FDA has determined that high-erucic-acid rapeseed oil (HEAR oil) is not generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for use in food for human consumption in the US, based on animal studies linking high erucic acid intake to cardiac lipidosis. Importers of HEAR oil must ensure it is destined for industrial or non-food uses and should maintain clear documentation separating it from canola (low-erucic-acid) shipments.

The key criterion is erucic acid content: low-erucic-acid rapeseed oil (canola) contains no more than 2% erucic acid by weight of the total fatty acids. Importers should obtain a certificate of analysis from the foreign supplier confirming the fatty-acid profile, as CBP may request this to verify the correct subheading between 151411/151419 and 151491/151499.