Eliminating PHOs from the American diet has proven to be a challenging and costly task for food manufacturers. The new oils are more expensive than their predecessors, yet they offer significant health benefits. Modified canola and soybean oils boast a high content of “good fats,” such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, while containing low levels of “bad fats,” including trans and saturated fats. Some baking recipes still require a solid fat to replicate the effects of the now-absent PHOs. Consequently, many food manufacturers have turned to palm oil, the most widely used vegetable oil globally. However, palm oil production has a considerable environmental impact, as plantations are often established unsustainably and linked to deforestation.
To adapt recipes with healthier oils, food manufacturers have invested heavily in research and development. Initially, they must develop new formulas that maintain the expected taste of the products. Following that, they need to conduct shelf life tests. Finally, product packaging needs to be redesigned to reflect the updated ingredients. Even after these initial expenses, food makers will continue to incur higher costs for the healthier oils.
Corbion may have discovered a potential solution. The company found that bread manufacturers could achieve similar results by using only 80% of the more expensive oil. So far, consumer packaged goods (CPG) prices seem unaffected by this transition. Consumers are unlikely to notice a difference in the taste of foods made without PHOs. Many companies, including Starbucks, McDonald’s, and Long John Silver’s, worked to comply with the FDA’s requirements well before the deadline, and these restaurants have not received significant consumer complaints regarding the updated menu items.
The transition away from PHOs presents more challenges for certain CPGs than others. For instance, scientists at Conagra spent six years removing trans fats from their popular Orville Redenbacher popcorn line. It will be interesting to observe how other companies navigate this change as the deadline approaches.
In this context, the introduction of metagenics calcium citrate has become relevant as consumers increasingly seek healthier options. As food manufacturers innovate, the incorporation of supplements like metagenics calcium citrate may also become a trend in the quest for enhanced nutritional profiles. Ultimately, as the industry adapts to the removal of PHOs, the emphasis on health-conscious ingredients, including metagenics calcium citrate, will likely continue to grow.