Print This PageTrans–fat Challenge: The Food Industry View
The movement to eliminate trans fats has moved from the supermarket to restaurants and the food service industry. "The movement has generated significant interest in the VISTIVE pipeline toward helping provide solutions," said Rick Wilkes, Food Applications Director at Monsanto. Oil from VISTIVE soybeans offers additional stability and does not require hydrogenation, eliminating trans fats.
First wave: Packaged foods
"The food industry has really embraced the elimination of trans fats in two waves,"
Wilkes said. The first wave was in the packaged food industry. Food makers were
looking for ways to remove trans fats from products prior to the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration's Jan. 1, 2006, labeling deadline, which required all food products
to list trans fats in the nutrition facts.
"Companies knew the labeling requirement was coming and had time to work on solutions," said Wilkes. "This is not a trivial process of switching oils," he noted. "Companies spent a large number of hours researching, coming up with solutions and scaling up the solution. They had to consider factors like cost implications and finding the right fat blend for the product."
Second wave: Boards of health
The trans fat-free trend has recently picked up steam on its second wave. Cities
and states, such as New York City's Board of Health, Chicago and New Jersey, are
beginning to legislate trans fats out of restaurant food, Wilkes noted. "It has
caused a panic in the restaurant industry because there aren't solutions for everywhere
you use hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fat today," he said. Marriott International
and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines have also recently announced they will remove trans
fats from foods.
Balancing taste and health
Partially hydrogenated oil has many characteristics that are hard to replicate without
adding saturated fat to the cooking oil. As a result, many companies are still in
the process of testing trans fat-free oils. "Companies are trying to come up with
the right fat blend to ensure product quality remains," said Wilkes. "What companies
are looking for is a solution that doesn't compromise on texture and flavor. Even
though consumers are worried about health and trans fats, they still want their
food to taste the same."
What many people don't understand is hydrogenation occurs for different reasons, Wilkes said. Hydrogenated oils provide stability in high-heat applications like frying. It also provides solids and texture to foods. For instance, partially hydrogenated oil gives pies their characteristic flaky crust and makes margarine easier to spread. It also keeps cookies soft and gives french fries their distinctive crunch and taste.
The search for customized blends
Many restaurants are turning toward blends or combinations of different types of
oils customized for the food operator's needs. They are testing to find the right
mix to maintain the flavor and texture they feel is appropriate, Wilkes said. Monsanto
is working with processors and with the food industry because they see us providing
a technology solution, Wilkes said. "We want to demonstrate what our oil can do,"
he said, "they will test our oil in their product."
Dave Stark, Vice President of Consumer Traits, receives calls almost every day asking about VISTIVE. Demand is not a problem for VISTIVE soybeans, he said. Stark often has three-way meetings with food companies and suppliers to work on developing more business and interest in VISTIVE.
"We spent a lot of time working with KFC," he said. "They did not want to make an announcement that they were switching to VISTIVE oil until they felt they could secure enough supply. Food industry buyers, like KFC, understand that the oil starts at the farm."
