Why We Never Use Seed Oils — And What We Use Instead

Pick up almost any jarred Indian simmer sauce at your grocery store. Flip it over. Read the third or fourth ingredient. You'll almost certainly see one of these: canola oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, or "vegetable oil" — which is usually a blend of all three.

These are seed oils. And they're in nearly every simmer sauce on the American market — including ones marketed as "natural," "organic," or "healthy."

Not Twist Foods. Not in a single one of our four sauces.

What Are Seed Oils — And Why Does It Matter?

Seed oils are industrial oils extracted from seeds — canola (rapeseed), soybean, sunflower, corn, cottonseed, safflower, and grapeseed being the most common. They're cheap, have a long shelf life, and are flavorless — which is why food manufacturers love them.

The concern from nutrition researchers centers on their high concentration of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), particularly linoleic acid. These fatty acids oxidize easily at high heat, which is exactly when they're used in cooking. Many health-focused consumers and researchers choose to minimize seed oils in their diets for this reason.

Regardless of where the science ultimately lands, one thing is clear: if you're actively avoiding seed oils, you need to read every label carefully — because they hide everywhere.

How Seed Oils Hide on Labels

Food manufacturers use creative naming to obscure seed oils. Watch for these on ingredient lists:

• "Vegetable oil" — almost always soybean or a blend of seed oils
• "Canola oil" — rapeseed oil, a seed oil
• "Sunflower oil" — a seed oil often used in "healthier" products
• "Safflower oil" — frequently used in organic products as a seed oil
• "Refined coconut oil" in large quantities — sometimes used alongside seed oils

What Twist Foods Uses Instead

Every single Twist Foods sauce uses one of two clean fat sources: avocado oil and unsalted butter.

Avocado oil is a fruit oil — pressed from the flesh of avocados, not from seeds. It has a high smoke point (approximately 520°F), a mild neutral flavor that doesn't compete with spices, and a favorable fatty acid profile with high oleic acid content (similar to olive oil).

Unsalted butter adds richness, depth, and that characteristic silky finish to the Butter Masala, Tikka Masala, and Korma sauces. Real unsalted butter — not clarified, not powdered, not a butter-flavored substitute.

The Vindaloo uses avocado oil only — keeping it 100% vegan and completely free of any dairy fat.

Does It Taste Different?

Yes. Avocado oil has a clean, neutral flavor that lets the actual spices and ingredients of each sauce shine. Seed oils — particularly canola and soybean — can introduce subtle off-flavors that mute the brightness of fresh tomatoes and aromatic spices. Using avocado oil means every note of turmeric, fenugreek, Kashmiri chili, and guajillo pepper comes through clearly.

This is one reason Twist Foods sauces taste closer to restaurant Indian food than most jarred alternatives. Restaurants don't cook with industrial seed oils. Neither do we.