Development and food applications of sunflower oils in Argentina

Abstract

Sunflower is the fourth-largest global source of vegetable oil (after soybean, palm, and rapeseed) that is primarily used for human consumption. Argentina ranks as the third-largest producer of sunflower oil in the world. Breeders have developed genotypes with varying fatty acid compositions to provide alternatives to conventional sunflower oil and to replace trans fatty acids. High oleic and high stearic-high oleic genotypes have expanded the range of sunflower oil compositions available. High oleic oil presents greater oxidative stability than conventional sunflower oil, due to its lower content of polyunsaturated fatty acids. High stearic-high oleic oil and its fractions exhibit even greater stability and plasticity, making them suitable alternatives to high-melting animal fats, tropical oils, or hydrogenated lipids. Additionally, sunflower oil can modify its fatty acid composition based on the environmental conditions during grain filling, mainly conditioned by the temperature. This aspect is crucial for sunflower cultivation in Argentina, given the country’s extensive production area. The oxidative stability and technical functionality of these oils are mainly determined by their fatty acid composition; thus, different food applications of sunflower oils are described based on their specific characteristics.