The Food and Drug Administration has come out with new guidelines for health claims involving edible oils with high oleic acids. These allow food companies to state food with high oleic oils can say there is supportive but not conclusive scientific evidence that such oils may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. United Soybean Board Chairman and South Dakota grower Lewis Bainbridge says that’s positive for soybean growers.
He says the FDA decision is a positive step forward for the soybean industry which has been working on this for some time.
Bainbridge says the new FDA guidelines should help convince more growers to plant high oleic soybeans although in South Dakota, farmers are still waiting for approval but hoping it comes soon.
High oleic oils are high in unsaturated fats and low in saturated fats. The FDA decision comes as the United Soybean Board is in the middle of a $60 million campaign to boost crop production and food industry use of soybean varieties with higher oleic content.
