Sunflower Oil Is a Healthy Option

Both dryland and irrigated oil and confection type sunflowers are important crops in Colorado, with 73,500 acres of sunflower planted in 2015. With the new dietary guidelines being released National Sunflower Association Executive Director John Sandbakken, share more about about the healthy profile of sunflower oil.
Sandbakken: “We see good opportunities for sunflower. It has a very healthy oil perception. Commercial hybrids are available that already can lower the saturated fat. We’re going to continue to move towards that. The other thing with sunflowers is that it is a global crop, by moving away from NuSun and towards the high oleic it will allow hybrid seed companies to focus on just on hybrid sunflowers. They will still be doing the traditional for other markets, but they are going to be working on two sunflower products rather than three. This will allow more resources put into better hybrids. You’re noticing that transfats being legislated out of foods the FDA announcement and others.”
Another advantage for sunflowers is the fit it has for people looking for non GMO products according to Sandbakken.
Sandbakken: “There are a lot of companies out there that are trying to get away from GMOs or there are consumers who don’t want GMOS. It’s another selling point for high oleic sunflower and NuSun because we are a non-GMO crop. There is different opportunities that presents that but overall high oleic sunflower meets that demand. It meets that growing demand that consumers have and that we have need to have. So that is why we as an industry we’re moving towards the high oleic.”