Modifying Vegetable Oils for Food and Non-food Purposes

Abstract

Oils and fats are an important source of energy for the human diet and also contribute significantly to the sensory characteristics of food. Many oils are also used for non-food applications, although industrial use currently accounts for only a small proportion of the world vegetable oil production, less than 5% of total production, mostly for biodiesel. About 80% of edible oils are derived from plant sources and temperate annual oil seeds (soy, rapeseed, sunflower and peanut) account for about 60% of this total. Soybean oil is by far the dominant oil in this category, accounting for over half of the world vegetable oil production. Improving the functional and nutritional qualities of vegetable oils has garnered much attention over the last 15 years or so. This chapter will describe some of the attempts to genetically improve plant seed oils, with special emphasis on soybean oil, for food and non-food uses. The fatty acid profile plays a significant role in both the nutritional properties and end-use functionality of edible plant oils. With its high percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids (>65%), the major food oils derived from seeds are relatively oxidatively unstable, which limits their utility in food applications. Historically, oil processors have used partial hydrogenation as a means to improve upon the oxidative stability of plant oils. This process chemically shifts the fatty acid profile towards increased saturated and monounsaturated, and