New safflower oil launched

In an Australian-first, a super high oleic safflower oil has been launched by Australian owned Plenty Foods.

The oil boasts superior cooking qualities and health credentials and will be the first food product to be made using Super High Oleic safflower seeds grown exclusively in Australia.

The safflower varieties were developed by CSIRO and Grains Research and Development Corporation specifically for Australian grain growers.

Josh Gadischke, Owner and Managing Director of the Kingaroy-based Plenty Foods, said this ground-breaking oil would shake up the $920 million edible oil category within the industry.

“Our Safflower Oil will appeal to customers looking for a healthier, Australian made cooking oil for everyday use, as an alternative to imported Rice Bran oil and other high smoke point cooking oils,“ he said.

Plenty Safflower Oil has the highest proportion of oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid, and the lowest amount of saturated fats, of all common cooking oils. These unique qualities help to keep the oil stable at high cooking temperatures making it a healthy choice for frying, roasting, barbecuing, baking and everyday cooking.

“Given initial interest in the product and strong consumer conversion, we expect our Safflower Oil to be a $1.2 million product for Woolworths by the end of the year and grow steadily from there,” Mr Gadischke said.

“We are confident the product will also help to lift our portfolio’s household penetration from 1.5 percent to more than five percent.

“Our sales data tells us that once people try our Safflower Oil, they stay with it. We believe Australian households will grow to love this high-quality, homegrown alternative to the imports commonly available.”

The total cooking oils market is growing at a steady rate of 8.6 percent year-on-year, driven by an increase in the number of health-conscious shoppers looking to eat well.

Plenty Safflower Oil is the first food product to be made from the super high oleic (SHO) safflower seeds and contains 92 percent oleic acid (omega 9), compared to 75 percent for regular safflower oil.

It is full of healthy monounsaturated fats (12.8g per 15ml serve) recommended by the Heart Foundation, and very low in saturated fats (0.75g per 15ml serve). It has a 4.5 Health Star Rating.

As well as an ideal oil composition, Plenty Safflower Oil has a mild, neutral flavour and it is extremely versatile.

It is a healthy choice for high temperature cooking with a very high smoke point of 266°C, compared to extra virgin olive oil at 191°C, canola oil at 240°C and rice bran oil at 254°C.

The oil is made using SHO safflowers, which are grown in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and Western Australia.

CSIRO reports that the SHO safflower is an ideal crop biofactory suited to Australian conditions as it is a very hardy and broadly adaptable crop that does well in warm season conditions.

GO Resources PTY LTD owns the exclusive worldwide commercial license for the crop and supply of SHO safflower oil and supplies Plenty Foods with the raw materials to ensure that demand for edible oils and broader renewable oil uses are met.

Plenty extracts the oil from the SHO safflower seeds naturally with state-of-the-art presses that use pressure and heat.

This specialised processing line is the result of a $7 million investment to create Australia’s leading seed and nut oil facility.

“It takes a little more time than other methods, but it doesn’t use any chemicals. Creating a high-quality oil naturally is important to us as a company and we know it matters to our customers too,” Mr Gadischke said.

“As well as being chemical-free, the process creates no waste by-products and even the ‘cake’ of leftover seed husks is used to feed livestock.”

CSIRO, GRDC and GO Resources expect to see significant areas of SHO safflower grown in Australia by 2023.

Plenty, which rebranded from Proteco Oils in 2020, is now the leading manufacturer of cold-pressed gourmet oils and specialty oils in Australia and is based in the South Burnett.

The Plenty Safflower Oil will be available at Woolworths and selected independent grocers.