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Edible Oils?Commentary by Edward Kurtik What do we know about edible oils? We know they are of plant origin and can be consumed by humans (salad oil, cooking oil, et al.). However, we do not know how they are grown or processed, and their labels do not list how the oil is extracted and refined. Many people assume that federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) supervision ensures that consumers are getting a pure, wholesome and safe product. Edible oil processing can be a simple process, such as the process used to make extra-virgin olive oil; or it may be an extensive process, such as that used to produce soy oil. By established standards, extra-virgin and virgin olive oil can only be cold pressed (no heat or chemicals used). After pressing, the only additional processing allowed is decantation, centrifugation or filtration to produce a true virgin oil. This is a very basic and simple process to achieve a pure, edible and flavorful oil. At the other end of the edible oil processing spectrum is soy oil, which is highly processed through numerous steps of extraction and refining. This processing is done to produce a bland, multipurpose oil stock that will become various end products. To improve stability of the oil, it is partially hydrogenated. The hydrogenation process produces the well-known product margarine, as well as a host of other products, including liquid shortening, blended oils, shortening stock and various commercial specialty products. Nearly 98% of the oil extraction from soybeans is solvent-extracted. The solvent of choice is hexane. Hexane is a hazardous solvent that comes under the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) HAZMAT regulations. The refining process is supposed to remove the hexane residue from the soy oil and by-products, but it is questionable if it really does that. Other soybean products, such as various soy flours, protein concentrates and isolates, are also solvent-extracted. Additional protein products are prepared from flours, concentrates or isolates, and most are produced through a thermoplastic extrusion process in which dough is passed through an extruder to produce a fibrous texture. This textured protein material now can be fabricated into various meat-like products and other items after the addition of flavorings, colorings, etc., to the textured protein base. One very lucrative by-product is lecithin, which is used extensively as an emulsifier in prepared foods. This extensive processing and refining is a fairly recent addition to soybean utilization. The traditional uses of soybeans are simple methods, and are fermented and non-fermented products. The non-fermented products are soy milk (soybeans cooked in water and then filtered), and tofu, produced by adding a coagulating agent to the soy milk and then pressing to remove the liquid. The fermented products are soy sauce, miso, tempeh, et al. These are produced by inoculating the base with an organism that produces a healthful, beneficial and flavorful food. How can consumers avoid the potentially harmful effect of overly processed oils? They can seek information through a store's buyer and/or distributor on how a product is produced. Read labels! Seek out food items that have minimum processing, contain wholesome ingredients instead of flavorings, fillers, thickeners, coloring agents, etc., solely to make something appear wholesome. The best indication of wholesome food is the "Organic" label, which means the food must meet a standard. Finally, consumers must demand full-disclosure ingredient/processing labeling to allow them to have the necessary information to make informed food choices.
---------------------------------------------- Hydrogenation creates trans-fats, which have been shown to raise the body's LDL cholesterol (the so-called "bad" cholesterol) levels. Unfortunately, manufacturers are not required to list it on the label - so the only way to tell if a food contains trans-fats is to subtract the saturated and unsaturated fat from the total fat, or look for the word "hydrogenated" in the ingredients list.-EDITOR |
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