Analyses of fatty acids were carried out in oil samples derived from white mustard. Two cultivars of white mustard (Sinapis alba L.) were evaluated: 'Borowska', and 'Bamberka'. The oil content in the seeds of the tested cultivars was 276 and 290 g/kg, respectively. The oils obtained differed significantly in the composition of fatty acids. The oil from 'Borowska' contained less saturated fatty acids (4.86%) in comparison to 'Bamberka' (10.36%). The content of erucic acid was 22.2% in the 'Borowska' oil, while the oil from 'Bamberka' contained only 3.8% of this component. The research shows that the oil pressed from 'Borowska' can be used for technical purposes, and the oil derived from the cultivar 'Bamberka' can be used for food purposes due to the low content of erucic acid in the fatty acid composition and the beneficial fatty acid composition. As a component of diet, the low-erucic acid oil from the cultivar 'Bamberka' can be a source of unsaturated fatty acids (total 67.25%). The lower levels of linoleic (9.46 %) and linolenic (8.35%) acid, compared with 'Borowska' (respectively: 12.5 and 10.5%), may contribute to increased oil oxidative stability during storage.
Keywords: Sinapis alba; erucic acid; fatty acids; mustard oil; mustard seed.