Replacing Trans—With an Eye on Saturates

High-oleic soybean oil, slated for availability by 2009, reportedly is an excellent frying medium by itself or blended with other oils, such as low-lin soy, to obtain most any flavor profile desired. Another type in the pipeline, a mid-oleic, low-lin, low-saturated-fat soybean oil, with 55% oleic acid, 3% linolenic acid and 7% saturated fat, will likely be available by 2011. It’s a low-saturate oil that will function in many applications, such as deep-frying, formerly relegated to partially hydrogenated oils. The United States annually produces over 15 billion pounds of soybean oil, and it’s the most-popular choice in foodservice.

High-oleic canola oil is well suited to foodservice, as it offers extended fry life and high heat tolerance. The oil can be used for sautéing, as well as stir- and deep-frying.

Canola’s use in the United States has doubled in the last five years, according to Dzisiak. Some quick-serve restaurant operators who’ve made the shift to canola or canola blends include KFC, Church’s Chicken, McDonald’s and Taco Bell, with the latter reportedly converting 15 menu items to zero trans fats.

Omega-9 oils are making their way into canola blends in other products offered in partnership through Dow AgroSciences and Bunge Oils, St. Louis. Omega-9s deliver zero trans fats and a uniquely high percentage (70%+) of heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids. Dzisiak says the omega-9 canola oil also hits a home run on taste. “You can actually taste the food; it’s light and neutral, and the food shines through,” he says. For instance, you can taste more potato in a french fry and you can tell the difference between scallops and clams on a deep-fried seafood platter.

Dow and Bunge are also partnering to develop and promote the use of a single oil for the back of the house. “Oil is no longer a commodity as we become more nutritionally conscious,” says McCullough. “It’s an important ingredient in the overall menu.” There is great value in having a stable, versatile oil for everything from deep frying to sautéing to making aïolis and vinaigrettes. To realize the dream, Bunge hired Chef Charlie Baggs of Charlie Baggs Inc., Chicago, to head up the R&D efforts in its Oil Center of Excellence in Bradley, IL.

Other frying options rising in popularity are specifically bred canola and sunflower oils—also from Dow and Bunge—which combine high-oleic and low-lin content, defined as containing zero trans fats and lower saturates. A mid-oleic (55% to 75%) sunflower oil is currently on the market. Its optimum amount of linolenic acid helps foods develop a desirable fried flavor in most applications. It also has flavor stability in snack and chip applications.

Utz Quality Foods, Inc., Hanover, PA, treats cottonseed oil as the gold-standard in its crunchy potato chip. Since 1921, the original chip formula consisted of fresh whole potatoes, sliced and cooked in 100% nonhydrogenated cottonseed oil.

When Minneapolis-based Buca di Beppo, an Italian-style chain with 93 locations nationwide, was searching for a trans-free solution, it turned to cottonseed and canola oil blend. “We switched to a cottonseed oil blend in our deep-frying applications. We found in our testing that it provided the same high quality and longevity as our previous oil with no detraction to flavor,” says Carron Harris, vice president of food and beverage, Buca di Beppo. “The most-critical items we fry are calamari and eggplant, and with the cottonseed blend, it had high levels of acceptance among our guests and our chefs.”

To get true value out of any oil change, food manufacturers and foodservice operators have to look at the big picture. This goes beyond per pound costs or case costs, and using total operating cost as the criteria. Some premium oils can pay for themselves by maximizing shelf life and fry life.

In the end, the industry and its consumer base will vote with their wallets and decide if the improved taste and health is worth the price.

Deb North, freelance food writer, marketing communications consultant, and graduate of Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, can be e-mailed at debubrat@bellsouth.net. Lynn A. Kuntz, editor of Food Product Design magazine, also contributed to this article, and can be reached at lkuntz@vpico.com.