Perilla seed oil
Perilla seed oil suppliers and sourcing guide
Perilla seed oil is pressed from the seeds of Perilla frutescens, a mint-family plant grown mainly in Korea, Japan, China and India. It is one of the richest plant sources of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), often above half of its fatty acids. It is sold as roasted-seed culinary oil, as cold-pressed oil for supplements, and as refined oil, and it is unrelated to the leaf essential oil used as a flavoring.
- Category
- Oils and fats
- Also known as
- Perilla frutescens seed oil · Perilla Ocymoides Seed Oil · Egoma oil · Shiso seed oil
- Facts checked
- November 2026
Forms and grades of perilla seed oil
Suppliers sell different products under the same name. Specify the one you need.
Cold-pressed oil
Oil pressed from raw seed and filtered, the usual grade for softgels and liquid supplements.
Roasted-seed oil
Darker, nutty-flavored oil pressed from toasted seed, sold mainly as a culinary oil.
Refined oil
Refined, bleached and deodorized oil with milder flavor and longer stability, used in foods and cosmetics.
Organic
Oil from certified organic seed, offered by a smaller number of suppliers.
What to check on the COA
Compare each result with your own specification when the lot arrives.
- Fatty acid profile
- Fatty acid composition by GC of the methyl esters (AOCS Ce 1-62 or an equivalent ISO method), reported as percent of total fatty acids; ALA is the headline figure.
- Peroxide and anisidine values
- Peroxide value (AOCS Cd 8b-90) for primary oxidation and p-anisidine value for secondary oxidation, often combined as TOTOX; these show how fresh the oil is at release.
- Free fatty acids
- Free fatty acids or acid value by titration (AOCS Ca 5a-40 or Cd 3d-63), which rises with poor seed handling, hydrolysis and age.
- Heavy metals
- Lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury by ICP-MS, reported against the supplier's specification or the limits of the target market.
- Pesticide residues
- Multi-residue pesticide screen by GC-MS/MS and LC-MS/MS, relevant for cold-pressed and organic grades where nothing is removed by refining.
Storage, lots and expiry
Storage and shelf life
Perilla seed oil oxidizes quickly because of its high ALA content, so keep it sealed, nitrogen-flushed, cool and dark, ideally refrigerated once opened. Use small containers sized to production runs to limit headspace. Shelf life is set by the supplier specification; retest peroxide and anisidine values before using older stock.
Lots and expiry dates
ALA content and color vary with seed variety, origin and whether the seed was roasted, so record the fatty acid profile and oxidation values for each lot. Rotate first-expiry, first-out.
Regulatory status
Facts from regulators and standards bodies, each linked to its source.
The EU Novel Food status Catalogue entry for Perilla frutescens (POL-NF-00578) covers only the herb and seed oil and lists them as not novel in food supplements.
Source: ec.europa.eu (opens in a new tab)Health Canada's Natural Health Products Ingredients Database lists Perilla Ocymoides Seed Oil, from the seed of Perilla frutescens, as a non-medicinal ingredient for topical use only.
Source: webprod.hc-sc.gc.ca (opens in a new tab)
This is general information, not regulatory advice. Status differs by country and by how the ingredient is used, so check the rules for your product and market.
Perilla seed oil suppliers
Manufacturers and distributors whose own websites say they sell it.
We are checking perilla seed oil suppliers now
Every listing is checked against the supplier’s own website before it goes live, so this list fills in over the coming weeks. The specs and COA checklist above are ready today.
Sell perilla seed oil? Request a listingFrequently asked questions
What forms of perilla seed oil can brands buy?
Common forms include cold-pressed oil, roasted-seed oil, refined oil and organic. Ask each supplier for the specification sheet of the exact grade they quote.
What should the COA for perilla seed oil include?
Expect fatty acid profile, peroxide and anisidine values, free fatty acids, heavy metals and pesticide residues, each with its method, specification and result for that lot.
How should perilla seed oil be stored?
Perilla seed oil oxidizes quickly because of its high ALA content, so keep it sealed, nitrogen-flushed, cool and dark, ideally refrigerated once opened. Use small containers sized to production runs to limit headspace. Shelf life is set by the supplier specification; retest peroxide and anisidine values before using older stock.
What is the regulatory status of perilla seed oil?
The EU Novel Food status Catalogue entry for Perilla frutescens (POL-NF-00578) covers only the herb and seed oil and lists them as not novel in food supplements. Health Canada's Natural Health Products Ingredients Database lists Perilla Ocymoides Seed Oil, from the seed of Perilla frutescens, as a non-medicinal ingredient for topical use only.
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