Food Navigator-USA.com
06-26-06
Scientists develop oleic acid-rich soybean oil
By Stephen Daniells
Scientists at Iowa State have developed soybean oil rich in oleic acid and low in
linolenic acid, and are now seeking food companies to test if the oil can be used
in applications previously beyond the scope of conventional soybean oils.
“We know that the one percent linolenic acid oil performs very well. The tests by
the food industry will determine if elevating the oleic acid has made the oil even
better,” said Professor Walter Fehr, lead researcher in the project.
The research is part of Iowa State's ongoing search for soybean oils that do not
require hydogenation, a process that can prolong shelf-life but also leads to trans
fatty acids.
Numerous studies in the literature show that trans fatty acids raise serum levels
of LDL-cholesterol, reduce levels of HDL-cholesterol, can promote inflammation,
can cause endothelial dysfunction, and influence other risk factors for
cardiovascular diseases (CVD).
Soybean oil containing low levels of linolenic acid is already available
commercially, most notably with Cargill's Vistive oil with a linolenic acid content of
three percent, produced from Monsanto's Vistive soybean. The soybeans are
reported to have enjoyed significant success on the back of an industry move to
slash the trans fat content of foods.
According to market researcher ACNeilson, US sales of products already labeled
'no trans fat' increased 12 percent to $6.4bn for the 52 weeks ended October 2,
2004, compared with the previous 52-week period.
Iowa State have already produced a soybean oil with a linolenic acid content of
only one percent.
“Our one percent linolenic acid oil does not require hydrogenation and has been
adopted by the food industry in a range of products,” Fehr explained.
“We wanted to find out if it would be possible to make the one percent linolenic
acid oil even more useful by increasing its content of oleic acid, the same
monounsaturated fatty acid found in olive oil. We were not sure whether we could
combine the two traits in a variety because it had never been done before.”
The researchers used soybeans from Saga University in Japan, developed using
conventional breeding techniques, which had an oleic acid content of about 50
percent. Standard soybeans have an oleic acid content of about 28 per cent.
But the soybeans could not be cultivated in Iowa due to seasonal weather
differences between the Midwest and Japan, and also because the linolenic acid
content was too high to avoid hydrogenation.
Professor Fehr and his colleagues set about using conventional breeding
techniques to transfer the genes responsible for the elevated oleic acid trait into
the soybean varieties with the one percent linolenic acid content that could be
grown in Iowa.
“The results were better than we had anticipated. The oleic acid of the soybeans
was greater than 50 percent and the linolenic acid was only 1 percent,” said
Fehr.
The unique soybeans were developed with funding from U.S. soybean farmers
through the Iowa Soybean Association and United Soybean Board.
And now the researchers are looking for food industry participation to test the oil
and to examine if the novel soybean oil could be used in applications that are
usually off-limits to non-hydrogentated soybean oil – namely cereal and energy
bars and non-dairy creamers.
Companies interested in participating in the tests should contact Professor
Walter Fehr at Iowa State University.