[citation needed] The three key steps of refining, bleaching, and deodorization in producing finished oil act to eliminate the gossypol level.

In 2019, world production of cottonseed oil was 4.45 million tonnes, led by China and India with 56% combined of the total.

[42] In the 1820s and 1830s Europe experienced fats and oils shortages due to rapid population expansion during the Industrial Revolution and the after-effects of the British blockade during the Napoleonic Wars.

[42] This problem was resolved in 1857, when William Fee patented a huller, which effectively separated the tough hulls from the meats of cottonseed.

[41] A congressional investigation followed, and legislation was passed that required products fortified with cottonseed oil to be labeled as lard compound.

Once the practice was exposed, many countries put import tariffs on American olive oil and Italy banned the product completely in 1883.

[42] The Panic of 1837 caused the two brothers-in-law to merge their candlestick and soap manufacturing businesses in an effort to minimize costs and weather the bear market.

Through patented technology, the brothers were able to hydrogenate cottonseed oil and develop a substance that closely resembled lard.

[41] In 1911, Procter & Gamble launched an aggressive marketing campaign to publicize its new product, Crisco, a vegetable shortening that could be used in place of lard.

[44] Crisco placed ads in major newspapers advertising that the product was "easier on digestion ... a healthier alternative to cooking with animal fats ... and more economical than butter.

[51] Cottonseed oil sold as an edible product must be processed and refined to eliminate specific components that could present as a food safety hazard, in particular gossypol, which can act as a toxin to humans, and can lead to infertility in men.

[55] Cottonseed oil has traditionally been used in foods such as potato chips and was for many years a primary ingredient in Crisco, the shortening product.

In the United States, cottonseed oil was used in Procter & Gamble's Olestra and Olein products as a type of non-digestible fat substitutes used to create creamy textures and rich flavors in fried foods.

However, to allow for time for reformulation, the agency extended the compliance date to stop manufacturing foods with these specific, limited petitioned uses of PHOs until June 18, 2019.

The final compliance date to allow manufacturers time to reformulate foods and ensure an orderly transition in the marketplace was established as January 1, 2021.

Spider mites, whiteflies and young stages of scales are common pests that can be controlled using cottonseed oil.