39.79% | 4.24% | 43.26% | 11.18% | 0.30% | – | T007 |
| Vanaspati | 0.37% | 1.19% | 53.10% | 5.98% | 29.19% | 4.69% | – | – | T014 |
| Ghee | 2.81% | 11.81% | 39.13% | 13.89% | 23.19% | 2.00% | 0.55% | – | T013 |
| Coconut oil | 49.57% | 21.12% | 9.26% | 2.97% | 7.24% | 1.90% | – | – | T001 |
Coconut oil is 49.57% lauric acid. Vanaspati has the most palmitic acid of any row (53.10%), against 39.79% for palm oil and 39.13% for ghee. Safflower oil is 76.58% linoleic acid. Mustard oil has the most alpha-linolenic acid (11.64%), then soyabean oil (5.20%); the other rows that list it are all under 1%. Among these rows only mustard oil lists erucic acid, 51.30%.
What this table does not say
Table 12 gives the make-up of the fat, not how much fat or how many calories a spoon holds, so there is no serving table on this page; for calories see our cooking oil guide. It also does not say how an oil behaves when heated, and the values are for the oil as sampled, not for a fried or cooked dish. Ghee is a dairy fat, and its figures are for the fat in the sample.
Three common mistakes
- Reading the percentages as grams. 71.02% saturated means 71.02% of the fatty acids, not 71.02 g in 100 g of ghee.
- Treating "oil" as one number. The saturated share runs from 5.72% to 90.86% across these rows.
- Mixing up similar rows. Safflower oil and blended safflower oil, or ghee and vanaspati, have different figures.
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Join the NYUS waitlistFrequently asked questions
Which cooking oil has the least saturated fat?
Among the 12 IFCT 2017 oil and fat rows sampled in 2 or more regions, mustard oil has the smallest saturated share, 5.72% of its fatty acids, then safflower oil at 9.19% and sunflower oil at 11.39%. This is a share of the fatty acids, not grams per 100 g.
How much saturated fat is in ghee?
IFCT 2017 gives ghee (T013, 6 regions) a saturated share of 71.02% of its fatty acids, with 26.44% monounsaturated and 2.54% polyunsaturated. Vanaspati (T014, 6 regions) has 61.44% saturated. These are shares of the fatty acids, not grams per 100 g.
Is coconut oil mostly saturated fat?
By IFCT 2017, yes: coconut oil (T001, 6 regions) is 90.86% saturated fatty acids, including 49.57% lauric acid and 21.12% myristic acid, with 7.24% monounsaturated and 1.90% polyunsaturated.
How much omega-3 is in mustard oil?
IFCT 2017 lists alpha-linolenic acid, the plant omega-3, at 11.64% of the fatty acids in mustard oil (T006, 6 regions), and 5.20% in soyabean oil (T011). Every other row that lists it is under 1%. Mustard oil also lists 51.30% erucic acid, the only row here that does.
Why are corn oil and cottonseed oil not in the table?
IFCT 2017 has them as single-region rows (corn oil T002 and cottonseed oil T003 each come from 1 region), so this page leaves them out to keep every row an average of 2 or more regions. IFCT Table 12 has 14 oil and fat rows; 12 of them meet that rule.
Sources (read 26 October 2026)
- Longvah T. et al., Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (IFCT 2017), ICMR-NIN, Table 12 "Fatty acid profile of edible oils and fats", % of total methyl esters of fatty acids, rows with 2 or more regions: T001, T004, T005, T006, T007, T008, T009, T010, T011, T012, T013, T014 on PDF pp. 474 and 475.
- The 12 rows are exactly as printed in IFCT; we only sorted them and added a dash for blank cells.