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USA – HEALTHIER OILS TO BE USED
Kellogg to use genetically modified oil
9 December, 2005 - Associated Press/ New York Times
BATTLE CREEK, Mich. -- Kellogg Co., the world's largest cereal maker, was cited as saying Friday that it will begin using oils derived from genetically modified soybeans in some of its products to lower fat contents beginning in 2006.
The stories say that the company will begin using Vistive, an oil low in the trans fatty acid linolenic acid that is made from Monsanto Co.'s genetically modified soybeans. Kellogg said that it is one of the first food manufacturers to use the oil to lower levels of trans fat and saturated fat in its products.
Because there is a shortage in low-linolenic acid soybean oil, however, Kellogg will also work with the Bunge/DuPont Biotech Alliance to increase production of Nutrium, another oil made from genetically modified soybeans, which the company will begin using in 2007.
The stories explain that the move comes as seed companies like Monsanto and the Hi-Bred International unit of DuPont, are planting hundreds of thousands of acres of new soybean varieties and that both are planning for new rules on Jan. 1 that will require nutritional labels to list whether foods contain trans fats. David MacKay, Kellogg's president and chief operating officer, was cited as saying in an interview on Thursday that his company had determined through extensive testing that a soybean oil known as low-linolenic was the best alternative to partially hydrogenated oils, which are high in trans fats, adding, "This is the only solution we have found where we take trans fats out and minimize the amount of saturated fats. We need to encourage growers and processors to make more of this oil."
The new soybean oils reduce the need for partial hydrogenation, so that fewer trans fats are produced during processing. The oil is stable enough to replace hydrogenated oils and did not show any statistical difference in taste and shelf life in Kellogg's testing, Mr. MacKay said. But the new soybean oil is not stable enough to withstand the high temperatures required in the cooking of fried foods like McDonald's French fries, said Dave Stark, vice president for consumer traits at Monsanto. "There are still too many polyunsaturated fats," he said. "We are still at least a few years off" from a soybean oil that could serve as a substitute.
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