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Turning a spotlight on healthy fats and oils

European food manufacturers have been turning to healthier oils and fats – but there is often a trade-off to be made, balancing their benefits in terms of flavour and health with how easy they are to work with.

The low-fat diet trend of the 1980s and 1990s finally seems to be in the past, and consumers have been embracing oils and fats, like those from olives, sunflowers and even coconut and avocados. A range of oils from seeds is also on the rise, including from hemp, chia, flax and sesame, boosted by increased awareness of the positive nutritional role that healthy fats can play in a balanced diet.

Although at-home culinary use accounts for some of their rise in popularity, food manufacturers are also looking to leverage these ingredients, increasingly calling out specific oils on-pack. Frito-Lay’s move to sunflower oil in 2006 was a key milestone in bringing the concept of ‘good fats’ into the mainstream, and many other companies have followed suit.

However, the relative low cost and excellent functionality of palm oil means it continues to outsell other oils Europe, despite controversy over its links with deforestation and loss of natural habitats in Southeast Asia. For food manufacturers, palm oil is a particularly useful ingredient, solid at room temperature, shelf stable, and able to withstand the high temperatures needed for industrial frying and baking. Certified sustainable palm oil is one alternative, but many manufacturers are beginning to embrace other oils that have stronger associations with good health.

Meanwhile, oil producers have worked to improve the nutritional composition of their oils, while also improving functionality. Companies like Bunge, Brenntag and ADM now provide a range of high oleic oils from soybeans, corn, canola, sunflower and safflower, meaning they are higher in monounsaturated fats than other varieties. Such oils are suitable for use in fried and baked goods as they have better heat stability and are less prone to oxidation than traditional vegetable oils, and they allow manufacturers to slash saturated fat at the same time. Most recently, Cargill released a high oleic canola oil in January 2018, and claims it can cut the saturated fat content in finished products by 35% compared to ordinary canola oil.

The selection of oils available to manufacturers goes far beyond commodity crops, however, and the unique flavour of oils like those from nuts or olives can also give products a premium positioning. Their benefits in terms of flavour, health and marketability must be balanced with their functional limitations, but some are becoming increasingly popular even in products that are cooked at high temperatures, like crisps and crackers.

Olive pomace oil, for example, has a higher smoke point than ordinary olive oil, meaning it can be used in high heat processing – and manufacturers can then leverage the flavour and widely understood health benefits of olive oil. Similarly, coconut oil, almond oil and avocado oil can be used at high temperatures, and have attracted the attention of major manufacturers. The international snack company Kettle Foods has recently released a range of potato chips fried in almond oil, for example.

Looking forward, food companies might want to reconsider the oils they use in their products – and whether they want to highlight these ingredients on product packaging – as consumers are taking a greater interest in their health credentials.