Oil is a vital ingredient in the deli and should be treated with respect.

By Lauren Katims
Deli Business Magazine
April/May 2010

If deli operators rely solely on price to determine which cooking oils to use, they could hurt themselves in terms of food quality and overall cost of food due to high turnover of oil.  

Cooking oils are used in the deli to fry foods and as ingredient in a variety of prepared foods. “There’s a formula for considering which oils to buy”, says Forrest Senter, sales manager, WholeHarvest Oil, Raleigh,NC.

The formula takes into consideration such factors as smoke point, flavor, quality and what drives the choice of price point. However, oil companies argue that better quality oils combined with proper fry-station management will actually be more cost effective in the long run for deli operators.  

Oils, like any food, have unique flavor profiles. The most commonly used frying oils in delis are canola and soybean. Canola has a fairly bland taste, which doesn’t overpower the food’s natural flavors; it has the lowest saturated fat content at 6 to 7 percent. Soybean is the cheapest of the oils because it’s domestically grown, readily available and has low production costs. The downside is that it can give off a faint “beany” flavor and requires a quicker turnover due to its shorter fry life. Less commonly used oils are corn, sunflower, safflower and peanut oil, which are the most expensive. They’re used predominately in areas of the country where they’re widely available. In the South, peanut oil is popular for frying chicken and fish because it transfers much of its peanut flavor to the meat, a taste that’s a regional preference.

Sunflower oil is flavorless and minimally processed, but since it’s one of the most expensive oils on the market, most delis defer from using it as their frying oil, according to Tom Bandler, national business director, Stratas Foods in Memphis, TN. One way to cut costs is blending a more expensive oil with a cheaper, more common oil such as canola or soybean. 

“Blends give the operator an opportunity to use oil that provides the fry-life benefits of one with a cost benefit of another,” explains Kevin Bowlby, national sales manager, Ventura Foods, Brea, CA. Bowlby’s preference is to mix a more expensive oil with canola because of its stable nature and low saturated fat level. Low-linolenic and high-oleic canola and soybean oils, which became popular during the 1990s, are the best for long, hard, deli frying, he adds, because they have a higher endurance in the fryer before the oil starts to break down.

Another major factor to consider is smoke point, or the temperature at which the oil begins to decompose and give off fumes. Each time the oil is used, its smoke point is permanently lowered. To save money by reusing oil as many times as possible, select one with a high smoke point — such as canola and soybean, advises Whole Harvest’s Senter. Olive oil has one of the lowest smoke points, which makes it less desirable and more expensive for frying. Knowing the smoke point can be cost effective because it helps determine the amount of frying power an oil has left.

Oil can actually be a great selling point for delis, says Senter. It provides many health benefits, such as omega fatty acids and vitamin E. The quality of an oil largely depends on how much it has been processed. There are three levels of oil quality: commodity oil, which is less refined and the most inexpensive at about $20 per jug — a jug is 35 pounds or 4.7 gallons; a second tier that is more refined and has a longer fry life; and the third level, which has the most extended frylife of the three. Whole Harvest uses an expeller-pressed technique that is all natural to extract oil from the seeds. The process, he adds, can extend the oil’s fry life by a week if used properly. Proper usage at the fry station is the most important factor in extending an oil’s fry life.

“Poor maintenance of the fry station will provide poor food quality”, adds Bowlby. When oil is left in the fryer too long, it starts turning dark and transfers that color to the finished product. The oil temperature is also important — making the food too greasy if it’s not hot enough or burning the coat and not cooking the center if the temperature is too high.

“Proper fry-station management will save more money in the long term, not only in the operation costs, but in sales from the front of the case,” he continues. Some deli operators have online tutorials for their staff about how to properly manage fry stations.

OliveOil Use InThe Deli

The increasing popularity of olive oil is beneficial to delis because olive oil has a reputation as one of the healthiest and least processed oils.

Although it may not be the best choice for frying, olive oil has a definite place in the deli. According to Julia Conway, co-owner, Stella CadenteOliveOil in Palermo, CA, olive oil is important as an added flavor to finished products. She sees it being incorporated into potato dishes, salad dressings and mayonnaise, as a coating on paninis and a spread for higherend grab-and-go sandwiches.

About a year ago, Artemis Olive Oil in Guelph, ON, Canada, introduced a line of flavored organic olive oils. Flavor combinations, such as basil, roasted garlic and grapefruit, have opened consumers’ minds to using the oils in different ways, says owner Chris Kamarianakis. “As soon as we introduced these flavors, people started thinking about using them in other cooking methods with other foods besides salads,” including Asianinspired meals and on bruschetta. He believes delis are a great place to teach consumers about incorporating olive oil into different foods.

Stella Cadente’s Conway is starting to see olive oil use increase, particularly in urban areas. She says that on the East Coast, strong Greek and Italian communities, accustomed to using olive oil, are prevalent, and on the West Coast, people are on the cutting-edge of health and have incorporated olive oil into their diets. Recently, one of her retailers opened an olive oil tasting bar in Dallas, TX. One of the main selling points of olive oil is its unique flavor and health benefits. Olive oil has antioxidants called polyphenols, which may help prevent cancers and cardiovascular disease, that are not in other types of oils. Plus, it’s the least processed of all the oils.

California Olive Ranch, Oroville, CA, implemented an innovative farming method called super high density planting that uses mechanical harvesting machines to speed up and multiply olive oil production. This process has not only allowed CaliforniaOlive Ranch to harvest the crop earlier in the year but has also helped to control the high costs associated with hand-picking the fruit. The demand for organic olive oils, which can cost 20 to 30 percent more than conventional, is also growing as consumer demand for all natural and organic products expands. Pouring organic oil on salad is just as important as all the organic vegetables that went into making the salad, Kamarianakis says. Delis can position an all-organic salad offering as a point of differentiation.

Extra virgin olive oil, which has a lower acidity level than regular olive oil, is considered a supreme quality and extremely pure, says John Nitti, president, Isola Imports, Chicago, IL.

BradyWhitlow, president, Corto Olive in Stockton, CA, adds, “You’re basically squeezing the oil of the fruit and bottling it.” The naturally occurring antioxidants prevent oxidation and help give olive oil its flavor and character, he says.

Getting Rid OfTrans Fats

In January 2006, government regulations required all companies to show the amount of trans fats on the labels of their products. Trans fats, which are created during hydrogenation, are not easily broken down by the body and can lead to clogged arteries, high cholesterol and heart disease. The hydrogenation process aids in food processing and food stabilization.

“The regulation on trans fats was a wake-up call for oil companies,” says Roger Daniels, director of research and development for Bunge North America in St. Louis, MO. With fried foods continuing to be one of the most popular foods in the deli because, he says, people consider fried foods to be delicious, companies were forced to get more creative and invent healthier types of oils without hydrogenation.

Even though trans-fat content is not required to be shown on deli and foodservice products, retailers attempted to be more health conscious, and most made the switch to trans-fat free products, says Bowlby. Ventura is one of many companies that offer a full line of trans-fat free oils. In some cities, frying oils with trans fats are banned in restaurants, which has brought more attention to the issue.

Unfortunately, no matter how much trans fat is taken out of the oil, the reality is that oil is a high-fat food even when it’s trans-fat free. With consumers concerned about calories, grocery stores and delis are selling smaller portions, says Daniels, and oil companies and growers are always working on developing healthier oils.

Tony Bombard, director of sales, U.S. foodservice, Richardson Oilseed Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Richardson International Limited, Winnipeg, MB, Canada, believes cooking oils can gain ground in the deli by offering a health benefit.