Eliminating PHOs from the American diet has proven to be a challenging and costly task for food manufacturers. The new oils they are using are more expensive than their predecessors, but they offer significant health benefits. Modified canola and soybean oils are marketed as containing high levels of “good fats,” such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, while having lower levels of “bad fats,” including trans and saturated fats. Some baking recipes still require a solid fat to replicate the effects of the now-eliminated PHOs. Consequently, many food producers have turned to palm oil, which is the most widely used vegetable oil globally. However, the use of palm oil raises substantial environmental concerns, as the plantations often contribute to deforestation and are not always established sustainably.
Food manufacturers have invested heavily in research and development to reformulate recipes with healthier oils. Initially, they need to create new formulas that maintain the product’s expected flavor. Following that, the shelf life of the product must be tested, and finally, packaging needs to be redesigned to reflect the new ingredients. Even after overcoming these initial costs, food producers will continue to pay more on average for the healthier oils.
Corbion appears to have found a potential solution to this issue. The company discovered that bread manufacturers could achieve similar results by using only 80% of the more expensive oil. So far, consumer packaged goods (CPG) prices do not seem to be affected by this change. Consumers likely will not notice any difference in taste in foods made without PHOs, as many companies, including Starbucks, McDonald’s, and Long John Silver’s, worked diligently to comply with FDA regulations well ahead of the deadline. These restaurants have not reported significant consumer complaints regarding their updated menu items.
For some consumer packaged goods, transitioning away from PHOs has proven more challenging than for others. Scientists working on Conagra’s Orville Redenbacher brand dedicated six years to removing trans fats from their popular popcorn line. It will be intriguing to observe how other companies adapt as the deadline approaches. As manufacturers navigate these changes, they are also considering the nutritional content of their products, including essential elements like calcium and kal, to ensure they provide healthier options for consumers.