Refined Sunflower Oil
RBD & winterised Black Sea oil in flexitank, ISO tank & bottled
Sunflower oil is contracted on a short list of numbers, and CBIL brokers it against all of them: free fatty acid as oleic at ≤ 0.1% for a properly refined lot, moisture and impurities ≤ 0.1%, peroxide value ≤ 5 meq/kg at loading (it climbs with age and heat, so the figure only means something with a date against it), Lovibond colour in a 5¼-inch cell at ≤ 1.5 red / ≤ 15 yellow for a clean RBD oil, and iodine value of 118–141, which is what makes sunflower a polyunsaturated, light-tasting oil rather than a hard fat. The specification that separates a good lot from a problem lot is the cold test — winterised oil holds clear for 24 hours at 0 °C because the waxes have been chilled out and filtered. Skip winterisation and the oil clouds on a retail shelf in a cold warehouse or a chilled dressing, and the buyer rejects it on appearance alone. High-oleic sunflower (≥ 80% oleic) is a distinct product with far better fry life, sold at a premium and worth specifying only if your line needs the oxidative stability.
Buyers choose sunflower over its siblings for reasons that are not price: it is liquid and clear at ambient and chilled temperature where RBD palm olein clouds, it carries a neutral, light flavour that suits mayonnaise, dressings, retail bottling and premium frying, and it reads better than palm on a label in most European and Middle Eastern markets. It costs more than palm olein and typically trades at a premium to refined soybean oil — if your application is a hot fryer running continuously and appearance in the cold is irrelevant, palm olein will do the same job cheaper. Supply is structured from Ukrainian and wider Black Sea refining alongside Argentine origin, in 24 MT flexitanks, ISO tanks, drums and retail 1L/5L PET, with COA and SGS or Intertek certification of FFA, colour, peroxide, cold test, moisture and impurities, plus Halal and phytosanitary documentation, on FOB, CFR and CIF terms. Send your cold test, Lovibond ceiling and pack format and we will confirm supply against it.
Indicative reference
$1,020–1,110 USD / MT
as at September 2026
Reference level only — not an offer, and reviewed quarterly. Levels shown are as at September 2026. Firm pricing is quoted per RFQ, subject to volume, terms and inspection.
Typical Specification
Specifications are indicative and adjusted to the agreed contract and destination requirements. Final spec confirmed on COA / SGS.
Available Grades
Applications
- Retail cooking oil
- Mayonnaise & dressings
- Frying & bakery
- Food manufacturing
- HORECA
Category
Agriculture & Fertilizers
Incoterms
FOB · CFR · CIF
Pricing basis
USD / MT
Inspection
SGS / Intertek at load port
Refined Sunflower Oil — buyer questions
What does the cold test mean and do I need winterised oil?
The cold test holds the oil at 0 °C and records how long it stays clear — 24 hours is the standard for winterised sunflower oil. Winterisation chills out and filters the natural waxes. You need it for retail bottling, dressings, mayonnaise or anything that will sit in a cold warehouse or a chiller, because non-winterised oil clouds and gets rejected on appearance even though nothing is wrong with it. For a continuously hot fryer, you can skip it and save money.
Why should I pay a premium for sunflower over palm olein?
Cold behaviour, flavour and label. Sunflower stays clear and pourable at chilled temperatures where RBD palm olein clouds and turns semi-solid, it has a neutral light taste that suits dressings and retail bottling, and it reads better on a label in most European and Middle Eastern markets. If your application is hot frying and appearance in the cold does not matter, palm olein does the same job for less — we will tell you that rather than sell you up.
What is the difference between standard and high-oleic sunflower oil?
Fatty-acid profile. Standard refined sunflower is polyunsaturate-led with an iodine value of roughly 118–141. High-oleic runs 80% or more oleic acid, which drops the iodine value sharply and gives far better oxidative stability and fry life. It is a genuinely different product at a real premium — specify it only if your fryer turnover or shelf life actually demands the stability.
Flexitank, ISO tank or bottled — which should I take?
A 24 MT flexitank in a 20ft container is the standard economical unit for bulk oil into most destinations and is single-use. An ISO tank suits repeat lanes into a tank farm and where your discharge point is set up for it. Bottled 1L/5L PET only makes sense if you are not packing yourself — you are paying to freight bottles and headspace, so it prices well above the same oil in bulk.
Ready to source Sunflower Oil?
Send your quantity, specification, preferred Incoterms and destination port. We'll verify supply and respond with a workable offer — usually within one business day.
Have Sunflower Oil to sell? Submit an offer — we'll match it against live buyer demand.
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