Cold-pressed edible oils can be heated to high temperatures and reused several times: Study

The breakthrough was achieved by the team at Lipid Legends, a spin-off from the University of Vienna

Cold-pressed edible oils can be heated to high temperatures and reused several times without any loss of quality. This makes them a high-quality and cost-effective alternative to refined cooking oils used in the catering industry. This breakthrough was achieved by the team at Lipid Legends, a spin-off from the University of Vienna specialising in edible oil optimisation.

With the resulting improvement of both sunflower and rapeseed oils, the company now presents the latest products from its intensive research and development programme. Both oils set new standards for health, longevity, and indulgence. This makes them particularly interesting for the catering industry, where large quantities of cooking oil are often used (e.g. for frying). The new oils follow on from the company’s optimised flaxseed oil, which has already been successfully launched. The new range of high-quality cooking oils offers real added value not only to consumers but also to the catering industry.

Maintaining the quality of edible oils is a constant challenge for the food service industry. In particular, refined oils that are used repeatedly for frying dishes such as French fries or Wiener Schnitzel quickly lose quality due to the high temperatures required.

Vienna-based OFS Lipid Legends has now found a solution to this problem. Cold-pressed oils can be used up to 80 per cent longer than conventional refined products while maintaining the same quality – a breakthrough that not only has a positive impact on health, but also directly on the operational efficiency and sustainability of commercial kitchens.

Marc Pignitter, Professor of Analytical Food Chemistry at the University of Vienna, who played a key role in the development of the new oils, comments: We have succeeded in developing cold-pressed oils that not only taste better and are healthier but also last longer – even in extreme heat. Our oil remains stable where refined oils had to be replaced long ago. This is a revolution in cooking – and in the edible oil industry as a whole.”