Baking & Snack - September 2009 - 72

ᮤ Frying oils require high
stability for best results.

FATS & OILS

CARGILL

Waiting in the Wings

with the many different options. "Decisions now involve
nutrition as well as function," she observed. Cargill just
announced the launch of Clear Valley low-saturate canola oil, which contains 4 to 4.5% saturated fat - 25% less
than in conventional canola oil and the lowest amount of
saturated fat of any vegetable oil offered to food manufacturers to date.
Because of their oxidative stability, the new oils exert
a positive effect on shelf life. "Also, these oils are better
nutritionally and allow reductions in both trans and saturated fats," Ms. Morehart added.
DIFFERENT PROFILES. Changes in the fatty acid profile provide other benefits, and Terri Volpe, consulting food scientist for Asoyia, Iowa City, IA, observed,
"This unique fatty acid profile delivers a very light
clean flavor and mouthfeel." The "ultra low linolenic"
fat has a low melting point of 50°F, which ensures "that
the oil clears quickly from the palate so the flavors that
you want to characterize your product dominate, not
the oil," she explained.
By traveling down the fatty acid molecule's backbone,
researchers developed omega-9 oils, which Mary LaGuardia, market manager, Dow AgroSciences, Naperville, IL,
described as "the next generation" of commercial cooking oils. She explained that omega-9 oils made from the
company's Nexera canola and sunflower seeds have zero
trans fat, the lowest amount of saturated fat and uniquely
high (>70%) levels of hearth-healthy monounsaturated
fats. Shortenings based on these omega-9 oils "provide
texture to bakery items without trading one 'bad' fat for
another," she stated.
In their pure forms, today's trait-enhanced oils exist as
liquids at room temperature. "They are excellent heavy
duty frying oils due to their low polyunsaturated fatty
acid (PUFA) content," said Gerald McNeill, PhD, vicepresident, R&D and marketing, Loders Croklaan North
America, IOI Group, Channahon, IL. "However, most
baked foods require a solid fat to provide the taste and
texture required by consumers.
"Apart from frying or salad oil applications, traitenhanced oils would not normally be used on their own
in a bakery," he continued. "Most baked foods require a
solid fat for functionality."

Limited introduction of high-oleic soy oil could happen in the
US for 2010 planting, pending full regulatory approvals. This
biotech soy trait has already cleared the Food and Drug Administration and awaits similar approval from the US Department of Agriculture later this year. Canada approved the new
oil trait in May. Mexico also gave its regulatory nod.
Branded Plenish by its developer, Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business based at Des Moines, IL, the high-oleic oil has
great potential for wide food industry use. "Plenish brand
high-oleic soybean oil will provide nutritionally enhanced oil
with the highest oleic content in soybeans under development," said John Muenzenberger, Pioneer business manager
for specialty oils.
Extensive testing with the trait-enhanced soybeans in 2007
and 2008 confirmed that Plenish oil contains about 80% oleic
acid. This high level significantly increases the stability of the
oil when used in frying and other food applications. Tests also
show that it has more than 20% less saturated fat, including
40% less palmitic acid, than commodity soy oil.
"Plenish high-oleic soy oil provides the stability and performance of a partially hydrogenated oil without the trans
fat and lower saturated fats," said Susan Knowlton, research
scientist, Pioneer Hi-Bred. She led research into the new
soybean variety.
"High-oleic soy oil will be very useful to the baking industry," Ms. Knowlton said at a Qualisoy briefing about soy oil
progress, held during the Institute of Food Technologists annual meeting in June. "It also blends well with interesterified
oils to build the solids that baked foods require. Food companies tell us that the 20% reduction in saturated fats will get
them to below the threshold for labeling as 0% saturated fat."
Development of trait-enhanced soy is the mission of Qualisoy, St. Louis, MO, a collaborative group within the soybean
industry. Earlier efforts yielded low-linolenic soy, which now
accounts for 1 billion lb annually. The group projects a 2010
crop of high-oleic soy at 46 million lb, set to double by 2012.
Looking ahead, Richard Galloway, president, Galloway &
Associates, and a staff consultant for Qualisoy, suggested that
mid-oleic soy, another low-saturated style now in the development pipeline, has even greater potential than high-oleic
soy. "And then there's high-stearic soy," he said. "Its oil comes
out of the bean with an already creamy texture."

September 2009 / BAKING & SNACK

Baking & Snack - September 2009

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