Which Is Best To Pick: Sunflower or Safflower Oil?

Posted by Alexa Ketterling

Sunflower and safflower oil are both extremely popular in the natural food industry right now.  As brands look for healthier options (and move away from conventional GMO oils like soybean, corn, cottonseed and canola) sunflower and safflower become the next logical choice that many brands opt for.

Sometimes we see products that use one of these oils, and other times we see products that use BOTH interchangeably with an "and/or" statement on their ingredient list. If you had to choose between them, which is a better fit for you?

Today, we will take a closer look at these two oils to discuss how they are similar and how they are different. Of course, if you can use both, then do it! Both are good quality, naturally non-GMO oils perfect for use in snack foods, breads and frozen products.  However, if you'd rather choose only one oil, let's dive into some information on each to help you decide. 

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How Is Olive Pomace Oil Different Than Extra Light Olive Oil?

Posted by Hannah Broaddus

Olive Pomace Oil and Extra Light Olive Oil are two different types of olive oil with a lot of similarities and cross-over.  But how are they different? Today, we’ll tell you exactly how they are both similar and different from each other, along with what they are best used for.

Before we begin comparisons, let’s go through a quick rundown of the olive oil grades and how they are made.

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Is Cooking Oil The Same As RBD?

Posted by Hannah Broaddus

We recently received this question on our blog: Is cooking oil the same as RBD?

First, let me explain what this question means, for anyone unfamiliar with the acronym “RBD".  RBD stands for “Refined, Bleached and Deodorized” and it is the process of refining an oil.  The RBD process involves a number of steps, which we will go through in more detail below. 

To summarize, this person asked — is a cooking oil the same thing as a refined oil (or an RBD oil)?  The answer is a little bit gray: usually yes, but it also depends on your definition of cooking oil.  I will explain more below.

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The Benefits Of High Oleic Oils

Posted by Alexa Ketterling

The term "high oleic" can be applied to many different types of oils: canola, sunflower, safflower, and more. High oleic oils continue to see a spike in popularity, especially in the natural food manufacturing industry. 

Why high oleic oils?  High oleic oils are a premium option that have a healthier fat composition, a longer shelf life, a higher heat tolerance and an extended fry life. For these reasons and many more, this ingredient is a perfect fit for natural chips, popcorn, and other baked or fried snacks. 

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The Disadvantages of Pomace Olive Oil

Posted by Alexa Ketterling

One debate for food manufactures is whether or not they should use pomace olive oil. This oil is a great fit for some, but it's not for everyone.

Looking at a different sector, let's pretend you are home chef and looking for oils to use in your kitchen.  You may have heard of pomace olive oil as a cheaper option in comparison to other oil types; so is it a good or bad choice?

There is tons of information out there, whether you're a home chef or if you are a food manufacturer. Today,our goal is to try and lay out some objective clarity and then allow you to make your own path. 

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Is Safflower Good Or Bad?

Posted by Alexa Ketterling

Safflower is an oil that has gained a quite a bit of popularity in recent years.  It's now found in baked goods, cookies, bars, chips and other natural snacks.  That said, it's not quite as prevalent as it's cousin, sunflower oil, or the main-stay food industry, canola oil. But, many brands are starting to use this oil more and more. 

For those of you without much experience with safflower you may wonder if it's an oil that should be used in food production if it's ideal for cooking in your own kitchens. Is it good or bad?

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Manufacturing How To Series: Picking The Right Olive Oil Grade

Posted by Alexa Ketterling

Centra Foods receives questions from countless food manufacturers each year, asking for the best ways to save money on olive oil. Many components can affect the total price of your olive oil, including the type (or grade), packaging, freight costs, the distance from the FOB point, and experience of the supplier.

In this week's article, we will try to give you the best questions to internally review, to see how you can save money -- all while still working smoothly on the production floor and not discounting the final quality of your product.

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The Top Bulk Oil Inventory Buying Mistake For Small Businesses

Posted by Alexa Ketterling

 

Maintaining the right levels of inventory for all of your ingredients can be a challenge, especially for small and fast growing businesses. Many small businesses want to buy in bulk, but struggle with holding too much inventory at one time.

Buying just one drum of olive oil from a bulk supplier can be tempting. If you’re used to buying just a few cases at a time, it can seem like the next logical step up. However, you’re entering into a whole new world of bulk freight shipping, where your drums are packed on a pallet and shipped on an 18-wheeler, rather than being shipped with UPS or FedEx.

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Important Information To Include On Any Industrial Food Purchase Order

Posted by Alexa Ketterling

An order you send to any food ingredient supplier is, at the very least, a gentleman's agreement on both sides. To be able to get just what you're looking for you will need to make sure that you include all the necessary details.

When was the last time you were able to order a shirt on, say, Amazon and you didn't have to specify the size you wanted, color, or your shipping address? You are probably thinking to yourself, never.

Let's begin to look at the different details you need to make sure you are giving your supplier on your PO. In the industrial industry, a purchase order is important, to begin with - it's basically your contract. With any contract, you will want to make sure that you specify in writing the details you have agreed on. You will also want to make sure you've covered everything that could affect your order.


Sometimes the details can be a wide range and you may not naturally include certain information because it doesn't directly affect you. That's why we have created a list of all the information that you should make sure you include when you're putting your orders together. This applies to any industrial food supplier you work with.

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The Making Of Olive Oil

Posted by Alexa Ketterling

Olive oil is simply the juice that comes from an olive. The olive is a fruit, grown on the olive tree. Want to know more than that? The answer to exactly how olive oil is made will depend solely on the type of olive oil, or grade, that it is.

We are going to do a fairly basic review of the grades of olive oil and how they are made. There are many ways you can learn these things whether they are visual slideshows, videos, or reading.

For an easy step-by-step review on how olive oil is made we recommend watching the slide share presentation below:

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The Meaning Of Expeller Pressed vs Cold Pressed

Posted by Alexa Ketterling

It can be hard to know exactly what you may be getting when it comes to oil. Oils are produced in multiple ways. Some are expelled using solvents like hexane, while others are expeller-pressed with a mechanical press that squeezes the oil out.

How the oil is produced isn't always clearly marked either. Sometimes it is described in the title, in full works or abbreviated form, or sometimes you might find that it is only described on the spec sheet. Worse still, some industrial suppliers make no mention of how the oil is made on any documents. It will be in your hands to make sure you ask all the right questions and receive the proper documentation.

Here at Centra Foods, we make it a point to be as clear and explicit as possible. That is why today I will explain what solvent expelling, expeller pressing and cold pressing methods all look like in detail.

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How Much Will You Save By Switching From Drums To Totes Of Edible Oil?

Posted by Alexa Ketterling

Do you remember going to the grocery store when you were little with your parents? Did you ever want something in a small package to snack on but find that your mom or dad would grab the big box? Well if you ever experienced this you probably also experienced them showing you the price per ounce for both and comparing to teach you the difference and help pick the best option for the price.

I'm sure many of us can say we have memories like this. And adults, whether grocery shopping or working for our company, if we want a lower priced item for the same exact ingredient, the best way to do this is to purchase a larger packaging size.

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3 Problems With Buying Olive Oil In Bulk

Posted by Alexa Ketterling

If you are a small business looking to get cheaper prices on your olive oil, it’s smart to begin purchasing bulk quantities. You can save a lot of money by switching to larger packaging, getting your oil packed onto a pallet and ordering from a bulk supplier.

What most suppliers don't always tell you is that the transition from wholesale orders (buying one or two cases at a time) to bulk orders (buying a full pallet) brings its own intrinsic issues. You have to consider closely if the switch you’re looking to make, while helping you save money, may be too tough to handle in other ways.

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Why List Multiple Oils On Your Ingredient Statement Using “And/Or”

Posted by Alexa Ketterling

 

Do you ever look on the back of products to review the ingredient labels? These labels sometimes have a list with multiple potential ingredients, naming ingredients like “Safflower, Sunflower AND/OR Canola Oil”.

This happens with lots of oils, including Canola Oil, Sunflower Oil, Safflower Oil, Soybean Oil, and Corn Oil. It is especially common when these ingredients are used for cooking or frying. For example, you will often see this sort of “and/or” list on popcorn, chips and other snack foods.

This multi-oil ingredient label (Safflower, Sunflower AND/OR Canola Oil) means that the ingredients that may be used in the product could be Sunflower Oil or Safflower Oil….. but it could also be Canola Oil. Really, it could be a mix of two of them or it could very well be all three. No matter which oil is actually inside the product, it is completely fine because the brand has already listed those ingredients on the ingredient statement as possible choices.

This is a common trend especially with oil ingredients, as they are often commodities and some oils can be easily interchangeable. After all, canola, safflower, sunflower, corn and soy oil all have very similar taste profile: mild and light!

If you are wondering why companies list more than one possible ingredient, there is a good reason behind it: it is very self-preserving. In fact, it can help them save time, money and keep them out of a supply bind down the road.

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Comparing Ingredient Supplier Models: Which Fits Your Business?

Posted by Hannah Broaddus

Oil suppliers can look very different, each with their own unique strengths and business models. They can be very large or very small, set in their ways or very flexible. They may only supply oils — or even just one type of oil — or they may supply lots of different products.

Each type of supplier will serve your company’s needs differently and bring their own pros and cons to the table. To do a truly helpful comparison, it’s important to first understand the different types of suppliers and how their different business models work.

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