The edible oils and fats market includes vegetable oils, animal fats, and specialty oils, for cooking and food processing. This ranges from widely used edible oils such as palm oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, and canola oil to specialized ones such as coconut, avocado, and flaxseed oils. Edible oils and fats form the integral parts of daily nutrition. They supply essential fatty acids, vitamins, and energy.

Market forces such as shifting dietary preferences, increased consumption of processed foods, and more recent health-related factors where consumers have perceived health benefits from the use of plant-based oils have also influenced the development of this industry. Trends in the industry are currently increasing towards healthier oils, especially olive and coconut oil. The market also continues to shape up with growing demand for fats in specialty diets, including keto and paleo diets, as well as growing demand for clean-label, organic, and non-GMO products.

Asia-Pacific is the largest market for edible oils and fats, with high consumption in countries such as China and India, where oils and fats are part of traditional cooking. Demand by the consumer, especially to gain the best and healthy alternative choice, leads North America and Europe in terms of focus. Therefore, awareness concerning health-related implications as caused by the various available oils leads the edible oils and fats market to expand based on the improvement of more advanced production methods and by development of sustainable, healthier types of oils.