As part of the promotional activities to popularize the use of soybean oil in food processing applications and as an edible oil of choice, USSEC India conducted a focused event, “Soybean Oil for Health and Wellness,” to a broad cross section of baking industry professionals and food service operators in Kochi on August 8. Kochi is the largest city in the state of Kerala and is regarded as the state’s bakery capital. The event was conducted jointly with the All Kerala Bread Manufacturers Association. The baking and food service segments were targeted since they represent significant consumption of edible oils.
Approximately 70 participants from the baking and food service industries, including senior personnel from the county’s largest bread making company, Hindustan Unilever Modern Food Industries, and other important opinion leaders from the industry and consumer segments, participated in the event.
The health and nutritional attributes of soybean oil in terms of its favorable fatty acid composition and its enhanced value as a good source of other health promoting bio-actives including Omega 3 fatty acids, Tocopherol, Phyto-sterols and Stannols, were presented and discussed by USSEC Director – India Soy Food Program M. M. Krishna. Food and nutrition industry consultant Dr. Suresh Itapu detailed the preferred use of soybean oil as an ingredient in bakery products such as bread, rolls and cookies. Master baker Shorya Kapoor and faculty members from the Assocom Institute of Baking Technology and Management in Noida conducted the on-site baking demonstrations for bread, rolls and cookies. Baking demonstrations illustrated the nutritional, functional and economic benefits of using high protein dispersibility index (PDI) Soy flour in bread and rolls formulations in conjunction with soybean oil.
The senior general manager of Hindustan Unilever Modern Food Industries talked about soybean oil as a preferred source of fat for the baked products. The senior general manager of Sakthi Soya in Coimbatore explained the aspects of availability of the desired quality of high PDI Soy flour and its estimated cost and supply logistics.
The participating bakers and food service professionals evaluated the products made with soybean oil and found these highly acceptable from the point of organoleptics as well as economics.