Nexera

Introduction

Dow AgroSciences are very proud of our success in breeding a new line of oilseed rape varieties. Nexera* is a whole new family of varieties of spring oilseed rape developed through conventional plant breeding techniques by Dow AgroSciences. Nexera varieties contain increased quantities of oleic acid and a reduced quantity of linolenic acid compared with standard rapeseed oil. Natreon* oil is produced from Nexera varieties.

The Nexera Family

The increased quantities of oleic acid and a reduced quantity of linolenic acid, compared with standard rapeseed oil, gives Natreon oil produced from Nexera varieties a unique fatty acid profile. This means that Natreon oil is approximately twice as stable as regular rapeseed oil and three times as stable as sunflower oil. This makes it of particular interest to the food frying industry. Other potential applications in the food industry include sauces, dressings and baby food formulae. The extra stability of Natreon oil is also useful in manufacture of industrial lubricants where biodegradability is important, for example for forestry machinery and in outboard motors.

Traditional breeding programs seek to develop new varieties that will perform well when compared with the existing standards in terms of yield, disease resistance, lodging resistance, maturity and a host of other agronomic characteristics. Seed companies test thousands of varieties in the hope that winners will be discovered and a good share of the seeds market obtained. At Dow AgroSciences we do not believe that this traditional breeding approach is enough for modern agriculture. What are really needed, we believe, are new varieties which, when harvested and crushed, produce oil and meal that will find new markets for oilseed rape while competing with other established crops such as soyabean.

This is what Dow AgroSciences have introduced with the first variety to be commercialised from the Nexera family — NEX 160. NEX 160 has been tested in the UK and Europe and was entered onto the European Common Catalogue in January 2001. It is now available to UK growers through United Oilseeds, telephone 01380 729200. United Oilseeds provide NEX 160 seed, buy-back contracts and agronomic advice.

Of course, new varieties with new uses must still match the agronomic performance of traditional varieties, especially in terms of seed and oil yield. The goal of the breeding program was to produce high yielding varieties with a modified oil profile to meet the needs of food companies in the 21st century. Dow AgroSciences have been able to achieve this with the Nexera family.

With greater and greater demands being placed on European food companies in terms of health and nutrition, by an increasingly health conscious society, oil and food companies have long been interested in finding a vegetable oil that offers extra stability over commodity oil, without the additional costs and problems associated with hydrogenation. By increasing the content of the monounsaturated fatty acid, oleic acid, to around 75% from the usual 60% and reducing the amount of the highly unstable polyunsaturated linolenic acid, Dow AgroSciences has managed to double the natural stability and shelf life of Natreon oil, compared with commodity rapeseed oil. In addition, the profile of Natreon oil gives a mix of fatty acids very similar to that of olive oil, which is well known for its healthy composition.

Natreon oil is already widely used in Canada, USA and Japan and is now being introduced to European food and industrial companies. Natreon is the best frying oil available and is also being tested in a variety of branded food products.

Natreon and Nutrition

Oils and fats are under pressure in the food industry, yet they are essential to a healthy diet. The problem lies not only in the excessive overall consumption of fats, which leads to obesity and the consequent increased risk of heart disease, but also the types of fatty acids in the diet. Saturated fats have long been known to increase the levels of undesirable LDL serum cholesterol and decrease the levels of desirable HDL serum cholesterol, as well as increasing the total level of cholesterol. This has caused saturated fats to be referred to as "bad fats".

Recently legislation has been introduced in Denmark restricting the amount of Trans Fatty Acids (TFA), caused by hydrogenation of oils to increase stability by chemical means. Trans Fatty Acids are now thought to be several more times dangerous to health than even Saturated Fatty Acids and are being removed from food products around the world. The "good fats" are those that are needed to meet the needs of a healthy diet. They not only provide essential calories, but also contribute to cell membrane structure and the transport of fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E and K. A healthy diet must contain adequate levels of essential fatty acids.

The reduction of Coronary Heart Disease and Coronary Arterial Disease by reducing obesity, of which total fat consumption is a major contributory cause, and reducing the percentage of Saturates and Trans Fatty Acids is now a priority for European governments. The UK Food Standards Agency advises that to help protect against heart disease, it is best to eat healthily and reduce intake of Saturated Fats and Trans Fatty Acids.

	Saturates	Trans Fatty Acids	Oleic Acid (18:1)	Linoleic Acid (18:2)	Linolenic Acid (18:3)
NATREON	<7.0%	~0%	72.5%	14.0%	3.0%
Partially Hydrogenated Rapeseed Oil	11.5%	19.0%	79.0%	8.0%	0.3%
Rapeseed Oil	7.0%	~0%	61.0%	21.0%	9.0%
Palm Olein	45.1%	~0%	42.3%	9.5%	0.1%
Sunflower Oil	13.0%	~0%	18.0%	67.5%	0.8%
Olive Oil	12.1%	~0%	80.3%	6.3%	0.7%
High Oleic Sunflower Oil	10.0%	~0%	81.0%	9.0%	~0%

Natreon oil has the lowest level of saturates and is free of Trans Fatty Acids. In addition, Natreon contains both the essential fatty acids, Omega 6 (Linoleic Acid) and Omega 3 (Alpha-linolenic Acid), in a well balanced proportion of approximately 5:1. The ratio of Monounsaturated Fats (especially 18:1) to Polyunsaturated Fats is also approximately 5:1. The profile of Natreon oil is similar to that of olive oil, which is so popular in the widely regarded healthy diet of the Mediterranean.

Natreon and Stability

The stability of a vegetable oil, both in terms of frying life and shelf-life of the consumer product, is important in many applications in the food industry. As oils are heated and age they oxidise and become rancid. The natural resistance of an oil to oxidation is a valuable asset. This property is governed by the fatty acid profile and the presence of natural anti-oxidants, especially gamma-tocopherol. Oils that are very high in saturates, like palm oil, do have good stability but suffer from the health and nutrition problems discussed earlier. In general, the food industry also prefers oils that are liquid at ambient temperature.

Nexera varieties have been bred conventionally to maximise the natural stability of Natreon oil, so removing the need for the chemical process of hydrogenation and the resultant increase in Trans Fatty Acids. Natreon oil contains increased concentrations of oleic acid (18:1) which oxidises many times more slowly than do polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as linolenic acid (18:3). The stability of some common liquid vegetable oils is shown below.

	Active Oxygen Method	RANCIMAT (120°C)
NATREON	42 hours	8 hours
Sunflower Oil	12 hours	n/a
High Oleic Sunflower Oil	34 – 40 hours	n/a
Rapeseed Oil	19 hours	4 hours

Natreon oil is twice as stable as rapeseed oil and three times more stable than sunflower oil.

In North America and Japan Natreon oil has already captured 7% of the market. This experience, together with laboratory studies in Europe, has indicated several other benefits of Natreon oil which are of value to the food industry. Natreon oil has a neutral flavour and does not have the ‘fishy’ taste associated with rapeseed oil. Cooking with Natreon oil has been shown to produce fewer odours, less gumming and foaming in frying and the oil keeps its colour longer.

Summary

Nexera varieties are not genetically modified, but bred using conventional plant breeding techniques
Nexera varieties are only grown on contract, thereby giving documented traceability throughout the supply chain
Natreon oil is twice as stable as rapeseed oil and three times more stable than sunflower oil
Natreon oil has very low levels of Saturated Fats and no Trans Fatty Acids
The profile of Natreon oil is similar to that of olive oil
Natreon oil is naturally stable and nutritionally superior

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