This article was originally a case study published by Omega-9 Oils, and is printed here with permission. Their canola seed, used to produce the oil that this article refers to, is now available from Centra Foods in a non-GMO form as Non-GMO High Oleic Canola Oil.
The Omega-9 Oils team partnered with a national “burger and fries” quickservice restaurant chain specializing in a range of fried items including french fries, breaded chicken sandwiches, chicken fingers and onion rings.
The collaboration tested how Omega-9 Oils performed in demanding foodservice kitchens — and how that performance translated to the balance sheet.
Fry Study Objectives
- Define fry life expectation/cost analysis under different filtering habits
- Identify changes in food quality throughout the oil’s fry life
- Evaluate operational habits required to maximize the fry life of the oil
- Use chemical analysis to link changes in oil quality markers to changes in oil and food quality
The Testing Process
The team developed a comprehensive study reflecting the operation and its typical cooking oil, in four test stores. To conduct the study, the team:
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Tested Omega-9 Canola Oil against the chain’s current oil, a blend of RBD soybean oil and solid fat (fully hydrogenated soybean oil)
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Took daily oils samples from the four test stores (Two stores filtering (2X) daily vs. two stores not filtering)
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Conducted informal sensory analysis daily at each store
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Established and linked chemical and physical oil quality markers (free fatty acids, food and oil color, "break down products") to informal sensory evaluations
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Conducted a formal sensory trial in three of the four test stores
Fry Life Charted Test Results
Summarized Study Results
When frying french fries, Omega-9 Canola Oil extended fry life from 5 to 10 days in a filtered operation; and from 4 to 7 days in restaurants that didn't filter the oil.
When frying chicken, Omega-9 Canola Oil extended fry life from 5 to 10 days in a filtered operation; and from 4 to 8 days in restaurants that didn't filter the oil.
Maintaining Great Taste
In three of the four test stores, a trained panel conducted a ten day formal sensory trial in which they tasted french fries prepared in Omega-9 Oils and french fries prepared in their current soybean oil blend. Daily consumer surveys captured consumers’ impressions of the fries.
The formal taste test results were consistent with the results from the informal in-store sensory analyses. This sensory test revealed the food fried in Omega-9 Oils maintained its quality all ten days of the fry study while the food fried in the soybean oil blend had to be discarded after five days due to poor food quality.
In addition to maintaining the food’s high quality and great taste, Omega-9 Oils also extended the fry life by five days, doubling the fry life of their current oil. After successfully testing the oil in the first four stores, all 35 stores in that region converted to Omega-9 Oils. Thirty of these stores immediately met the expectation of a ten day fry life. The remaining five did so after implementing simple operational changes.
Final Results
Using the soybean oil blend, each store had an average of five days fry life; by switching to Omega-9 Canola Oil, educating employees and managing a few simple operational changes, they doubled the typical fry life of the oil to approximately ten days.
The extended fry life more than made up for the premium they paid for the Omega-9 Canola Oil, saving them money and time.
By switching to Omega-9 Oils, the restaurant chain calculated a savings of $1,450.00 per unit, per year.
High Oleic Canola Oil That's Also Non-GMO
Centra Foods now carries a similar High Oleic Canola Oil that is referred to in this test study (we currently use the Omega-9 canola seed, which is pressed into canola oil). The high oleic canola oil that we carry is an alternative, non-GMO version.
This High Oleic Non-GMO Canola Oil is perfect for food service distributors, healthy food chains, and colleges / universities.
Learn more about this oil here, or download the POS sheet.
Topics: Canola Oil
