In the late 1990s, growing awareness around the health implications of consuming trans-fatty acids (trans fats) emerged. And as the Food and Drug Administration’s regulation requiring food manufacturers to list trans fat on the nutrition facts panel of foods effective Jan. 1, 2008 grew closer, the food industry searched for solutions.

In 2005, responding to the growing demand for healthier diets, Monsanto launched Vistive® low-linolenic soybeans, the first in a pipeline of products intended to bring improved oils to the market. The oil from these beans can reduce or virtually eliminate trans fat in processed soybean oil. And soybean oil makes up 68% of the vegetable oils and fats people consume in the U.S.

Vistive low-linolenic soybeans have lower levels of linolenic acid. Because of these lower levels, which were achieved through traditional breeding practices, the oil produced by Vistive low-linolenic seeds does not require hydrogenation, the process that is used to increase shelf life and flavor stability in fried foods, baked goods, snack products and other processed foods.

Unfortunately, hydrogenation creates trans fat.Trans fat is linked to heart disease, because it lowers HDL (good) cholesterol while raising LDL (bad) cholesterol.

Benefits of Vistive low-linolenic soybeans include:

• For Farmers: Vistive low-lin soybeans offers farmers the opportunity to help build a premium market, while helping to make food healthier. By supplying food companies with low-linolenic soybean oil, farmers earn premiums of 50 to 60 cents per bushel.
• For Processors: Processors who store, refine and sell Vistive low-lin soybean oil have the opportunity to supply a growing list of major food companies, such as KFC®, Kellogg’s® and Ventura Foods®, with the ingredients to help produce healthier food in response to consumer demand.
• For Food Companies: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has mandated trans fat content of food must be labeled. By using oil from Vistive low-linolenic soybeans, food companies can reduce or eliminate trans fat from their products—and show zero or lower trans fat on food labels.
• For Consumers: With farmers growing Vistive products, consumers benefit from a consistent, reliable supply of better-for-you-oils that can be used in the foods they already enjoy every day.

To learn more about Vistive low linolenic soybeans, visit www.Vistive.com