With consumer demand for more natural and wholesome foods continuing to grow, it’s not surprising that food manufacturers are creating cleaner labels and healthier ingredient decks.
If you are creating products that include oils or other fats, now is the time to consider USA sunflower oil – a non-GMO, trans fat free oil, that is readily available in both mid oleic and high oleic formats.
Sunflower oil is a premium oil that has several functional benefits, making it ideal for a variety of food formulations. For example, sunflower oil is a superior fry oil with a high smoke point - making it ideal for foods that are deep-fried or pan-fried. Research shows that sunflower oil has a longer fry life than many other oils, including high oleic canola and even new oils such as high oleic soybean oil.
Neal Brothers Foods creates “better for you” snack options that use whole, natural and organic ingredients. “Many of our snack foods contain sunflower oil since it provides a clean light taste. It is also very stable at the high temperature needed for cooking our potato chips and popcorn,” says Peter Neal, co-owner of Neal Brothers. “When our customers pick up a package of our kettle cooked chips, they are looking for natural ingredients. Non-GMO sunflower oil assures them that we are creating premium snacks with the best quality ingredients.”
Sunflower oil is also ideal for food manufacturers looking for longer shelf life in foods such as salad dressings and marinades, protein bars and home meal replacement foods.
Sol Cuisine, a leading food manufacturer of premium frozen and refrigerated vegan and vegetarian foods, has been using non-GMO sunflower oil for several years. “Sunflower oil provides longer shelf life than other oils and it also assists in creating the proper texture for our vegetarian burgers and meatless chicken products,” says Dror Balshine, owner of Sol Cuisine. “We also like sunflower oil’s neutral taste, since it allows the true taste of our ingredients to come through.”
In addition to many positive functional benefits, sunflower oil has many health benefits, making it an ideal choice for gluten-free and other “free-from” products. It is also Kosher and Halal certified. Sunflower oil is an excellent source of Vitamin E and research shows that sunflower oil is good for heart health.
Over the next few years, more high oleic sunflowers will be grown and as a result, there will continue to be a consistent supply of sunflower oil. With longer fry and shelf life, why not consider switching to a non-GMO oil that will contribute to a clean label and give your customers the assurance that they are purchasing quality products?
If you are curious how sunflower oil will perform in your product formulations, contact a sunflower oil supplier here or contact the National Sunflower Association at: 701-328-5100.