Cottonseed oil is highly polyunsaturated and is routinely hydrogenated to achieve greater stability for cooking applications and functionality for margarine production. The combination of trans-fatty acids that result from hydrogenation, and naturally high levels of saturates make hydrogenated cottonseed oil nutritionally undesirable because both components are implicated in raising blood cholesterol. Increasing consumer attention will be focused on these negative features of hydrogenated cottonseed oil in the future as a result of the likely introduction of compulsory labelling of trans and saturated fatty acid content. The recent development of nutritionally-improved forms of competing vegetable oils (e. g. sunflower, rapeseed, soybean) will create a situation of increasing market discrimination away from the current cottonseed oil.