RFK Jr says they are poisoning us, influencers call them unnatural – but what is the truth about seed oils?

The common cooking ingredient has sparked fierce debate since the US health secretary urged people to avoid it

It's curious that something so bland could cause so much controversy. Most of us have a bottle of seed oil, normally called vegetable oil in the UK, in our kitchens - a nearly tasteless but very useful fat that has been a commonplace cooking ingredient for decades.

And yet this previously unremarkable golden liquid has sparked online furore and vicious debate. Nutrition influencers on social media have described it as toxic", inflammatory", unnatural" and the root cause of the obesity epidemic.