Safflower Oil

Safflower (Carthamustinctorius) is a minor crop today, with about 600,000 tons being produced commercially in more than sixty countries worldwide. India, United States, and Mexico are the leading producers, with Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, China, the Arab World, Argentina and Australia accounting for most of the remainder. Safflower seed oil is flavourless and colorless, and nutritionally similar to sunflower oil. It is used mainly in cosmetics and as cooking oil, in salad dressing, and for the production of margarine. It may also be taken as a nutritional supplement. There are two types of safflowers that produce different kinds of oil: one high in monounsaturated fatty acid (oleic acid) and the other high in polyunsaturated fatty acid (linoleic acid)