Rules & labels · Cooking oils
Which cooking oils can say “healthy” on the label under the new FDA rule?
Most plant oils on our table meet the rule’s saturated-fat limit; cottonseed, palm, palm kernel, and coconut don’t.
Published · Sources checked 27 Sep 2026 · By Assize Index
Summary
- Background.
- The FDA’s new “healthy” rule lets a 100% oil use the word only if saturated fat is 20% of total fat or less, with no added sugar or sodium. Labels must comply by February 25, 2028.
- What we found.
- By our table’s fat values, 22 plant oils sit clearly under 20%, wheat germ, oat, and rice bran sit near the line, and cottonseed, palm, palm kernel, and coconut are over it.
- What it means.
- The rule is about what a label may say, not a health ranking. For oils near the line, the bottle’s own label decides.
What changed
The FDA rewrote its definition of “healthy” for the first time since 19941.
- Published: December 27, 2024 (89 FR 106064).
- In effect: April 28, 2025, after a delay from the original February date2. Brands can use the new criteria from then on.
- Required: February 25, 2028. After that, every “healthy” label must meet the new rule.
For oils, the rule sets three limits for a 100% oil: saturated fat at 20% of total fat or less, 0% of the Daily Value for added sugar, and 0% for sodium. The FDA explains the 20% line with evidence that LDL cholesterol falls when plant oils replace fats higher in saturated fat1.
Two details worth knowing:
- Coconut, palm, and palm kernel oil sit outside the “oils” group. The rule follows the Dietary Guidelines, which leave them out of oils because of their saturated-fat share.
- “Healthy” is not a license to pour. The FDA set no minimum amount of oil a food must contain, and says it will address how much oil to eat in consumer education.
Where our oils land
Saturated fat as a share of total fat, from the values on our table3:
| Status | Oils (saturated % of fat) |
|---|---|
| Clearly under 20% | High-oleic algae 4.0, High-linoleic safflower 6.5, Canola 7.0, High-oleic canola 7.1, Hazelnut 7.7, High-oleic safflower 8.2, Almond 8.6, Flaxseed 9.4, High-oleic peanut 9.4, Walnut 9.6, Sunflower 9.7, Grapeseed 10.0, High-oleic sunflower 10.1, High-linoleic sunflower 10.8, Avocado 12.1, Mustard 12.6, Corn 14.3, Sesame 14.9, Soybean 15.8, Extra-virgin olive 16.4, Refined olive 17.0, Peanut 17.4 |
| Near the line | Wheat germ 19.7, Oat 20.5, Rice bran 21.0 |
| Over 20% | Cottonseed 27.1, Palm 51.6, Palm kernel 86.2, Coconut 91.2 |
Animal fats on our table (lard, beef tallow and dripping, butter, chicken and goose fat) aren’t in the oils group at all, and run from 29% to 68% saturated.
Our math is an approximation. We divide saturated fat by the sum of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fat. A label uses the product’s own total-fat figure, and bottles vary. For the three oils near the line, the label on the specific bottle decides, not our table.
Table impact
None. The FDA “healthy” rule is a labeling rule, not a health ranking, and it isn’t one of our scored axes. Ranks stay as they are.
On our tables
References
- FDA. Food labeling: nutrient content claims; definition of term “healthy.” Final rule, 89 FR 106064, December 27, 2024. downloads.regulations.gov/FDA-2016-D-2335-1702/content.htm
- FDA. Food labeling: nutrient content claims; definition of term “healthy”; delay of effective date to April 28, 2025. 90 FR 10592, February 25, 2025. www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/02/25/2025-03118/food-labeling-nutrient-content-claims-definition-of-term-healthy
- USDA FoodData Central fatty-acid values per oil, as cited on each row of our table. fdc.nal.usda.gov/
Declaration of interests
Assize Index takes no payment or commission from any product or brand named here.
Cite this
Assize Index. Which cooking oils can say “healthy” on the label under the new FDA rule? Behind the Table, 19 Oct 2026. assizeindex.com/behind-the-table/fda-healthy-claim-cooking-oils Reuse terms
Data, not medical advice. For decisions about your own health, talk with a clinician.