USSEC recently held a seminar in the Dominican Republic on the applications of shortenings and fats from the U.S.  Consultants Jorge Martinez and Alvaro Becerril traveled to Santo Domingo to conduct this seminar that promoted the use of trans fats-free shortenings and fats for frying and baking.  These shortenings and fats are produced in the U.S. and are soybean oil-based.  Participants included representatives from the Dominican baking industry and also representatives from two companies that import these types of shortenings and fats from the U.S.  Mr. Martinez gave two presentations at the seminar, titled “Options to Produce Fats and Oils Free of Trans Fats” and “Nutrition Advantages of Interesterified Shortenings with Soybean Oil.”  Mr. Becerril then spoke on these topics: “Current Situation of Trans Fats in the Food Industry” and “Applications of Soybean Shortenings and Fats in the Food Industry.”  At the end of the seminar, attendees were convinced that using palm oil solid fractions as a replacement for trans fats is not a feasible solution to the concern of trans fats in baked goods.

Mr. Martinez and Mr. Becerril also provided technical service to a Dominican soybean oil refinery on the issue of margarine production using soybean oil.  The company is starting a project to produce a line of margarines at one of its plants.