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Slide 1 - Title Slide: Methods & Opportunities for Reducing or Eliminating Trans Fats in Foods

Slide 2 - Disclaimer

Information contained in this report consists of opinions expressed by the author; consequently, the views expressed herein are those of the originators and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada or the Government of Canada.  The Government of Canada and its employees, servants or agents make no representations or warranties as to the accuracy or completeness of the information contained in this report.  Parties who rely on the information do so at their own risk

Slide 3 - AAFC Objective re: Trans Fat Issue

  • Task Force on Trans Fats
  • Commission three studies
    • Alternatives
    • Industry Perspectives
    • Economic
  • This Study - Alternatives
    • Methods to reduce or eliminate TFA
    • Initiatives
    • Innovative opportunities

Slide 4 - Agenda for this Presentation

  • Background
  • Methods Available to Industry
  • Initiatives to Reduce Trans Fats
  • Innovation Opportunities
  • Closing Remarks

Slide 5 - Trans Fat Issue

  • Things to consider
    • Nutrition research
    • Methods & Alternatives
    • The target(s)
    • Is industry ready? How ready?
    • Solutions - surmountable or pipe dream?
    • Investment versus benefit?
    • Communications -?
  • This report - Alternatives
    • Methods to reduce or eliminate Trans Fatty Acids (TFA)
    • Initiatives
    • Innovative opportunities

Slide 6 - TFA Reduction - Public Health Objective

  • Multi-stake holder issue / . . . opportunity?
    • Was this on the players agenda? ….. Yes, sort of .… Consumer
      aware? …. Some! …. Are we doing it right …??
    • 3 main players with different roles
    • Challenge to align the players with the Objective re: Authority,
      Responsibility, Accountability, Communications, Resources
  • Food Industry
    • Practice change
    • Innovative products
  • Consumers
    • Be aware of food product choices
    • Choose healthy foods and lifestyles
  • Governments
    • Be certain of the science
    • Impacts of change - have to understand
    • Guide - via regulation, by example, by inducement (might cost $)
    • Communicate - credible and consistent message

Slide 7 - Image on Edible Oil Value Chains

Slide 8 - Image of Functional Properties of Edible Oils and explaination

  • Plant breeders in late 1980s & early 1990s
    • Developed 85% - 90% oleic acid varieties in canola, sunflower
    • Less fried food flavor compared to moderate 75% ­ 80% oleic
  • Recommendation by Warner et al for salad and cooking oils
    • < 3% 18:3, < 7 - 8% saturate, not more 80% oleic, 20 - 30% 18:2
    • Until recently, only high oleic low linolenic canola oil had this profile
  • Balanced scorecard
    • Physical / nutritional properties; profile of unsaturate, saturate & trans FA

Slide 9 - Occurrence of Trans Fats in Foods

  • Innies et al of University of British Columbia, 1999
    • 200 foods in Vancouver grocery and food service establishments
    • TFA ranged from zero to over 60% of the fat in some foods
    • Margarine, convenience foods and baked goods made with shortening showed highest levels of trans fats
    • Hard margarine followed by soft margarine contained the highest levels of trans fats as a % of the total food product
  • Industry making significant progress to reduce trans fats
    • USDA 2004 report of changes in TFA for selected snack foods
    • Analysis underway for other foods by USDA and Canada
    • Many food labels in 2005 in Canada declare lower to zero levels of TFA compared to Innies 1999 study
    • TFA in hard margarine and some processed foods still problems
  • Innies study useful reference, but may not be indicative of TFA in foods in Canada in 2005

Slide 10 - TFA Reduction Methods Available

  • Customization of Crop Varieties
    • Genetically modified fatty acid compositions
  • Fatty Acid Modification by Processing
    • Adopt existing processes
    • New Processes
  • Food Formulations
    • Reformulate
    • Replace fat in existing food products
    • New food product concepts

Slide 11 - Graph of Fatty Acid Composition of Vegetable Oils

Slide 12 - Yield of Canola Varieties & Hybrids (Graph)

  • Canola farm yields increased 24.5% from 1990 to 2000
    • Higher yielding varieties with better disease resistance
    • Practice change with herbicide resistance (some GMO) varieties
    • Yields now poised for further big increase with hybrids - GMO
  • linolenic varieties lower yielding than normal canola
    • Yield “lag” due to low R&D investment and fewer generations of plant improvement compared to normal canola

Slide 13 - Issues re: Specialty Varieties

  • Field performance of new genotypes
    • Never good initially. Low yields a very significant penalty
    • Barrier to achieving TFA objective …?
  • Plant breeding investment
    • Optimal fatty acid composition - have to know which re: C16:0 versus C18:0 and ratio of C18 unsaturated fatty acids
    • Breeding takes time - low C18:3 mutation breeding started in early 1970s……. for Canada - C18:0 hasn’t started…!!!.
    • Breeding takes investment $ ­ some firms have invested in low linolenic canola since mid1980s… & … still waiting for payoff
  • Identity Preserved versus Identity Contained
    • In absence of agreed standards, must Identity Contain … ouch !
    • Big costs for IP, bigger for IC, from farm to food manufacturer
    • Business risks and costs of IP / IC are substantial
    • All costs are borne by domestic consumer and by those selling into export markets - where seller is a price taker
    • Costs of IP / IC cannot be ignored. Need volume to reduce cost
    • Only so many specialty genotypes are feasible for industry

Slide 14 - Fatty Acid Modification by Processing

  • Hydrogenation
    • For partial hydro products, zero trans not possible
    • For 100% hydro canola or soybean - zero trans but high saturate
  • Blending of basestocks
    • Zero or low trans can be produced by blending appropriate stocks
    • Difficult to get desired melting properties in plastic fat
  • Fractionation
    • Widely used in other countries
    • In palm, results in unsaturated palm olein and saturated fractions with useful melting properties
    • Process demonstrated with experimental high stearic soybean oil
  • Use of Saturated Fats
    • Domestic - fully hydrogenated C18:0 canola & soybean fats
    • Domestic - animal fats - tallow and lard
    • Imported - tropical oils and fats - palm, coconut, babasu

Slide 15 - Fatty Acid Modification by Processing

  • Chemical Interesterification
    • Proven track record in Europe
    • Fatty acids are randomized.
    • Difficult to direct the reaction, but ….
    • Range of consistencies possible for margarine, shortening and confectionary fats
  • Enzymeassisted
    • Interesterification
    • More control than chemical catalysis
    • Enzymes highly specific. React at lower temperatures.
    • Lipolase TM - lipase gene from Thermomyces lanuginosus cloned into Apergillus orzyae. Enzyme produced by
      submerged fermentation of a GMO.
    • Economics came with immobilization and reuse of enzyme
    • Novozyme / De Smet framebreaking technology
    • Expect lower capital and operating costs than hydrogenation and chemical interesterification

Slide 16 - Graph - Costs of Fatty Acid Modification by Processing

  • Source - Novozymes A/S, Denmark & United States
  • ADM has the first commercial enzyme interesterification facility in North America at Quincy, Illinois.
  • ADM's NovaLipid ™ product line includes ­ naturally stable oils, fully hydrogenated soybean fats, tropical oils, blended oils and interesterified shortenings and margarines
  • USDA - if > 20% stearate, label may state “high stearate” or “stearic rich” interesterified soybean oil

Slide 17 - Food Reformulation - Fat Replacers

  • Reformulate foods
    • Reduce TFA by reducing total fat in food
    • Important option if industry must also reduce saturated fat
  • Lipid-based fat replacers
    • Emulsifiers - alter functionality of fats. Reduce fat content.
    • Diacylglycerols - ADM/Kao Corporation. May help address obesity.
    • Medium chain triglycerides - modest reduction in calories.
    • Salatrim or Benefat TM - short & long chain triglycerides. ~1/2 calories
    • Olestra ™ - fatty acids on sucrose backbone. Not digested. GI issues.
  • Carbohydrate-based fat replacers
    • Mimic properties of fats.
    • Bind water, contribute bulk, mouth feel and lubricity similar to fat
    • Many types - starches, maltodextrin, polydextrose, inulin, hydrocolloid gums, fibres
  • Protein-based fat replacers
    • Simpleese ™ - microparticulated protein
    • Provide smooth and slippery mouth feel in high moisture foods
    • Not suitable for frying because of heat susceptibility

Slide 18 -Initiatives to Reduce Trans Fat

  • Investment
    • Solutions require $ for replacement technologies and new products, both calling for R&D and demonstration
    • Make or buy …? Which best for Canada …?
    • Suggest ­ place R&D and D $ for competitive advantage
  • Public awareness and education - fats & oils
    • Public increasingly aware of trans fats
    • Public not aware plastic fats require saturated or trans fats for physical / chemical properties
    • Education about saturated fats - acceptable at some level?
  • Health benefits of low / zero trans fat products
    • With low / zero trans, expect increased use of tropical oils and soy / canola stearines (fully hydrogenated C18:0)
    • Is obesity mitigation a bigger issue than trans fats?
    • Present TFA strategies not addressing caloric intake

Slide 19 - Change Fats & Oils - Timeframe

  • Retail salad & cooking oils, salad dressings
    • Canola, soybean & sunflower extracted oils naturally low trans
    • Small amount of trans produced during deodorization.
    • More trans if “brush” hydrogenated - soybean.
    • Low linolenic canola available today, but no advantage at retail
  • Margarines and spreads
    • Soft margarines - low trans available today. Big range in polyunsaturated fatty acid composition
    • Hard margarines - still high trans. Low trans possible if processors ignore functionality and cost. New products in 1 - 3 year pipeline, but containing high C16:0 and/or C18:0
  • Frying oil - food service and quick service
    • Heavy duty frying requires stable fats
    • Low linolenic / high oleic canola & sunflower being adopted, but at higher cost and some reduced functionality /sensory properties
    • Low linolenic soybean entering US pipeline. Not yet in Canada
    • Dupont high oleic soybean trait approved in Canada
    • 1 - 3 years for product development with existing oils
    • 4 - 8 years for low linolenic soybean oil.

Slide 20 - Change Fats & Oils - Time Frame

  • Industrial frying and food processing
    • Low linolenic / high oleic canola and sunflower available today for snack frying, with acceptable functionality and sensory properties
    • Potato chips, tortilla chips, frozen french fries, etc. converting to low trans. See USDA 2004 report.
    • Doughnut frying and spray oils - challenge for functionality.
    • 1 - 3 years for product development with existing oils
    • 4 - 8 years for low linolenic soybean oil.
  • Baking shortenings
    • Wide range of product specific functionalities
    • Partial hydro & tropical oils used with trans & saturate fat content
    • Fractionated and interesterified fractions are possible replacements for trans
    • Formulation challenge for low trans replacements for All Purpose
    • Shortening, Emulsified Shortenings, Pastry Rollins where specific functionalities required.

Slide 21 - New Processing Techniques - Timeframe

  • Hydrogenation
    • Mature technology. Available today
    • Must use to make fully hydrogenated C18:0
  • Blending
    • Mature technology. Available today
    • Relies on imported tropical oil & fully hydro fats
  • Fractionation
    • Mature technology. Investment and learning needed if selected
    • Relies on imported tropical oil & fully hydro fats
    • Use with “high stearic” soybean or canola oils, if become available
  • Chemical Interesterification
    • Mature but improving technology. Investment and learning needed if selected
    • Rely on full suite of oils and fats
  • Enzyme Interesterification
    • Emerging technology. Investment and lots of learning needed if selected
    • Rely on full suite of oils and fats
    • Technology of choice to reduce or eliminate trans fat
    • Many product potentials in addition to trans fat mitigation

Slide 22 - New Genetics - Timeframe

  • Low linolenic / high oleic genotypes
    • Canola. Yield improvements essential. Available today from Canadian production.
    • Sunflower. Canadian production possible. Available from US production.
    • Soybean. Only now entering US pipeline.Canadian production possible with focused effort in 4 - 8 years.
  • High stearic canola / soybean
    • Emerging technology.
    • Substantial and accelerated investment in plant breeding needed to realize commercial varieties in 8 years.

Slide 23 - Regulation

  • Principal areas
    • Novel foods - Health Canada
    • Novel plant traits - Plant Biosafety Office, CFIA
    • Variety registration - Seed Section, Plant Product Division
  • Impacts
    • Generally strong support of consumers and industry
    • But, ……. with impacts on innovation and investment attraction
    • Facilitative role by lead agencies might help advance solutions quickly re: trans fats migitation

Slide 24 - Innovation Opportunities

  • Fat replacement
    • Emulsifiers key ingredient
  • Nutraceutical lipids
    • Structured lipids by interesterification
  • Membrane technologies
    • Novel processing for fat conversion
    • Squeeze cost out of processing
  • Novel Hydrogenation
    • Electrochemical
    • Enzymeassisted
  • New Types of Food Products
    • Novel thermal processes to replace traditional cooking, frying & baking
    • Replace traditional products

Slide 25 - Closing Remarks

  • Trans fat reduction objective
    • Transforming oil and fat chemistry and processing
    • No drop-in solutions that apply across the board
    • Transformational change must be systemic
    • Solutions at different levels involving multitude of players
    • Need support of consumers
  • Progress
    • Good progress being made by industry
    • Challenges remain
    • Investment needed in technology, R&D & learning
  • Technical Solutions
    • Involve mutation and transgenic plant breeding, with
    • Transgenic enzyme production, with
    • Innovative process engineering, with
    • Innovative food science and food product development
    • Potentials beyond trans fat
  • Nutrition Targets
    • Validation important ­
    • Maintain consumer support, and
    • Continue to attract investment
Date Modified: 2006-05-11
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