The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW) today announced Omega-9
Oils as its first Breakthrough to World Challenges, addressing one
of the Company's 2015
Sustainability Goals in the area of health. Since 2005, the use of
Omega-9 Oils has eliminated more than one billion pounds of trans and
saturated fat from the North American diet. Trans and saturated fat in a
diet have shown to increase the risk of heart disease and type 2
diabetes. As part of its 2015 Goals, Dow committed to achieving at least
three breakthroughs that will significantly help solve world challenges
in the areas of energy and climate change, water, food, housing and
health.
"Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has required food
labeling of trans fats since 2006, many processed foods still contain
unhealthy levels of trans fats and high levels of saturated fat," said
Neil Hawkins, vice president of Sustainability and EH&S for Dow.
"Omega-9 Oils, developed by Dow AgroSciences, are a critical step in
addressing world health problems related to nutrition and lifestyle -
and another example of Dow innovation pointed squarely at the most
pressing issues of our time."
Omega-9 Oils have zero trans fat and the lowest amount of saturated fat
among commonly used cooking oils, including corn, cottonseed, palm,
peanut and soybean. Derived from Dow subsidiary Dow AgroSciences'
NEXERA™ canola and sunflower seeds, Omega-9 Oils are used by the food
processing and food service industries.
Omega-9 Oils are used widely throughout North America and increasingly
in Asia, Europe and Latin America. More than 100 leading restaurant
chains and packaged food companies currently use Omega-9 Oils.