The claims from the company come in advance of UK government plans to encourage manufacturers to cut the levels of saturated fats reported to be up to 100,000t from their products as part of a dedicated saturated fat pledge under the Department of Health’s Public Health Responsibility Deal.
Dow Seeds says its latest versions of high-oleic rape and sunflower oils chime with the health demands of consumers and the increasing regulatory requirements of the authorities.
75% less saturated fat
Richard Burrell, Dow Seeds’ EU healthy oils marketing manager, said: “Our range contains the lowest saturated fat content of any vegetable oil, while being high in healthy mono-unsaturated fats. For example, omega-9 sunflower oil has 75% less saturated fat than olive oil, while omega-9 rapeseed oil has 55% less.”
Dow Seeds is already supplying some of the major European oil processors, which in turn are supplying a number of UK manufacturers.
Burrell said he was “noticing demand ramping up very quickly” in the UK, and that he was in advanced talks with several more major manufacturers.
He said Dow Seeds’ analysis showed that swapping existing oils for its omega-9 sunflower oil would lead to a 67% reduction of saturated fat per 100ml of mayonnaise, while using high-oleic sunflower oil in a pack of ready salted crisps would provide a 30% reduction in saturated fats.
Using the omega-9 versions would give a 70% reduction, “opening up the possibility of a two stage approach to reduce saturated fats”, he added.
‘Cost in use benefits’
Burrell acknowledged that the oils' baseline cost was higher than some alternatives, but argued that omega-9 oils offered “cost in use benefits” in foodservice, because it delivered up to a “50% longer frying life”.
Other benefits, he said, were that it was a ‘drop-in’ solution, meaning recipes did not require re-formulation.
He said it could be used for frying, par-frying, sprays, reduced saturated fat shortenings, margarines, dressings and spreads and that it was naturally stable, providing greater shelf-life in packaged foods and higher stability without the need for antioxidants, resulting in a cleaner label.