New soybean oil that reduces trans fatty acids

Bunge Limited and DuPont today announced a new soybean oil that enables food service providers and food processors to reduce or eliminate trans fatty acids in their products.

The oil will be marketed as Nutrium Low Lin Soybean Oil. It will be the first product sold under the Nutrium brand, which was created as part of an alliance between Bunge and DuPont.

Nutrium Low Lin comes from Pioneer variety 93M20, developed by DuPont subsidiary Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. The new soybean variety features oil with a low linolenic acid profile of less than 3 percent and offers better natural stability and increased shelf life. When used for frying, low linolenic oil eliminates the need for partial hydrogenation.

"Nutrium Low Lin will help food companies reduce or eliminate trans fats from their products," said Carl Hausmann, president and CEO of Bunge North America, the North American operating arm of Bunge Limited. "With the alliance, Bunge and DuPont can ensure a high-quality product, reliable supply and efficient delivery from the plant breeder to the farmer to the food company."

Bunge will manage marketing and distribution of Nutrium Low Lin to food service providers and food processors, who, in 2003, used more than 5 billion pounds of frying oil. The industry has been looking for alternative oils because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will require the inclusion of trans fats on food nutrition labels in 2006.

http://www.dupont.com