Presented by Greg Grisanti '91 at the Research Chefs Association 2016 conference.

1. TFF Shortening Solutions
Greg J Grisanti CRC, CFSP
Director of R&D Frisch’s Big Boy
Mitch Riavez C.M.B.
National Account Manger STRATAS FOODS

2. Latest PHO Buzz & The FDA
• On 6/16/15 the FDA announced it had finalized its determination
that partially hydrogenated oils (PHO’s) are not “generally
recognized as safe - GRAS
• Removing GRAS status effectively eliminates the ability to use
products containing the related ingredient or product
• The FDA has set a compliance period of 3 years (by June 2018) to
either reformulate products without PHO’s and/or petition the
FDA to permit specific uses of PHO’s
• The Grocery Manufacturers Association has filed a petition with
the FDA arguing that “low level use” of PHO are just as safe as the
naturally occurring trans-fat in foods such as meat, milk, dairy and
other foods

3. Latest PHO Buzz & The FDA
• GMA estimates it could take “two or more years to complete” by which time
many companies would have already made the switch
• Initially there was some debate on whether or not PHO emulsifiers were
affected. The general consensus now is that eventually PHO based emulsifiers
will in fact no longer be GRAS
• Nestle USA and General Mills, Inc. were both hit with class action lawsuits
alleging that some of their food products contain trans fats when safer
ingredients could have been used.
• In California where the General Mills legal action was filed, a judge ruled that
“The FDA’s decision not to prohibit the sale of products containing PHO’s until
2018 indicates that it was not and is not unlawful under federal law to sell them
before that time.”
• In addition, in a year-end Congress backed omnibus spending bill, language was
included that declares PHO’s can’t be considered unsafe until at least 2018.

4. Fats & Oils Processing

5. Blend of Deodorized Oils
Melt and Add Emulsifiers Etc.
Votate/Plasticize
Package/Palletize/Temper/Store
Producing Solid Shortening
Added Nitrogen

6. Hydrogenation

7. o Maintain proper storage temperatures
• Most shortenings – 65 to 75°F
• Most margarines – 35 to 45°F
• Palm not as tolerant to extreme temps as partially hydrogenated
soybean oil
o Avoid exposure to light (oxidation) notice how some beer companies bottle
in dark glass!!! And some milk manufacturers use opaque plastic!!!
o Avoid exposure to strong smelling substances. Don’t store your margarine
near the cheese and garlic!!!
Storage Is Key

8. PHO Replacements
Palm / EIE Interesterified /Flex /High Oleic Oils

9. Palm Zero Trans Situation
Palm oil still represents a viable option today
• Kosher status is critical for bakery solutions
• Palm oil has natural characteristics like
partially hydrogenated oils (ie. good creaming
properties)
• Pricing is similar to soybean oil
• Availability is excellent….BUT… BUT !!!!!!!!!!!

10. Why Won’t Palm Act Like Traditional Shortening?
• Major building blocks of a functional shortening require
specific fatty acids: Palm contains a narrow fatty acid profile…
• And not all palm is created equal !!! Low color palm?
• Palm is functionally challenged / When its cold, palm is hard.
When is hot palm is soft.
• This is not an issue in low fat content items. But with items
such as icings or laminated doughs (Danish & Puff Pastry) it can
be a challenge.

11. What is EIE?
• Enzymatic interesterification (EIE) is the reaction that occurs
when an enzyme is introduced into an oil. It changes the fatty
acid.
• The EIE process adjusts the melting properties and improves
the crystallization properties. This helps with functionality and
plasticity in the shortenings. PHO performance without the
trans.
• EIE fats and oils provide better health profiles than either
palm oil or partially hydrogenated oil. And allows the use of
domestic source oils.

12. What is Flex
• Flex processing is “better” than common palm or interesterified soy shortening
options, since it delivers a crystal shape and size that mimics that of PHO.
• Crystal shape and size, plays a pivotal role in “boxing in” liquid oils to prevent
instability and fat migration. This improves plasticity, temperature working ranges,
and consistency.
• Flex technology improves both palm and inter-esterified soy shortenings by
widening working ranges. However, it does not go as far as Golden Flex toward a
drop in replacement.
Palm oil with Flex Processing: small,
tight crystals (stable)
Palm oil: large, needle like
crystals (unstable)
A process that directs crystal shape more like that of a PHO product

13. • High oleic soybean oil combined with FLEX technology delivers a shortening with
PHO characteristics
• Higher oleic content in the soybean oil provides the fatty acids needed for
plasticity and stability
• Flex technology provides proper crystal shape, wider temperature working range,
and more consistency cube-to-cube
• This new IE product offers current palm users the opportunity to raise their
performance back to what they enjoyed with PHO products.
PHO shortening functionality without the PHO’s
What is Golden Flex?

14. What are High Oleic Oils?
What is “high oleic” oil?
 High oleic oil is any oil that is high in monounsaturated fats. Olive and canola
oil are naturally high in monounsaturated fat, but they are also high in
polyunsaturated fats which mean they are not very shelf-stable.
Scientists have developed sunflower, soy (and other) oils that are bred to be
high in monounsaturated fats and low in polyunsaturated fats.
Why do food companies use high oleic oil?
 In the past, food companies used hydrogenated oils (trans fats) to keep food
shelf-stable and preserve flavor. They switched to high oleic oils or palm
kernel oil to make their food last longer for customers.
 These oils are often used in packaged baked goods (packaged cakes, cookies,
etc.), as spray coating for cereal, crackers and dried fruit; and in non-dairy
creamers as well as many types of frying.
Is it healthy?
 High oleic oil is high in unsaturated fat, low in saturated fat, and has no trans
fats. High oleic oil has been shown to lower LDL cholesterol (the bad kind)
without lowering HDL cholesterol (the good kind).

15. Application Review Pie Crust Dough
Typical – Finished Dough Flex – Finished Dough
Shortening
lumps
visible in
finished
dough
More
homogeneous
distribution of
shortening

16. Big Boys Pie Dough
• When we were converting from PHOs to lard we realized some of the
benefits of PHOs, one being the crust’s ability to withstand the rigors of
automated manufacturing. Pecan pie filling is very dense and sticky, and
must be held at a higher temperature when injected into the crust. Between
its heaviness and its heat, the filling hits the crust and breaks it up. This
creates holes on the bottom, with crust pieces rising to the top. Pecan pie
was no longer a second-tier conversion. It was moved to the third prong.
• Mitch Riavez, a Certified Master Baker with Stratas Foods, was assisting with
some other conversion projects, I discussed the pecan pie predicament.
Mitch has many years in the business and has seen it all. He recommended a
simple solution: freeze the crusts for about a half hour before filling them.
We are in the process of evaluating this approach and believe the problem
will be solved without requiring any additional ingredients.

17. Sweetex Flex: will work as a 1 to 1 drop-in Big Boys is doing it now.
Nutex: will work as a 1 to 1 drop-in / Use your own formula/ Replace plasticized shortening and mix the same
way you always have.
Scratch Chocolate cake formulas - Comparison pictures below
Scratch Yellow cake formulas - Comparison pictures below
1 To 1 Drop-In replacements
17
That’s what Bakers like to hear…

18. Finished Piped Icing
Control FlexShortening
Lumps

19. Removing all PHOs from formulations and recipes
• The first prong was the low-hanging fruit…the fried foods. It was fairly
easy to replace the frying oil, and in some instances make minor
adjustments to breadings and batters.
• Next came our pies, which we knew would be somewhat challenging, but
not as difficult as our cakes. The answer was lard. We tried it and it
worked. Well, it worked for all the pies except pecan.
• Next came the cakes: Mitch ran the Sweetex Flex as a 1 to 1 drop-in. In
blind testing the new formula was chosen, and said to be more moist.
• We are in the process of converting the final menu items, one item at a
time. From the start we worked very closely with Stratas, as Mitch and his
team have the expertise for a smooth and flawless transition. They spend
days with us in the production facility, trying different fats and oils with
other ingredient and manufacturing modifications. It’s perfectly
acceptable for culinary professionals to tap into the knowledge of their
suppliers. Throughout this process I recall Mitch saying to me many times,
“I think I can help you with this one, too.”

20. Frischs Big Boy Fudge Cake
Don’t miss out on dessert from the Big Boy