Toasted Sesame Oil

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Common questions

Is Toasted Sesame Oil healthy?

Toasted Sesame Oil scores 60/100 on Scout's independent analysis of ingredients, additives, and lab results — a fair-to-good score — solid, with tradeoffs. Toasted sesame oil is a processed culinary ingredient with a high omega-6 fatty acid content, which can be less stable and more prone to oxidation compared to healthier oils like olive or avocado oil.

How processed is Toasted Sesame Oil?

Toasted Sesame Oil is NOVA Group 2: Processed Culinary Ingredients.

Which ingredients drive Toasted Sesame Oil's score?

In Scout's ingredient-by-ingredient analysis, Sesame oil is flagged as an ingredient of concern. The full breakdown, with why each one matters, is in the Key ingredients section on this page.

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Toasted Sesame Oil

Waitrose
60 Fair

Analysis updated May 2026 · How Scout scores

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At a glance

Beneficial ingredients 0
Harmful ingredients 0
Owned by John Lewis Partnership PLC
Category Cooking Oils
Summary

Toasted sesame oil is a processed culinary ingredient with a high omega-6 fatty acid content, which can be less stable and more prone to oxidation compared to healthier oils like olive or avocado oil. The processing methods often involve high heat, which can degrade the oil's quality and introduce harmful compounds. Despite being a single-ingredient product, its classification as a seed oil results in a significant penalty due to health concerns associated with its consumption.

Key ingredients 1

Sesame oil
Very Bad

Sesame oil is classified as a seed oil, which is generally considered unhealthy due to its high omega-6 fatty acid content. The processing methods often involve high heat and chemical solvents, which can degrade the oil's quality and introduce harmful compounds. Compared to oils like olive or avocado, sesame oil is less stable and more prone to oxidation.

Risks

High omega-6 content may promote inflammation when consumed in excess. The processing methods can introduce harmful compounds.

Benefits

Contains some beneficial compounds like sesamol and sesamin, which have antioxidant properties. However, these benefits are outweighed by the potential risks associated with high omega-6 content.

See more about Sesame oil →

Processing

Group 2 · Culinary ingredients

Processed Culinary Ingredients

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