Vegetable oils and fats have always been an integral part of any
Indian diet. Oils and fats are used in foods for several reasons. Primarily,
it is the major source of energy and a carrier of essential nutrients, which
are vital for growth and metabolism. They also have a strong influence on the
palatability and consumer acceptance of finished products. Consumer
preferences keep changing and they are demanding healthier, albeit tasty
foods. Health and wellness is expected to be the key trend in influencing
this demand.
Why do you need oils & fats
Oils and fats play a vital role in nutrition. They also play an
important role in food preparation by enhancing food flavour, adding to the
mouth-feel, making baked products crispier, and for conducting heat during
cooking. Besides, they also:
* Provide energy: Oils/Fats are the most efficient source of food
energy. Each gram of fat provides nine calories of energy for the body,
compared to four calories per gram of carbohydrates and proteins.
* Protect our brain cells: Oils/Fats provide the structural
components of cell membranes in the brain.
* Help the body use vitamins: Vitamins A, D, E, and K are
fat-soluble vitamins, meaning that the fat in foods helps the body to absorb
these vitamins into the body.
* Make hormones: Fats are structural components of some of the
most important substances in the body, including prostaglandins, hormonelike
substances that regulate many of the body's functions.
* Provide healthier skin: In addition to giving skin its rounded
appeal, the layer of fat just beneath the skin (called subcutaneous fat) acts
as the body's own insulation to help regulate body temperature.
* Protective cushion for your organs: Many of the vital organs,
especially the kidneys, heart, and intestines are cushioned by fat that helps
protect them from injury and hold them in place.
* Provide essential fatty acids: These fatty acids are
"essential" because our body is not able to synthesise them. These
include omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, which have been linked to lowering
triglyceride levels.
Choose your oils and fats smartly
Th ough excess of fat is considered to be the culprit for many
lifestyle diseases, the right quality and quantity of fat is required for the
normal functioning of body. A diet very low or high in fat may not be optimal
for good health. It is very important to choose the correct type of fat.
Emphasis should be laid on the quality of fat rather than quantity.
People who try to eliminate fat from their diet tend to substitute
it with carbohydrates and end up eating high-carb foods. These carbs
eventually get converted to fat and gets stored in the body, leading to
obesity, which, in turn, is responsible for many other diseases like diabetes
and cardiovascular disease.
To further simplify this fat story and help you make wise choices,
there are three basic types of fats that you first need to understand:
monounsaturated fats (MUFAs), polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) and saturated fats
(SAFAs). MUFAs and PUFAs are good fats; TRANS and to some extent SAFAs are
bad fats. In general terms, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats tend to
lower your risk of heart disease. They are the healthier fats, and they
should be included in your diet. Saturated and trans fats are unhealthy fats
because they tend to raise your risk of heart disease.
Mantra for the industry
It should be the endeavour of edible oil manufacturers to serve
the needs of customers without compromising on either taste and health. We
should provide holistic solutions, keeping affordability and sustainability
in mind along with food safety and security. In order to cater to the
ever-changing needs of modern consumers and to promote healthy eating habits,
we, at Kamani Oil Industries Pvt. Ltd., have established ourselves as
pioneers in developing trans-free products for the food industry. Ninety-nine
per cent of our products are used in bakery, confectionary, frozen desserts,
dairy, nutritional and culinary food segments. We are India's first
company to manufacture and market a wide range of trans-fat free Bakery
Shortenings, Bakery Margarines, and various specialty fats for the food
processing industry to facilitate production of healthier and nutritive
products.
Selecting the right bakery fat
After a lot of experimentation and research, we are proud to
introduce in the bakery segment - K-Lite, Puffl ite and Cakelite, which
satisfies the requirements of the bakers and can be used for the whole range
of bakery products. K-Lite is a multi-purpose trans-free bakery shortening -
a single fat does multiple applications (cookies, cream and cakes), hence
there is convenience and better inventory control. There is an overall cost
saving in terms of manpower usage and utilities consumption. Pufflite is a
trans-free bakery shortening ideally suited for puff products and it meets
the requirement of the baker both towards its functional performance, taste
and health. Cakelite is also a trans-fat free margarine ideally suited for
spongy and fluff y cakes. It has a very good air holding ability during
batter making and with an ideal emulsifier blend it yields cakes with an
excellent mouth-feel and texture. We also offer a wide range of fats for
various bakery applications like biscuits, rusks, croissants, cookies, etc.
Selecting the right culinary oil
There are many options when it comes to selecting oils and fats
for cooking. It is not just choosing oils which are healthy, but whether they
stay healthy even after cooking or frying in it. At the time of cooking or
frying, the temperature of the oil is high (~160-180 deg C), hence oils
should be selected in such a way that they remain stable and do not go rancid
or get oxidised. When the oil gets oxidised, free radicals are formed that
are detrimental to the stability of the oil and in the long run it would be
detrimental to health as well. MUFA oils are resistant to oxidation but PUFA
oils have low resistance and can be avoided for frying applications where the
oil is continuously heated at high temperatures. All MUFA based oils like
Groundnut, Canola, Olive, Rice bran are generally preferred for cooking
purpose over PUFA based oils like Sunflower, Safflower, and Soyabean.
Selecting trans-fat free culinary oils
Klassic Refined Groundnut oil: Klassic Refined Groundnut oil is an
excellent cooking and frying medium. It gives you the advantage of health and
nutrition since it is high in MUFA, which helps to reduce bad cholesterol
(LDL) and maintains good cholesterol (HDL)(2). It is also very close to the
WHO recommended ratio of SAFA:MUFA:PUFA. Klassic, being MUFA oil, has a
better shelf life; it does not leave any greasy residue in the utensils used
for cooking whereas PUFA-based oils leave a greasy residue in the utensils.
Kamani Oil Industries, after a lot of experimentation and
research, has developed a specialty culinary oil - Foodlite - which is a chef
's delight and has been designed keeping in mind the needs of the
customer. It offers health, taste and user-friendliness. Foodlite belongs to
a special faction of palm oil. It is manufactured and packed under good
hygienic conditions. It is double deodorised and hence absolutely bland in
flavour and taste. Foodlite, with a high smoke point (> 235 deg C) and
hence does not smoke at frying temperatures which is generally between
160-180 deg C. Foodlite being low in PUFA does not impart any greasiness to
the frying or cooking vessel and helps keep the kitchen clean.
Komal Refined Sunflower oil: Komal Sunflower oil is the most
preferred oil for general purpose cooking. It is high in PUFA, which is a
good source of essential fatty acid called linoleic acid and is essential for
good health. They cannot be synthesised by the body and need to be taken from
an external source. We recently launched Flax- Omega - a refined flaxseed
oil. The oil is unique because it contains both essential fatty acids: alpha
linolenic acid (ALA), an Omega-3 fatty acid, and linoleic acid, an Omega -6
fatty acid, in appreciable amounts. Flaxseed oil is the world's richest
source of vegetarian Omega-3 Fatty acid (ALA). Apart from reducing
cholesterol and for weight management, it is also essential for brain and
retina development of foetus during pregnancy. Being Omega-3 (ALA) rich,
Flax-Omega is very sensitive to heat, light, and air and hence should be kept
away from these and should never be heated.
Selecting confectionery and frozen dessert fats
We are India's first company to establish a whole range of
cocoa butter substitutes, cocoa butter replacers and related specialty oils
and fats for confectionery. The largest single users of specialty fats are
the chocolate and confectionery industries where several factors like
meltdown in the mouth, flavour release, etc., are extremely critical and are
usually compared with the industry's standard of excellence - cocoa
butter. We have specialty fats being used in the icecream and frozen dessert
industry. These vegetable fats are dairy fat replacers. Globally, dairy fat
is replaced by vegetable fats in many of the food products because of the
high nutritional value it delivers.
As a true business partner for industries like bakery, chocolate
and confectionery, etc., we have been able to closely work with our customers
towards providing creative and innovative solutions, formulating tailor-made
products and be globally competitive.
A diet sans trans for a healthier and happier tomorrow
Trans-fats, formed by the process called hydrogenation, are found
in bakery products like cakes, biscuits and some snack foods made in
hydrogenated oils called Vanaspati. Transfats are also present naturally in
meats and some dairy products. In India, the issue of trans-fat is not a big
threat and it is not as severe as the Western countries. This is mainly due
to the very low per capita consumption of oils and fats in India compared to
the Western countries and also because eating habits are very different here.
Trans-fats may directly affect the blood cholesterol levels by increasing the
LDL level, which is the bad cholesterol and decreasing the good cholesterol,
i.e. the HDL, thus leading to cardiovascular disease.
Globally, there has been a trend to produce trans-free/ low
trans-containing food products. The American Heart Association and the World
health Organization recommend limiting the amount of trans-fats intake to
less than one per cent of total daily calories (fat intake should be 20-30%
of the total energy). The Food Safety Standards Act of India (FSSAI) has put
a limit of 10% maximum for trans-fats in Vanaspati, Bakery Shortening and
Margarine. It is now mandatory to declare the content of trans-fats and
saturated fats on the labels of packaged foods along with other nutritional
information.
In conclusion, selecting the right types of fats and oils can not
only change the flavour profile of your meal, but can also make a difference
to your health. To lead a healthy and fulfilling life, it is best to cut down
trans-fat and saturated fat intake, switch to healthier options, have a
balanced diet and supplement it with regular fitness exercises.
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