US food and agribusiness Cargill has announced it will be a participating processor of Monsanto’s Vistive low-linolenic soybeans and will market Vistive oil for use by the food industry.


The companies said that Vistive low-linolenic soybeans, introduced in September by Monsanto, will reduce the need for partial hydrogenation of soybean oil, helping food companies reduce the presence of trans fatty acids (trans fats) in their products.


For the 2005 growing season, Cargill will be contracting with Iowa growers for up to 50,000 acres of Vistive soybean production. Cargill will pay a premium to producers who grow the soybeans under contract, and then it will crush and sell the processed soybean oil to food companies.


Vistive soybeans, developed through conventional breeding, contain less than 3% linolenic acid as compared to the typical 8% level found in traditional soybeans. The result is a more stable soybean oil, with less need for hydrogenation.


From 1 January 2006, all food products and dietary supplements bearing a nutritional facts panel that are regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration and sold in the United States will be required to list trans fat content.

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“Given demand for alternatives to foods containing trans fats, our entire industry has been diligently pursuing development of new approaches,” said Stan Ryan, president of Cargill’s Dressings, Sauces & Oils business.

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