February 26, 2016  

Purdue Dining and Catering to study health benefits, performance in soybean oil trial

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue Dining & Catering will begin an extended trial of high-oleic soybean oil in Hillenbrand Dining Court beginning March 21, conducting research in partnership with the Department of Food Science in the College of Agriculture on the locally-sourced soybean oil’s cooking performance and impact on food quality.

The United Soybean Board and Qualisoy, a soybean industry collaboration, approached Purdue Dining & Catering about a trial after discovering in controlled experiments that high-oleic soybean oil performed as well or better than canola oil, which is used in Purdue Dining & Catering operations, in terms of high heat stability, grease accumulation on equipment, and oil absorption in food. Longer-lasting oil and reduced wear on equipment could provide cost savings for Dining & Catering, while less grease absorption would mean fewer calories and longer shelf life.

“We have an opportunity to produce better-tasting food that is better for you as well,” says Greg Minner, director at Dining & Catering. “Add to that potential cost savings from longer-lasting products, the sustainability benefits of using Indiana-grown soybeans, and a farm-to-fork approach, and it’s obvious why we wanted to research this product further.” 

In order to test the various outcomes of the trial, Dining & Catering is taking samples of its canola oils before spring break — which is March 14-19 — to establish baseline measurements. Soybean oil samples will then be taken during the trial to submit to USB, which will fund and process testing at Silliker Solution Center in Crete, Illinois. Dining & Catering staff will be joined by Brian Farkas, head of Purdue’s Department of Food Science, and a team of students in sensory testing of food cooked in both oils the week of April 11. 

"Purdue University is a leader in research and innovation, and Dining & Catering shares those pursuits,” Minner says. "Our mission is to nourish and inspire the Purdue community, so we are constantly striving to better serve Purdue students, staff, faculty and guests." 

Through the use of biotechnology, high-oleic soybeans are free of trans fat, and the oil produced a 4-11 percent reduction in calories in various fried foods in an August 2015 Qualisoy analysis. The soybean oil will be used in Hillenbrand Dining Court fryers through the end of the spring semester. Because highly refined oils don’t contain protein, soybean oil is not at risk of affecting soy allergies.

High-oleic soybeans have been grown commercially since 2011, and production has grown exponentially in the last five years. The high-oleic soybean oil used in the Purdue trial was processed in Frankfort, Indiana. 

Writer: Matt Watson, watso101@purdue.edu 

Source: Greg Minner, gminner@purdue.edu 

Purdue University, 610 Purdue Mall, West Lafayette, IN 47907, (765) 494-4600

© 2015-22 Purdue University | An equal access/equal opportunity university | Copyright Complaints | Maintained by Office of Strategic Communications

Trouble with this page? Disability-related accessibility issue? Please contact News Service at purduenews@purdue.edu.