As negative health consequences related to consuming trans fats have come to light in recent years, new trans fat-free oils have become available to food processors and to the food service industry. However, formulation difficulties, ranging from creating the right texture and taste qualities, to maintaining stability and desired shelf-life, can make switching to healthier fat alternatives a real challenge for food processors.

An Iowa City, Iowa-based specialty soybean products company is making it easier for food processors to formulate low trans fat foods while maintaining taste and product stability. Asoyia recently introduced Asoyia Mid Oleic ULTRA Low Linolenic Soybean Oil (Asoyia-MO), their new soybean oil providing an optimal level of stability, neutral taste and heart-healthy benefits needed by many food scientists for those extra difficult formulations. Asoyia-MO is the next generation of Asoyia’s ULTRA Low Lin Soybean Oil (Asoyia-ULL), which the company introduced to the market in 2004.

The development of Asoyia’s ULTRA low linolenic soybeans date back to the 1960s when Walt Fehr began work at Iowa State University on developing a soybean with low linolenic acid content to improve stability of soybean oil without the use of hydrogenation. In the late ’80s, Fehr had completed the development of his ultra low-lin seed, but couldn’t find companies interested in producing trans fat free soybean oils. Once the FDA announced in 2003 it would require food processors to list trans fat content on their labels beginning Jan. 1, 2006, Fehr had a more captive audience. In 2004, a group of Iowa farmers formed Asoyia and introduced Asoyia ULTRA Low Linolenic Soybean Oil to the market. Asoyia-ULL was the first ultra low-lin soybean oil available for commercial use.

Since that time, Asoyia-ULL has been used in a variety of applications. Some products currently on store shelves, such as certain crackers and toddler foods, are made with Asoyia-ULL. Asoyia-ULL is also used in food service, such as restaurant chains, hospitals and schools.

When Christopher Koetke, dean of the School of Culinary Arts at Kendall College in Chicago, tested Asoyia’s ULTRA low lin oil in food service applications over two years ago, he was astonished that it not only provided a healthier alternative, but was functional as well.

Asoyia-MO’s distinctiveness is in its name. “Mid Oleic” refers to the oil’s oleic acid content. Oleic acid is a monounsaturated fatty acid, or “good” fat. The higher the level of the monounsaturated fat relative to total unsaturates, the better the oxidative stability and shelf life of the oil. Asoyia-MO contains 53% oleic acid per serving, which is the highest level of oleic content in commercially available modified linolenic soybean oils to date. Conventional soybean oils are comprised of about 25% oleic acid.

In a study published in the Journal of American Chemists Society in 2003, Kathleen Warner of the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Peoria lab, found that foods fried in oil containing 0.8% linolenic acid were of better quality and taste than those fried in 2% or higher linolenic acid oils. Both Asoyia-ULL and MO are made from soybeans with 1% linolenic acid, which also makes them considerably more stable than low-lin oils made from soybeans with 3% linolenic acid.

Ultra low linolenic fatty acid content is also important since oils containing high levels of linolenic acid are often partially hydrogenated to extend shelf life. Partial hydrogenation is the process of adding hydrogen to unsaturated fats. Saturated fats, like margarines and shortenings, are advantageous in baked foods due to their ability to incorporate air in creaming for structure development, to support texture development such as flakiness and tenderness, but most importantly to provide longer shelf-life.

However, partial hydrogenation also produces trans fats, proven to increase the risk of heart disease. Approximately half of all soybean oils produced use some level of hydrogenation. Asoyia-MO’s ultra low linolenic and higher mid oleic levels eliminate the need for hydrogenation to achieve satisfactory stability without the health risk of man-made trans fats.

Asoyia customers testing the ULTRA low lin’s fry life have reported anywhere from a few extra days, when comparing high-end brands, up to three times the life when comparing Asoyia against commodity brands. And due to its very low melting point, Asoyia’s ULTRA low lin oils demonstrate good draining in product testing, resulting in fried foods that are not greasy and heavy, and with the food flavor dominating.

Asoyia-MO is ideal for creating texture in products; it has performed favorably in cookies, crackers and muffins, and as a spray oil coating for crackers and extruded snacks. Asoyia-ULL is already used in spray-dry applications, such as powdered coffee whiteners. Similar to Asoyia-ULL, the MO has excellent spray-drying characteristics and has proven excellent performance in coffee whiteners and spray-dried powdered cheese and spicy coatings for snacks.

While there are other mid oleic low lin oils available, some have flavors, aromas or other characteristics that are often imparted to the food. Soybean oils have long been preferred due to their neutral taste, but go rancid quickly if not hydrogenated. Asoyia-MO stands out as the only mid oleic ultra low lin choice in soybean oils that retains the neutral flavor much longer as a result of its stability.

Asoyia-MO is in the early stages of production and is currently offered in small commercial quantities for processors interested in testing and evaluating it in their applications. Asoyia is looking for companies and product developers who are interested in testing Asoyia-MO in their products.

Asoyia

Iowa City, Iowa