KEY INTERVIEW: Corbion Guides the Industry Through the Partially Hydrogenated Oils Ban

29 Jun 2015 --- Global food ingredients supplier Corbion supplies functional ingredients to the food industry. In light of the recent announcement that all partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) should be removed from the US food supply by June 2018, Jim Robertson, Global Products Manager, Emulsifiers, spoke to FoodIngredientsFirst about its non-PHO range of emulsifiers in a changing industry.

Corbion has evolved to become a world-leading supplier of emulsifiers. The company developed Lactylates (Emplex and Verv) in the 1950s and Hydrated Monoglycerides (GMS-90) in the 1960s, both of which revolutionized the baking industry.

In the mid-2000s, Corbion launched Trancendim, a line of specialty diglycerides aimed at removing trans-fat and minimizing saturated fat in shortening and margarines. Currently, Corbion is pioneering a new line of non-PHO emulsifiers designed to be functionally equivalent to its PHO-based counterparts to simplify the industry's transition away from PHO. Emulsifiers are used in countless applications for a multitude of functionalities making them foundational to the food industry as well as Corbion.

Robertson has a lifetime of experience in the food industry. He started his career at American Ingredients (a legacy Corbion company), an emulsifier and bakery mix supplier where he focused primarily on lipid science and ingredient technology development that eventually led to several patents. Several years after this interesting start to his career, Robertson returned to the "newly formed" Corbion company as the Global Product Manager for its emulsifier business.

In June this year, the US Food & Drug Administration announced that PHOs, were no longer considered safe and their GRAS (generally regarded as safe) status was removed. Robertson explained what this means for an industry that has relied heavily on PHOs in the past. 

“GRAS status removal for partially hydrogenated oil means that manufacturers can no longer include PHOs in foods unless granted exception under a Food Additive Petition," he said.

But this kind of ban will have implications throughout the industry. Robertson continued: “One of the biggest challenges the food industry faces is the total cost associated with removing an economical, highly functional ingredient from the food supply. The cost increase is not only driven by the increased cost of the non-PHO alternatives; there are many hidden costs associated with making a change of this magnitude, including: the resource cost required to validate the alternative ingredients, any formulation adjustments required as a result of the non-PHO alternative, shelf life validation of the reformulated products, labeling/nutritional/packaging adjustments to reflect the changes, and most importantly, the opportunity cost associated with focusing scarce resources on reformulation rather than new product development,” he said.

There are many types of food emulsifiers used in a variety of applications for a multitude of functionalities including but not limited to: dough strengthening, aeration, flavor dispersing, lubrication, releasing, thickening, thinning, stabilization, texturizing, solvating and emulsification, says Robertson.

“Mono-and diglycerides are a common type of food emulsifier that is GRAS under 21CFR 184.1505. Mono-and diglyceride functionality is ultimately determined by the type of oil or fatty acid the ingredient is manufactured from. For this reason, mono-and diglycerides are manufactured from a variety of fats and oils, one of which is partially hydrogenated oil. PHO has been used in mono-and diglyceride manufacturing for decades thanks to the economical functionality they provide.”

Anticipating the regulation change, Corbion reformulated its emulsifier portfolio using mixtures of non-PHOs that mimic the properties and functionality of emulsifiers currently formulated with PHO. This re-engineered emulsifier portfolio maintains flavor and texture. 

“We have re-engineered our widely used PHO-based emulsifier portfolio with one goal in mind: to provide a non-PHO emulsifier portfolio to deliver drop-in functionality that maintains flavor and texture, without sacrificing quality, handling, and shelf stability,” said Robertson. “Corbion's non-PHO solutions are formulated to minimize reformulation hurdles and operational disruption, allowing customers to simplify and streamline their reformulation efforts. We believe this approach will ultimately minimize the overall cost of conversion detailed in question.”

While the ruling by the FDA relates specifically to the US food industry, Robertson believes that there may be an indirect impact on international markets. “The FDA is the US regulatory body and therefore, this change in regulation will only directly impact the US,” he said. “However, the change could also have an indirect impact that could ripple into international markets where US produced ingredients are exported. In some regions of the world, they have already taken steps to minimize trans-fat consumption and Europe announced in April 2015 that it is evaluating a potential ban on trans fats, following a recent European report that highlights the impact of trans-fat on cardiovascular health.”

There are, of course, other hot topics in the food industry, both in the US and around the world, that impact Corbion and its customers. Not least, the increasing focus on health and well-being.

“I would say that over the past several years, consumers have become increasingly focused on health and well-being,” says Robertson “This has increased the desire for simplification and transparency around what is in their food and where their food is coming from. Two examples that come to mind are around non-GMO and sustainability. Corbion has an extensive portfolio of non-GMO emulsifiers and is also a member of the Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) allowing us to manufacture Mass Balance sustainable ingredients where suitable.”

This trend not only includes the specific ingredients, says Robertson, but also more transparency in labeling and clearer messaging to the consumer on product origin and allergens, along with nutrition and ingredients. 

Reaching millennials is another area that Robertson predicts will grow in the coming years: “Today, worldwide, 33% of consumers are millennials and they want to engage with the products they consume,” says Robertson. “Millennials are interested in new food experiences and are looking for new alternatives to everyday products, for example, cereal with quinoa.”

“They are also driving the trend of convenient, high quality food and breakfast manufacturers are jumping on this trend. From past research we know that consumers are eating breakfast items throughout the day and as a result we are seeing an explosion of new items ranging from pre-packaged bagels with cream cheese to breakfast biscuits that deliver high levels of fiber.”

Finally, Robertson shared his views on how the consumers of the future see the nutrient value of their food. “From a nutritional perspective, consumers want their food to work harder and deliver higher levels of protein resulting in products like protein chips, protein drinks and for those adventurous palates, insect proteins.”

“As consumers continue to become more educated about what’s in their food we also see increased activity around products with good fats and good carbs,” Robertson concluded.

Whatever the future holds, Corbion has proven that over more than a century, its ability to move with the times will always benefit the food industry and its requirements. Today’s PHO situation is just one way that Corbion can deliver its product to a changing industry. There will be more, but today, reformulation is the key to success.

By Kelly Worgan