One Order of Potato Chips, Hold the Trans Fat

With high-oleic soybean oil in the final stages of development, food manufacturers will soon have a new trans fat alternative and a superior solution for formulating products that satisfy consumer demand for tasty snacks and improved nutrition profiles.

Even in today’s more health-conscious marketplace, American consumers continue to reach for salty and fried foods to satisfy snack cravings. However, the increased interest in good nutrition and a growing awareness of the potential health risks associated with trans fat have contributed to a shift in purchasing behaviors toward products consumers can feel less guilty about eating. Mintel’s 2008 Healthy Snacking Report confirms that consumers increasingly value both taste and nutrition when choosing snack foods.

With $5.3 billion in sales during 2007, the potato chip market is one of the strongest segments in the salty and fried snack food industry. According to the Mintel report, 78 percent of people who snack say they eat potato chips; however, only six percent of those respondents consider them a healthy option. This presents an opportunity for food product manufacturers to develop products that appeal to potato chip eaters looking for healthier versions of this popular snack food.

The U.S. soybean industry and their partners are working hard to develop oil solutions that will help food manufacturers meet the demand for better-for-you snack options while maintaining product quality.  High-oleic soybean oil is one such solution that will be especially important for snack food applications, including those that undergo high-heat during processing, due to the oil’s superior resistance to flavor breakdown.

High-oleic is the next major soybean trait to be released from the research pipeline, following low-linolenic. Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business, is planning a limited commercial introduction of high oleic soybeans in 2009, pending regulatory approval. The resulting oil will contain about 80 percent oleic acid, significantly increasing the stability of the oil during frying.  Like low-linolenic, high-oleic soybean oil will eliminate the need for hydrogenation, resulting in oil with negligible amounts of trans fatty acids and food products with zero grams trans fat per serving.

In addition to Pioneer, other technology companies are developing increased oleic varieties, including a mid-oleic/ultra-low-linolenic variety from Asoyia and a mid-oleic/low-saturate VISTIVE variety from Monsanto.

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