|
| | ||
| ||||
| ||||
| ||||
| HOME | ABOUT US | CONTACT US | SUBSCRIBE | NEWSSTAND LOCATIONS | ||||
| ||||
|
|
| | |
New oil eliminates unhealthy fats in processed foods Tuesday, November 18, 2003
AMES, Iowa (AP) -- Iowa State University scientists have developed a new soybean hybrid that can help food manufacturers reduce unhealthy fats in their products.
The food industry generally processes food to make fats solid in a method called hydrogenation to keep the foods from getting stale or spoiling.
Hydrogenation produces trans fats, which have been linked to raising cholesterol and contributing to heart disease.
But oil from the new soybean has less of the acids that cause food to go bad, making the hydrogenation process unnecessary, said Walter Fehr, an agronomy professor at Iowa State University.
The acid in the new soybean is cut to 1 percent from the 7 percent found in conventional soybean varieties.
Oil from the new soybean variety was made available to food companies this month for evaluation. The development comes as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration plans to require information about trans fats on package labels in 2006.
"Every passing day we hear from the food industry more and more positive things about the oil," Fehr said. "While no one has indicated yet for certain that they will use the oil ... (the feedback) indicates this is going to be a go."
The soybeans that produce the new oil, which passed flavor and stability tests last year, were developed through conventional crop breeding, Fehr said. He worked on the project since the late 1960s with Earl Hammond, an emeritus professor of food science and human nutrition.
"I feel very good that we have a variety that's available for commercial production at a time when the food industry is concerned with trans fat," Fehr said. "We worked on this for almost 30 years and its nice to see the research you've done has some value."
Although alternative oils are available, such as sunflower and canola, Fehr says there aren't enough to meet the food industry's needs. According to Iowa State University, soybeans supply 81 percent of the edible oils and fats used in manufacturing.
The Iowa State University Research Foundation now holds the patent for the new soybean, which was planted and harvested this year by Zeeland Farm Services Inc., in Zeeland, Mich.
About 210,000 pounds of the new oil were extracted from soybeans harvested this month, said Fehr, who added the crop could create better market opportunities for farmers.
"That's also the motivation behind this ... to also to provide a value-added product for farmers," he said. "The one percent linolenic acid soybeans will make it possible to get an additional premium for the (soybean) oil."
Fehr estimates that one million acres of the new soybeans will need to be grown in 2005 to meet industry needs.
--------
On the Net:
Iowa State University: http://www.iastate.edu/
Zeeland Farm Services: http://www.zfsinc.com/
|
| | |
| |
Copyright 2009 Agri News
All Rights Reserved
