Enova oil to be spread nationwide
oils in test markets ADM will sell the functional food throughout
America writes Philippa Nuttall. With olive oil seemingly
the only possible rival to Enova, ADM now hopes to become the
number one specialist oil producer in the US.
Japanese household products maker, Kao, has announced that it will start selling Enova Oil across the United States next year in a bid to try and repeat the success it has had at home in Japan.
The oil, which is billed as making the body less likely to create fat, will be sold through Archer Daniels Midland (ADM).
Since January 2003 Enova oil has been sold in 20oz bottles in grocery and other retail food stores in Atlanta and Chicago.
"It has been interesting seeing how the product sold in these two cities, which were chosen for their different demographics," explained Grahame Keen, vice president of corporate marketing at ADM, to NutraIngredientsUSA.
He said that success in these areas had given ADM the confidence to take on the rest of the states.
"We wanted to be in the top 10 for oil product sales in these cities and we achieved this," added Keen. "Our target now is to become the number one specialist oil producer in the US."
The company will target health-conscious consumers and plans also to market the products to food makers as ingredients for spreads and salad dressings.
Keen explained that the company sees upmarket products such as olive oil as being the real competition, with Enova being priced four times higher than conventional cooking oils.
"We are aiming at healthy active females of around 35," he said. "But research shows that we already appeal to a broader audience than that."
Sales of the Econa line of cooking oils, launched in 1999, and related products such as salad dressings and mayonnaise, reached 28 billion yen ($253 million) during the last business year.
"Enova oil is the first and only cooking oil that can help millions of Americans with their struggle to maintain a healthy weight and fight obesity," said G. Allen Andreas, Chairman and Chief Executive of ADM.
Research into Enova oil, which was introduced in Japan by Kao as Healthy Econa Cooking Oil, seems to indicate that the oil helps reduce both body weight and fat mass when used as part of sensible diet.
Enova oil is a predominantly unsaturated edible oil made from all-natural soybean and canola oil, and includes oleic, linoleic and linolenic fatty acids. It has been processed to include higher concentrations of the naturally occurring component of vegetable oil called diacylglycerol (DAG) than conventional vegetable oils, which are primarily made up of triacylglycerols or triglcerides (TAG).
Research suggests that oils containing DAG may help maintain and possibly reduce body weight and body fat mass when eaten as part of a healthy diet. Initial studies suggest that body weight and body fat losses may occur to a greater extent when consuming 10g-35g of DAG oil daily in place of conventional oil.
The nutritional value of Enova oil is similar to that of traditional vegetable oil, containing 120 calories in a one-tablespoon (14 gram) serving.
"Our big challenge now is to get these messages across about the type of fat Enova oil contains," concluded Keen. "We will be embarking on a TV campaign to help us achieve this."
ADM said it was also considering introducing the oils to European markets while Kao was studying a possible launch of the products in Asian markets, although nothing had been decided.
