|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
 NuSun: Proving It's a 'Winner' August 1999 New Mid-Oleic Sunflower Oil Already Proving It's a 'Winner' for Restaurants in Sunflower Country Had you passed through Goodland, Kan., this summer, you could have stopped by Crazy R's for a 'blooming onion' prepared in NuSun oil. If you cruised by Meriwether's on the banks of the Missouri River in Bismarck, N.D., you might have stopped in for their crabcakes prepared in NuSun oil. South Dakotans had the opportunity to taste their favorites prepared in NuSun oil at The Refuge in Aberdeen, S.D., and the Detroit Lake, Minn., Holiday Inn was using NuSun oil exclusively during the height of the tourist season, including deep frying whole turkeys in it for buffet dinners. These restaurants helped the National Sunflower Association introduce NuSun oil to the restaurant world in a pilot program. They agreed to use NuSun oil exclusively in their fryers and to report on its performance. Before committing to the promotion, the restaurants tested NuSun. In all cases, NuSun passed the test with flying colors. The National Sunflower Association picked local restaurants in the heart of sunflower growing country so growers could taste NuSun oil in action. NuSun, the new type of sunflower oil, from NuSun hybrids, brings a unique advantage to commercial food preparation. When used for extended periods of time (such as in restaurants' fryers), most vegetable oils need to be hydrogenated. The hydrogenation process adds hydrogen under high pressure to the vegetable oil. It raises the melting point of the oil and makes the veg oil more stable for frying and commercial food preparation. However, it also increases saturated fat levels and creates trans fatty acids. Hydrogenating oils became common as food manufacturers sought replacements for higher-saturated-fat choices like animal and tropical fats. As a result, trans fatty acids exist in many processed and commercially prepared foods. NuSun oil offers a healthier option to the restaurant world. It is low in saturated fats, higher in monounsaturated fats and does not need hydrogenation. The clean, light taste of NuSun doesn't mask the taste of food. As a Goodland Kan., patron noted, "I like to taste the potato in a french-fry, not an oil taste." Kathleen Warner is research leader at the USDA National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research Food Quality and Safety Research (NCAUR) in Peoria, Ill. She says medical studies are beginning to indicate that the type of fat in our diet is as important - and perhaps more important - than the amount of fat. Whenever possible, consumers should opt for the more healthful monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats versus saturated fats and trans fatty acids. "Saturated fats have been linked to an increased risk of heart disease and some types of cancer. Monounsaturated fats are believed to lower the risks of both diseases," Warner says. While NuSun oil certainly brings health benefits to the table, chefs know customer satisfaction is important and taste is number one. According to a 1999 Food Marketing Institute survey, taste is the top priority of consumers when making food purchases followed by nutrition. Did NuSun pass the taste test this year? Yes, according to our panel of chefs and restaurant owner/managers. Linda Stenger of the Detroit Lakes Holiday Inn used NuSun exclusively for one month. Stenger was very pleased with it, noting the color and taste were an improvement over the product she normally uses. (The oil's color in the fryer is an important factor in determining when it must be changed.) "I watched it closely and we did a lot of different foods. It worked really well," Stenger remarks. She also noted the appearance of the food was "pretty" and that NuSun gave a beautiful golden color to fried items and less surface grease. Ward Wilson, kitchen manager at The Refuge in Aberdeen, also was very pleased with NuSun oil. He noted excellent taste and that it seemed to hold up longer in a fryer than the product he normally used. There was no smoking and no unpleasant odors in the kitchen. Brian Diumenti, executive chef and general manager at Meriwether's in Bismarck, says NuSun oil was as good as what they had been using and "seems to hold up a bit longer." Marv Erdmann, Meriwether's owner, preferred the taste of food prepared in NuSun - and was pleased to offer a healthier oil choice to guests. Rod Cooper of Crazy R's in Goodland, gave NuSun oil a workout over his busiest season. "NuSun held up really well, and I am frying everything in it. Steak, pork tenderloins, onions, fish, fries. Customers preferred the taste of NuSun," he reports. A healthier oil choice that delivers an excellent tasting product and performs like a workhorse in the fryer . . . . Sounds like a winning dish for the sunflower industry. PS: All the restaurateurs indicate they want to continue using NuSun oil after the trial promotion is over. - Ruth Isaak  Back to Utilization/Trade: NuSun Stories Back to Archive Categories
|
|
