DES MOINES, IOWA — A new oxidation stability index calculator from Kemin Industries, Des Moines, allows formulators to select the desired number of OSI hours and provides shelf-life calculations for various fats and oils. The calculator on the company’s Food Technologies – North America web site may be found here. It lets manufacturers determine the ideal oil and antioxidant system combination to meet cost targets and shelf-life goals.

“We developed the OSI calculator so that formulators would have an easily accessible tool to help them maximize the desired shelf life of their food products,” said Courtney Schwartz, marketing director for Kemin Food Technologies. “Many manufacturers are seeking to remove traditionally used synthetic ingredients without switching to a high-cost/high-stability oil, which can often reduce the stability of their oil.”

Kemin offers GT-Fort, an oil-soluble, green tea extract as a label-friendly alternative, she said. The GT-Fort product line of plant extracts for fats and oils assists with oxidation control and delays lipid oxidation. The ingredients have been shown to work as alternatives to traditional tocopherols and as replacements for synthetic antioxidants like tertiary-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ).