ENGINEERED FAT SHOWS BENEFITS

LYNN KUNTZ

ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill. -- Bunge Foods Group here announced the results of studies that suggest that Appetize, a line of engineered fats, impacts positively on cholesterol levels as well as taste buds. An efficacy study conducted on a population of nuns indicates that replacing a high proportion of dietary fat with Appetize drops both overall and low density lipoprotein cholesterol. Another study shows that margarine made with this fat was preferred to margarine made with plain vegetable oil.

The twenty-nine sisters, from St. Benedict College in St. Joseph, Minn., experienced a 7% drop in overall cholesterol and a 9% drop in LDL (the so-called "bad" cholesterol) when they consumed Appetize as 40% to 50% of their total fat intake. The nuns incorporated the fat in a variety of foods, using it as a baking and frying shortening, in margarine, cookies and crackers, and in dairy products including ice cream, whipping cream and cheeses. Normally, this effect is associated with the consumption of non-hydrogenated, liquid vegetable oils.

Additionally, a sensory study conducted at the University of Minnesota, showed that margarine containing Appetize scored significantly higher (7.0) than regular margarine (5.4). The taste score was only slightly lower than the one given butter (7.7).