Analysis of different Namibian traditional oils against commercial sunflower and olive oils

The current situation in many developing countries is that, vegetable oils are replacing animal fats because of health concerns and cost. The objective of the study was to compare the iodine value, acid value, ester value, peroxide value, saponification number and cholesterol content of some locally produced vegetable oils like refined marula cooking oil, marula traditional cooking oil, marula cosmetic oil, melon oil, ximenia oil viz. olive oil and commercial sunflower oil. The physicochemical analysis helps to justify the usage of these different traditional oils. The analysis showed that marula cooking oil is close to olive oil in the unsaturation level and better than olive oil in ester value, peroxide value and has lower cholesterol content.