One line of soybean oils from ADM, Decatur, IL, is enzymatically interesterified and contains “very low amounts of trans fatty acids,” says Gary List, a consultant for USB, “and only a slight increase in saturated fatty acids, mostly in the form of stearic acid. They are typically blended with liquid oils to achieve the desired melting point and solid fat content, since the interesterified base comprises only 20% to 30% of the final spread or shortening. These products are designed to replace spreads with 10% trans-fatty-acid content and baking shortenings with 20% to 25% trans-fatty-acid content.
“Frying oils like canola and soy both have significant amounts of linolenic acid and traditionally do not hold up well in heavy-duty frying and foodservice applications,” continues List. “However, low-linolenic soybean oil, with 1% to 3% linolenic acid, performs very well in these applications and has been well-received by the food industry. The increased oleic oils now coming to the marketplace should be even more stable. Several studies have shown them to perform equally well or better than partially hydrogenated products. Of course, low-linolenic, increased-oleic soybean oils have zero grams of trans fats and, in some cases, have less saturates, too.”
Another commercial approach is a soy-based, zero-trans, reduced-saturated product offered by Bunge Oils, Bradley, IL, prepared with modified hydrogenation technologies. “It will meet the less than 0.5 grams trans fatty acids per serving threshold, and claims up to 33.3% less saturates than conventional baking shortenings,” says List.
A variety of solutions offer the opportunity for a zero grams trans per standard serving size of finished product. “Among our portfolio are a number of functional systems that do not elevate the total saturates in the finished product when compared against the same product formulated with partially hydrogenated trans-fat-containing shortenings. Typical applications include frying and bakery,” says Wainwright. “Trait-enhanced low-linolenic soybean oil and trait-enhanced canola oil offer significant improvements in oxidative stabil-ity compared to traditional commodity varieties and, hence, are very good options for many bakery and frying applications where fat structure is not a requirement.”
One new development is the nation’s first naturally processed no-trans fatty acid cooking oil produced without blends or chemicals. “We are the first—and, as far as we know, the only—naturally produced zero-trans oil in the nation made from nonmodified soybean oil,” says Bob Dawson, COO, Whole Harvest, Warsaw, NC. “You don’t have to genetically alter soybean oil to achieve stability and zero trans. We use only natural soybean oil, and have for many years.” The company produces the cooking oils by expeller-pressing nonmodified soybean oil. Without using harsh chemicals or hydrogenation, these oils retain their natural omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E. The company has been awarded eight U.S. production and product patents for its proprietary production methods.
Shortenings and oils from palm oil serve as alternatives to partially hydrogenated vegetable oils for baked goods, snack foods, donut frying, confections and anywhere a solid fat is required for functionality. The decision to go with palm was made after comparing the functional characteristics of several possible solutions, including liquid vegetable oils, interesterified fats and lightly hydrogenated oils, notes McNeill. “Palm oil is naturally highly stable without the need for any chemical processes. It is naturally free of linolenic acid, and has only 10% of other polyunsaturated fatty acids. The remainder is monounsaturated and saturated fatty acids, making it naturally just as stable as partially hydrogenated oils, just without any trans fatty acids.