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TABLE OF CONTENTSFear of Fats No More 3
There’s no reason to avoid eating fats—as long as they’re the right fats.
Testing Confirms High Oleic Soybean Oil Shortening a Viable Solution
for Bakery Shortenings 11
Recent functionality testing compared enzymatically interesterified high oleic soybean oil
shortening to PHO shortenings and other high stability oils.
The Oil With Heart in Mind 14
The FDA’s approval of a soybean heart health claim offers a branding opportunity for CPGs
and restaurants.
AD INDEXQualisoy • www.qualisoy.com/samples 10
Bunge • www.bungecreativesolutions.com/hearthealth 13
eHANDBOOK: The Food Processor's Guide to Fats and Oils 2
www.FoodProcessing.com
There’s no reason to fear eating fats,
as long as they’re the right fats.
Included in a healthy diet, healthy
fats boast several potential health benefits.
Consumer demands for healthier, clean and
simpler, GMO-free and organic products
are also accelerating the development of
healthier fats and oils.
The U.S. dietary fats and oils picture is
changing as consumers’ understanding of
fat and oil evolves. Americans are putting
less blame on dietary fats and oils for health
troubles, as they recognize certain types
can make positive health contributions. Mil-
lennials and generation Z, in particular, seek
out specific dietary fats and oils, such as
beef tallow and ghee for their health bene-
fits. Fats used to be regarded as the bane of
good nutrition back when the 1980 Dietary
Guidelines for Americans were released.
New Ipsos findings now show those over
35 are actually more open to consuming
animal fats.
Fear of Fats No MoreThere’s no reason to avoid eating fats—as long as they’re the right fats.
By Lauren R. Hartman, Product Development Editor
Low in saturated fat, canola oil contains monounsaturated fats that provide the shelf life and fry life food manufacturers and restaurant customers need.
eHANDBOOK: The Food Processor's Guide to Fats and Oils 3
www.FoodProcessing.com
Specialty oils – from almond, pistachio,
peanut, walnut and hazelnut as well as
sesame, avocado, algae, flax, hemp and
grapeseed -- are prized these days for their
functionality, nutrition, aroma and flavor.
They contain vitamins and micronutrients
such as phospholipids, phytosterols (plant
sterols) and polyphenols.
Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs)
found in oils such as olive, canola, safflower
and avocado can provide stability to pack-
aged foods without giving up shelf life, says
nutrition professor Penny Kris-Etherton of
Pennsylvania State University.
But all these rediscovered healthy oils and
fats still must have clean labels, according
to Packaged Facts (www.packagedfacts.
com) research director David Sprinkle. For
processed food manufacturers and restau-
rants, development of more new fats and
oils will stem from catering to special diets
and bridging the gap between fresh, whole,
natural and cooked-from-scratch foods and
packaged food products, he says.
CLEANER, HEALTHIER VARIETIESData from a Packaged Facts 2016 national
consumer survey confirms the new gener-
ation of fats and oils for retail applications
are becoming cleaner and healthier. Olive
oil is used most often in cooking and in
salad oils, the survey notes, and was chosen
by 51.9 percent of the survey’s participants.
Canola oil, rich in alpha-linoleic acid (ALA),
an omega 3 fatty acid, that protects against
heart attacks and strokes by helping to
lower bad cholesterol, was a distant second,
at 25.5 percent.
Olive oil has a relatively low smoke point
and a distinct flavor. “Extra virgin olive oil
also has the benefit of potent antioxidants
and other phytochemicals that may reduce
chronic inflammation and lower heart dis-
ease risk,” says David Ludwig, nutrition
professor at Harvard’s School of Public
Health. Better-for-you snack brand Simply 7
Snacks (www.simply7snacks.com), recently
chose olive oil for one of the artisan flavors
in its new ready-to-eat, air-popped popcorn
developed in partnership with celebrity chef
Giada De Laurentiis.
But olive oil remains very low on the list of
vegetable oils used in foods or consumed
by humans. Worldwide, the most common
High oleic soybean oil has highly concentrated oleic acid and lower saturated fats compared to conventional soybean oil. Photo: Qualisoy
www.FoodProcessing.com
eHANDBOOK: The Food Processor's Guide to Fats and Oils 4
oil types, in order, are palm oil, soybean oil,
canola/rapeseed oil and sunflower seed oil.
Palm and coconut oils can replace partially
hydrogenated oils (PHOs) where the use
of solid fat is acceptable. Nutritionists and
culinologists like sustainable palm oil for its
high levels of tocotrienol and tocopherol
vitamin E, but keep tabs on palm’s environ-
mental and industry concerns.
With a low melting point and high amounts
of linoleic acid, soybean oil will still be able
to carry a qualified heart-healthy claim,
despite the FDA’s proposal to revoke the
heart-health claim for soy protein. Soybean
oil got the OK after an August 2017 review
of a petition filed by soybean oil producer
Bunge (www.bunge.com), which included
a summary of human clinical studies from
top nutrition researchers demonstrating the
heart health potential of soybean oil.
“Following the FDA’s approval of the claim,
brands are better positioned to market
heart health on their packaging,” says Mark
Stavro, Bunge North America’s senior direc-
tor of marketing. Soybean oil marketers,
like those offering canola and olive oil, can
label their products stating 1.5 tablespoons
of soybean oil a day may reduce the risk
of coronary heart disease when it replaces
saturated fat without increasing calories.
Bunge offers a range of non-PHO products
for various temperature needs and other
functions in bakery and snack applications.
High-oleic soybean oil won global trade
approval from the European Commission
in December 2017, which will likely lead to
its increased global availability. High oleic
soybean oil has highly concentrated oleic
acid and lower saturated fats compared to
conventional soybean oil, explains Richard
Galloway, a consultant for Qualisoy (www.
qualisoy.com).
“High oleic soybean oil contains zero grams
of trans fat per serving and three times the
amount of beneficial MUFAs compared to
conventional soybean oil,” says Galloway.
“U.S.-grown, soy-based PHO replacements
[such as high-oleic soybean oil] are proven
to be the most effective in emulating the
Where solid fat is required, high-oleic EIE soybean shortenings substitute for almost any PHO-containing shortening in baking applications. Photo: Qualisoy
www.FoodProcessing.com
eHANDBOOK: The Food Processor's Guide to Fats and Oils 5
product production, taste, mouthfeel and
shelf life of former PHO-containing foods.
Qualisoy is working with the entire soybean
value chain and the food industry to ensure
a smooth transition from PHOs.”
Enzymatically interesterified (EIE)
shortening can replace PHOs in bakery
applications, says the United Soybean
Board (USB). Interesterification rearranges
fatty acids within and among triglyceride
molecules. EIE shortening can be used in
cookies, cakes and icings without adding
trans fat. The melting point and melt curve
can be adjusted using recently perfected
technology, the USB (unitedsoybean.org)
points out.
In functionality tests comparing EIE high
oleic soybean oil with other non-PHO short-
enings, EIE high oleic soybean shortening
produced results similar to industry stan-
dard PHO shortening in all applications,
notes Frank Flider, also a consultant for
Qualisoy, which estimates 300 million lbs. of
high-oleic soybean oil will be available this
year. “It has no trans fat, lower saturated fat
and three times the MUFAs than conven-
tional soybean oil,” adds the USB.
Cargill (www.cargill.com) says new Clear
Valley hybrid high-oleic low-saturated fat
canola oil has 35 percent less saturated
fat than previous canola oil generations.
The hybrid contains 4.5 percent or less
saturated fat and provides high yield and
disease resistance for growers and taste,
shelf life and fry life qualities for food man-
ufacturers and restaurant customers, says
Lorin Debonte of Cargill’s research and
development group. Cargill’s collaboration
with Precision BioSciences (precisionbiosci-
ences.com), using its Arcus genome-editing
technology, will further reduce saturated fat
in canola oil, explains Fayaz Khazi, president
of subsidiary Precision Plant Sciences.
New canola oils reduce saturated fat by as much as 35 percent from previous genera-tions. Photo: Cargill
Sunflower oil is rich in omega-9 fatty acid and antioxidants, which makes it healthful and stable. Plus, there are several sunflower oil options.
www.FoodProcessing.com
eHANDBOOK: The Food Processor's Guide to Fats and Oils 6
The FDA’s ban on partially hydrogenated
oils (PHOs), effective June 18, has food
manufacturers testing various other fats and
oils in product reformulations. PHOs contain
20-45 percent trans-fat content, and trans-fats
are the worst type of fat we can consume and
are clearly linked to heart disease. Switching to
healthier polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs)
and monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) can actu-
ally cut cholesterol levels and heart disease risk
as much as statins, notes a new advisory from
the American Heart Assn. (heart.org).
PHOs are being replaced with several
plant-derived oils being made available. For
food processors, it’s a matter of finding the
right type that best suits the application.
For certain food products, however, pro-
cessors have found PHOs can be difficult to
replace because of their complexity and func-
tionality. “They have a long fry life and good
shelf stability at cost-effective price points,”
admits Bunge’s Mark Stavro. Replacements
are improving taste consistency, the right
biochemical profile and heat tolerance in pro-
cessing. “Fry life and shelf stability needs can
be met with non-PHO high-oleic options and
blends, including high-oleic soybean oil and
high-performance, non-GMO, high-oleic sun-
flower oil available in our Whole Harvest line.”
Emulating the taste, mouthfeel and texture
of a PHO-containing product is critical, says
Qualisoy consultant Richard Galloway. “While
product cost is a factor, an even bigger factor
might be R&D time and development cost.
While the PHO issue may have been resolved,
the [initial] end product may not have been as
good as it was with PHOs. Now that functional
alternatives such as high-oleic soybean oil and
enzymatically interesterified (EIE) high-oleic
soybean shortenings are available, companies
are re-evaluating their initial reformulations
in favor of these newer, more functional soy
solutions.”
Some companies are exploring ways to
improve on mouthfeel, melting qualities, plas-
ticity and handling over the PHO alternatives
they first came up with, says AAK USA Inc.
(aak.com). AAK produces specialty vegetable
fats and oils, Cisao and Essence no-trans fat
oils and others for applications like bakery,
confectionery and dairy products.
A main focus is on plant-based alterna-
tives and reducing calories without negatively
impacting quality, functionality, processing or
the eating experience, says James Jones, vice
president of customer innovation. AAK recently
opened a customer innovation center in Louis-
ville, Ky. AAK is also looking into aquafaba, the
viscous liquid left behind from cooking chick-
peas, as an emulsifier in buttery spreads and
mayonnaise-type products.
Customers want unique vegetable fats and
oils that can be used in place of animal fats,
The PHO Deadline
continued on page 8
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eHANDBOOK: The Food Processor's Guide to Fats and Oils 7
The National Sunflower Assn. (NSA) and
the U.S. sunflower industry are promot-
ing sunflower oils such as Nu Sun linoleics
and HoSun high oleics as rich in omega-9
fatty acids, or oleic acid, which makes them
stable and healthful. Sunflower oil also
incorporates antioxidants, which help to
maintain its flavor and freshness.
The NSA is working with oil suppliers to
enlighten processors on various options
available. Sunflower oil’s stability and non-
GMO status place it in a good position to
substitute for partially hydrogenated oils
(PHOs), says John Sandbakken, executive
director of the NSA (www.sunflowernsa.
com).
There are a number of small-quantity oils
that are finding niche applications. Cran-
berry seed oils like Fruit d’Or’s (www.
fruit-dor.ca) Cran Naturelle and Cran D’Or
received Health Canada’s Natural Prod-
uct Number claim as a source of omega 3
and omega 6 fatty acids. A good source
of oleic acid and antixoidants, cranberry
seed oils also contain vitamin E tocopherols
and tocotrienols and sterols. Fruit d’Or’s
cold-pressed oils can be used in dressings,
chocolate blends and products requiring
stabilizing, emulsifying and penetrating
actions to enhance fatty acids.
Grapeseed oil has a clean flavor and a fairly
low smoking point (420 deg. F) for frying,
contains PUFAs and has been associated
with lower cholesterol levels.
Avocado oil has a mild flavor and contains
oleic acid, which may help trigger the body
to calm hunger pangs. It’s the main ingre-
dient in Thrive Market’s Primal Kitchen
paleo-style, sugar-free brand of mayonnaise
that claims to be healthier than others. It’s
says Chris Bohm, innovation manager. “There
is a definite upswing in coconut, safflower and
sunflower oils in different formats, as well as an
increased interest in non-GMO and organic oils
with clean-label, natural additives to maintain
stability over shelf life,” Bohm says.
“A main challenge bakers face eliminating
PHOs is they have to adjust the other ingredi-
ents in their formula and/or processing steps
and parameters,” Bohm continues. “Solid con-
tent is important for functionality in trans-fat
free bakery shortenings. By taking a specific
hard stock and adding a liquid oil component
to it at different ratios, and also considering
the different fractions we can get from palm
to affect the solid content, we can develop
a very [robust] laminating fat that mirrors
trans fat.”
www.FoodProcessing.com
eHANDBOOK: The Food Processor's Guide to Fats and Oils 8
also used as a cooking oil for some types of
potato chips.
Algae cooking oil is a healthy option with
a high smoke point and is also sustainable.
Oil is even pressed from tiny chia seeds,
and is claimed to have high omega-3 (ALA)
content, a neutral flavor and also con-
tains PUFAs.
THE BUTTER CONFUSIONConsumers in the past decade have learned
the dangers of trans-fats and started asking
for their removal in shortening and other
products. Indeed, the FDA has banned the
use of synthetic trans fat and its precursor,
PHOs, by this June – a process that nearly
all food processors have achieved.
Because PHOs have been closely associ-
ated with the first generation of margarines,
butter sales are on the rebound. Demand
for butter and other commodities rich in
butterfat has increased after studies indi-
cated lower health risks from consuming
dairy fat. Retail butter sales in North Amer-
ica posted a 7 percent compound annual
growth rate from 2012 to 2017 in value
terms at fixed exchange rates, Euromoni-
tor reports.
To eat or not to eat butter has some
consumers confused. “We have nutrition
whiplash — because of bad science,
confusing headlines, dietary guidelines
and polices that don’t reflect the research
and are highly influenced by the research,”
mentions Mark Hyman, medical director
at Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Functional
Medicine in a recent report. “We were
always advised to avoid butter and use
margarine. Bad advice, it turns out, because
[some margarines] are far more toxic
than the saturated fats they were meant
to replace.” Hyman recommends eating
whole-food-based, healthy fats, including
saturated fats, which are “absolutely
critical” for good health. He says aim for
butter from pastured, grass-fed cows,
organic avocado oil, grass-fed ghee or
virgin coconut oil.
Consumers aren’t just eating more butter,
they’re spending more for it. Stronger
demand for premium brands is bolstering
the success of Lurpak butter from Den-
mark’s Arla. Consumers are willing to pay
a higher price, Arla says. Despite sales vol-
umes slipping 2.7 percent, Lurpak revenue
jumped 8.3 percent in 2017.
Land O’ Lakes’ eponymous butter brand is
enjoying its fourth year of growth in butter
consumption, notes CEO Chris Policinski.
The co-op (www.landolakesinc.com) offers
a variety of tub and stick butters as well as
low sodium, light and European-style butter
-- a super-premium, creamier grade with
higher milk fat content. Acquiring Vermont
Creamery in 2017 is adding specialty, arti-
sanal and premium style dairy products to
LOL’s offerings.
www.FoodProcessing.com
eHANDBOOK: The Food Processor's Guide to Fats and Oils 9
With the FDA requirement to
remove partially hydrogenated
oils (PHOs) by June 2018, food
manufacturers must secure alternative fats
and oils without compromising functional-
ity, product quality or taste. Interesterified
high oleic and interesterified conventional
soybean oils provide comparable, and in
some cases, superior functionality to PHOs
in products that require solid and semi-solid
shortenings. Beyond favorable functionality,
high oleic soybean oil is 100 percent U.S.-
grown and extends product shelf life.
BETTER-FOR-YOU BAKED GOODS WHITE CAKES: IDEAL TEXTUREThe white cake study compared shorten-
ings made with palm oil, EIE conventional
soybean oil and EIE high oleic soybean oil.
While EIE conventional soybean oil proved
to be an acceptable PHO replacement, the
EIE high oleic soybean oil performed the
best of all three shortenings. The cake made
with EIE high oleic soybean oil produced a
favorable dome height, texture and mouth-
feel, according to trained food scientists.
Testing Confirms High Oleic Soybean Oil Shortening a Viable Solution for Bakery ShorteningsRecent functionality testing compared enzymatically interesterified (EIE) high oleic soybean oil shortening to PHO shortenings and other high stability oils. See the results.
By QUALISOY
eHANDBOOK: The Food Processor's Guide to Fats and Oils 11
www.FoodProcessing.com
ICING: MORE VOLUME, MORE VALUEIn this comparative study, EIE high oleic
soybean oil shortening incorporated air
faster than a standard PHO or palm short-
ening, allowing bakers to add up to 50
percent more water and thereby increase
the volume of the icing. This means more
cakes can be frosted with less product,
an economic win for bakers. Additionally,
icing made with EIE high oleic soybean
oil shortening is smooth and light – ideal
for decorating. It also freezes, thaws and
holds colors well. EIE high oleic soybean
oil shortening performed well over a wide
temperature range, while palm oil proved
to be difficult to work with in warmer or
cooler temperatures.
CAKE DOUGHNUTS: TOP-RATED FRY LIFEA cake doughnut frying study revealed
doughnut frying shortening made with EIE
high oleic soybean oil offered a longer fry
life compared to other oils and produced a
similar product to PHOs. The study revealed
that the color, spreadability and height were
comparable to doughnuts made with PHOs.
Overall, EIE high oleic soybean shortening
demonstrated superior functionality over
palm blends and other PHO substitutes
being evaluated for doughnut production.
COOKIE DOUGH: EXACT DROP-INA comparative functionality study with
cookie dough revealed that while conven-
tional soybean oil performed well in cookie
dough, dough made with EIE high oleic
soybean oil shortening resulted in a softer,
more tender cookie than those made with
other high stability oil-based shortenings.
High oleic soybean oil shortening per-
formed exactly like the PHO– a huge win for
the baking industry.
“High oleic soybean oil and enzymatically
interesterified high oleic soybean oil short-
enings can readily replace PHOs in virtually
any food application without sacrificing
quality and taste.” Frank Flider, QUALISOY
oils expert
To request your free sample of high oleic
soybean oil or EIE high oleic soybean oil
shortening, and to learn more about func-
tionality testing results, visit QUALISOY.
com/Samples.
Download the complete white paper here.
www.FoodProcessing.com
eHANDBOOK: The Food Processor's Guide to Fats and Oils 12
The FDA’s approval of Bunge’s peti-
tion for a qualified soybean oil heart
health claim is a branding opportu-
nity for CPGs and restaurants.
Heart health is the top health feature
consumers look for when grocery
shopping, equating to more than $6
billion in annual U.S. retail food sales.1 In
fact, 75% of consumers are looking for
heart healthy products, putting the claim
ahead of locally grown (68%), minimally
processed (65%), non-GMO (53%), and
organic (51%). This may be because
more than half of adults rely on foods or
beverages to help manage heart health.
Some of the dietary approaches they
adopt include eating less saturated fat
and boosting healthier fats.
Today, 55% of adults are actively avoiding
or reducing saturated fat, while almost
The Oil With Heart in MindThe FDA’s approval of a soybean heart health claim offers a branding opportunity for CPGs and restaurants.
By Bunge
“Food manufacturers and restaurant operators now have a new opportunity to grow their
brands with officially recognized heart healthy products, simply by using soybean oil.”
— Mark Stavro, senior director of marketing
eHANDBOOK: The Food Processor's Guide to Fats and Oils 14
www.FoodProcessing.com
40% are incorporating the healthier
polyunsaturated and monounsatured fats.2
Considering these statistics—and given that
71 million American adults have high LDL
(bad) cholesterol and 15.5 million have coro-
nary heart disease3—food manufacturers and
restaurants should aim to meet consumers’
heart health needs to grow their businesses.
To help in this effort, the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) recently approved
Bunge’s petition for a qualified health claim
linking consumption of soybean oil to
reduced risk of coronary heart disease.
AN EVERYDAY INGREDIENT WITH AN EXTRAORDINARY BENEFIT Soybean oil is America’s most consumed
ingredient and accounts for 30% of all
food oil.4 It is the main oil used in home
cooking,1 packaged foods,1 and restaurants
nationwide.5 Most bottled vegetable oil is
soybean oil, and in packaged foods, con-
sumers can find it in well known brands
across many major categories: crackers,
dressings, sauces, hummus and dips, ready
meals, and more.6 Soybean oil is also used
in restaurants for frying, sautéing, and
cold preparation. It’s the most popular oil
across foodservice segments, including fast
food, quick service, fine dining, legacy, and
up-and-coming brands.
THE OIL WITH HEART* Soybean oil is a heart healthy replacement
for saturated fat and may help reduce the
risk of coronary heart disease* in two ways.
First, it is shown to lower “bad” LDL cho-
lesterol significantly in a number of human
nutrition studies.*† Second, it provides essen-
tial omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated
fats that your body needs but can’t make.
All cooking oils contain three types of fats:
polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, and
saturated. Polyunsaturated and monounsat-
urated are commonly referred to as “good
fats,” with the polyunsaturates having the
strongest evidence as good fats.3,7 The
Dietary Guidelines for Americans7 and the
American Heart Association recognize
the benefits of polyunsatured fats.3 In our
diets, polyunsaturated fats are found as
omega-3s and omega-6s. Among the most
commonly consumed oils, soybean oil is
the highest in polyunsaturated fats and is
America’s top dietary source of this type
of “good fat,” providing both the omega-3s
and omega-6s.8
GOOD FOR THE HEART, GOOD FOR YOUR BRAND Bunge proactively petitioned the FDA to
permit a heart health claim for soybean oil
based on a compelling set of human studies
from top nutrition research teams. Bunge
also recognized that a heart heath claim
would make the oil more attractive to con-
sumers seeking out healthier food options.
Download the complete white paper here.
www.FoodProcessing.com
eHANDBOOK: The Food Processor's Guide to Fats and Oils 15