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W. SOUCIE, Director, Applied Technology, Optimum Ingredients, Protein Technologies International, 1034 Danforth Drive, St. Louis, MO 63102

Oils high in monounsaturates are well known for health and functionality benefits. DuPont researchers sought to develop oxidatively stable soybean oil with bland flavor characteristics to eliminate the need for hydrogenation. DuPont collaborated with Washington State University in 1990 to characterize and clone genes in the fatty acid desaturation pathway. Genes that introduce the first, second, and third double bonds into the fatty acid that comprise soybean oil were cloned. The genetic strategy was to down regulate the expression of these desaturase genes in soybean seeds. This was accomplished by placing soybean fatty acid desturase genes under the control of a soybean DNA sequence that controls gene expression. Transgenic plants containing this gene construction were developed and the first high oleic, low polyunsaturated fatty acid soybean line was identified in 1994, and the oil was commercialized in 1998. The oil is approximately 83 percent monounsaturates, 11 percent saturates, and 5 percent polyunsaturates, and possesses nutrition and performance advantages as an ingredient over traditional soybean oils. Nutrition advantages are superior to olive oil with 33 percent less saturates and more monounsaturates, giving consumers a health advantage. A diet high in monounsaturates and low in saturates has been linked to decreased risk of heart disease. High oleic soybean oil is suitable as replacement for heavily hydrogenated oils in frying applications and lightly hydrogenated oils for use as an ingredient or spray oil for shelf-stable foods, such as breakfast cereals, baked snacks, and crackers. Other applications include nondairy creamers, nutritional drinks, and margarine spreads. High oleic soybean oil can be used to reduced trans fatty acid levels by replacing all or part of the partially hydrogenated fat. The oil also can be blended with low linolenic oil to produce oils that offer flavor options in frying applications.