Seed oils in Canada

What the chains fry in

These are the 261 chains we track in Canada, with what each one fries in according to our records. Open any chain for its full report card. See the full country index.

• Real fats: beef tallow, lard, butter, olive oil or coconut oil.
• In between: palm or peanut oil, a high-oleic grade, or a mix of real fat and seed oil.
• Seed oils: canola (rapeseed), soybean, sunflower or corn, or a "vegetable oil" blend.
• No fryer: the chain does not deep fry. It can still cook with oil elsewhere in the kitchen.
• Unknown: our records do not say what the chain fries in.

(estimated) means our note on that chain is hedged, so read the oil as a good guess rather than a confirmed fact. How we read these notes.

Cleanest picks

These chains fry in real fats.

• Blaze Pizza Olive oil
• C-Lovers Fish & Chips Beef tallow
• Cacao 70 Butter
• Cockney Kings Fish & Chips Beef tallow
• Dixie Lee Fried Chicken Beef tallow
• Frite Alors! Beef tallow
• Juliette et Chocolat Butter
• Kernels Popcorn Coconut oil
• OEB Breakfast Co. Beef tallow
• Paris Baguette Butter
• Pizzaiolo Olive oil
• Popeyes Beef tallow
• Tous les Jours Butter

16 more in-between chains are in the full table below.

All 261 chains

Same chain, different oil

A chain can fry in one oil at home and another abroad. Of the 32 chains we can compare with the U.S., 24 show a different fryer oil in Canada. Rows where the color changes come first. 8 more chains list the same oil in both places.

The brands that state their fryer oil in many countries are compared in Same chain, different country.

How people cook in Canada

Canola is the oil Canadian chains name most often (Canada is the world's biggest canola grower), with olive oil and butter also common at home, and butter and lard (saindoux) still traditional in some Quebec dishes.

A&W, Harvey's and KFC say canola in their own ingredient information, McDonald's says canola or a canola, corn and soybean blend (fries, hash browns, nuggets and chicken), and Burger King and Wendy's fry in blends that can include soybean, corn or cottonseed oil.

Other exceptions: Tim Hortons donuts and Timbits are fried in palm oil shortening (its hash browns use canola), Popeyes fries in a beef tallow blend, and Five Guys uses peanut oil. Independent restaurants rarely say, and it is often canola or a generic 'vegetable oil' blend, so ask.

Reading labels

In Canada an ingredient list may say just 'vegetable oil' (huile végétale), even for canola alone or a blend, but coconut, palm, palm kernel and peanut oil and cocoa butter must be named, and bottled cooking, salad and table oils must name the specific oil (CFIA).

Hydrogenated oils must be labelled 'hydrogenated' (shortening is an exception), and most packaged food carries both English and French.

Say it in English and French

English works across Canada. In Quebec and on bilingual packaging you will also see French, so both are below.

Language: English and French (Quebec and all bilingual packaging)

Tips for eating out in Canada

• Canadian packaged foods can say just 'vegetable oil' (huile végétale) even when it is canola, so the label alone often cannot tell you the oil. Only coconut, palm, palm kernel and peanut oil and cocoa butter must always be named.
• Most big chains publish ingredient and allergen guides online, so look up the fryer oil before you go. Tim Hortons donuts (palm shortening) and Popeyes (beef tallow blend) are not canola, and McDonald's uses canola or a canola, corn and soybean blend.
• At sit-down places ask 'What oil do you fry with?' (in Quebec: 'Dans quelle huile faites-vous frire ça?'), then ask for items grilled or pan cooked in butter ('au beurre').
• Learn the French on bilingual labels: huile de canola, huile de soya, huile végétale, beurre, saindoux (lard).

Sources

The cooking, label and tip sections come from these pages. The chain fryer oils come from our own records.

1. Fats and oils labelling, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
2. McDonald's switches to transfat free frying oils (Wall Street Journal via PotatoPro, 22 May 2008)
3. Canola helps McDonald's reach health goals (Ag-West Bio, 22 July 2015; describes the blend, US supply chain speakers)

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