Benecol - Healthcare Professionals

Introduction

Plant stanol ester is a patented ingredient of Raisio, Ingredients Division for lowering cholesterol, and the active ingredient of Benecol^® products. The first Benecol product was a stanol ester-enriched margarine and was launched in Finland in November 1995. Today, Raisio markets plant stanol ester ingredient internationally to food companies all over the world.

Plant Stanols in our Diet

Plant stanols are present in small amounts in our daily diet (1). Their main sources are whole-grain foods, mostly wheat and rye. The daily intake of stanols in the average Western diet is about 60 mg/d, whereas the intake of plant sterols is about 150-300 mg/d and that of cholesterol is 500-800 mg/d. The relatively low natural levels of stanols in the diet are too low to have a significant effect on serum cholesterol levels.

Chemistry of Plant Stanol Esters

Plant sterols are plant equivalents of cholesterol and have a very similar molecular structure. According to their structure, they can be divided into sterols and stanols. Stanols are a saturated subgroup of sterols. Figure 1 shows the molecular structure of cholesterol, sitosterol and sitostanol.

Plant stanol esters in Benecol^® products are fatty acid esters of plant stanols. The stanol part of the molecule is sitostanol or campestanol while the fatty acid residue originates from different vegetable oils. Figure 2 shows the structure of sitostanyl oleate, which is the major plant stanol ester component when stanols are esterified with low erucic acid rapeseed oil (LEAR) fatty acid.

Production of Plant Stanol Esters

Plant stanol esters are produced from natural plant sterols and vegetable oils. Plant sterols are derived either from vegetable sources (mainly soy, but also corn and rapeseed) or from tall oil. Figure 3 shows the production process of plant stanol esters.

Physical Properties of Plant Stanol Esters

Plant stanol esters have the following physical properties:

• fat-like with a waxy texture;
• creamy white colour in the solid form;
• viscous clear liquid with a bright yellow colour, bland odour and taste;
• insoluble in water and soluble in fat (hydrophobic); and
• a viscosity higher than that of the triglyceride oil with the same fatty acid composition.

These physical properties can be tailored by changing the fatty acid composition. In different technological applications of Benecol^® products, the fatty acid part is selected so that the melting properties, texture and other characteristics of the plant stanol ester closely resemble the properties of the fat it replaces.

Oxidative and Processing Stability of Plant Stanol Esters

Under normal storage and food preparation conditions, plant stanol esters are very stable because they are more resistant to oxidation than the commonest vegetable oils.

Using plant stanol esters in food applications instead of conventional fats does not decrease the shelf life of the end product. As is the case for all fats and oils, stanol esters should be protected from heat, air and light to prevent oxidation. If long-term storage is required, plant stanol esters are typically refrigerated in solid form. Furthermore, the usual antioxidants can be added to plant stanol ester products as they are to other oils or fats to minimise oxidation.