Time to change your oil

Ciranda Inc. (www.ciranda.com), Hudson, Wis., created Ciranda’s Palmfruit, an organic trans fat-free shortening without hydrogenation by blending appropriate amounts of oleic (liquid) and stearic (solid) fractions of oils. The shortening is effective in a variety of baked goods such as crackers, cookies, biscuits, pie and tart shells and breads, and is suitable as creaming agent for sandwich cookie fillings.

Kraft Foods employed palm oil in combination with canola oil to successfully launch Nabisco Golden Oreos as a trans fat-free alternative to the iconic cookie, which has been made with hydrogenated soybean oil. Blended tropical oils, however, face some resistance because of their increased saturated fatty acid levels.

Enzymes are useful for custom-tailoring the composition and amount of triglycerides for creating the appropriate combination of melting point, flavor, and thereby, performance during processing.

Interesterification is a feasible alternative to hydrogenation and may be simply explained as the exchange and rearrangement of fatty acid chains on glycerol molecules in the oil. This alteration may be brought about by chemicals or enzymes and may be tailored in terms of the type and composition of fatty acids in the fat, thereby helping to create the desired properties and functionality.

Chemicals, used currently to induce the conversion reaction are generally toxic and require the treated oils to be washed. Enzymatic conversion is specific, more efficient and allows for controlling the extent and characteristics of the end product.

"Until recently the prohibitive cost of enzymes prevented the technology from being commercially viable," says Mike Rath, senior marketing manager at Archer Daniels Midland (www.admworld.com), Decatur, Ill. He credits Lipozyme TL IM from Novozymes (www.novozymes.com), Franklinton, N.C., for a more cost-effective way to produce more natural fats in contrast to the traditional processing methods of chemical interesterification and partial hydrogenation.

Paradoxical fats

As paradoxical as it might seem, scientific research has indeed demonstrated that conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) can help overweight people reduce body fat and increase lean muscle mass. CLA is part of the omega-6 fatty acid and occurs naturally primarily in milk, beef and dairy products.

Research has shown CLA’s mechanism mimics that of omega-3 fatty acids and that it may help maintain cardiovascular health and healthy triglyceride and cholesterol levels. It also may help control body weight when used in conjunction with diet and exercise.

Loders Croklaan’s panel of experts evaluated the safety of Clarinol branded CLA and concluded that it was generally recognized as safe for use in milk-based meal replacements, yogurt products, salad dressings, frozen or shelf-stable meat-, fish- and poultry-based meals, and nutritional bars. David Lewis, business unit manager at Loders Croklaan, reportedly expects rapid adoption of CLA by food companies because of the growing concern for weight management.

Safflower oil, which contains the highest levels of linoleic acid of all vegetable oils, is the starting raw material for the commercial production of CLA. The wealth of intellectual property of the entire CLA market is effectively controlled by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, Madison, Wis. (www.warf.ws). Ironically, CLA is just beginning to appear in nutrition bars and in capsules, gels and powders in the U.S., while it already has significant inroads in foods and beverages in Europe.

Another weight-loss oil with tremendous promise in the marketplace is Enova Oil, licensed by Archer Daniels Midland from Kao Corp. (www.kao.co.jp) of Japan. Enova is derived from soy and canola and yields comparable amounts of fat and calories as conventional oils. In the human body, however, Enova converts into diacylglycerol, a fat that is metabolized by the body. Therefore, it contributes energy and ultimately to loss in weight.

Even priced at approximately four times the price of conventional cooking oils, it became the best selling cooking oil in Japan in less than five years under the brand name Ecana. ADM is hoping for similar success in the states.

Formulation and processing impact

The factors that have limited the introduction of low or no trans fat alternatives are functionality, viable technology, availability, economics and strength of scientific evidence, according to the Institute of Shortening and Edible Oils, Washington, D.C.

TRANS FAT-FREE SNACKING The U.S Dept. of Agriculture estimates hydrogenated oils to be present in about 40 percent of food on grocery store shelves. Cookies, popcorn and chips are significant sources of trans fats in the American diet. Yet, consumers do not have to forgo these simple pleasures, thanks to the innovative efforts of firms like The Hain Celestial Group, (www.hain-celestial.com) Melville, N.Y. Terra Exotic Vegetable Chips come in a variety of flavors without containing any artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, hydrogenated oils or cholesterol. Cookie cravers can reach out for products such as Health Valley's new Cookie Cremes, which contain no hydrogenated oils.