b'She acknowledges that seed oils are associated with lowerSo far, I havent seen strong evidence that seed oils are harm-cholesterol, but not with lower risk of cardiovascular events. ful. The clinical trial just did not show a true benefit on cardio-We should acknowledge the contrasting evidence from dif- vascular events, she says, referring to a 2016 re-evaluation of ferent study designs instead of definitively saying that seed oilsunpublished data from a 196873 Minnesota coronary experiment.benefit heart health, Zhao says. From a scientific point of view, we need to be honest about Still, she hasnt seen definitive research showing harm, either. what we know and what we dont. A lot of the scientific commu-nity is strongly on one side but we should be honest about the limitations of our progress, Zhao says.Soybean oilConsumer Perception: Navigating Misinformationis a versatileOf course, some of the criticism around seed oils also stems from their link to highly processed and fried foods. Zhao says it cookingoilwill be difficult to design a study that can isolate whether its the commonlyseed oils themselves, or the calorie and sugar-heavy packaged used infoods theyre in, that are the problem.When we assess a food as a whole, its very difficult to sepa-kitchens rate which effects are from seed oils and which are from other across theparts, Zhao says. While its true that some ultra-processed U.S.foods include seed oils, in many cases, the seed oil is there instead of another ingredient that might be less healthy, she says. Palm oil, for instance, is very high in saturated fat.In the CFDAS survey, 43% of respondents said they had heard PHOTO: UNITED SOYBEAN BOARD something about seed oils in the past month, primarily via social media, news and friends or family. Far fewer reported hearing anything about seed oils from healthcare professionals, public health officials or scientific journals.Restoring the Native Balagtas says this presents a challenge for the seed oil indus-try, as changing a consumers perception is difficult.Landscape Since 1964 For instance, organic food has a halo of healthfulness around it, he says. Even if dietitians say it isnt healthier and that its more about increasing the number of fruits and vegetables in our diets overall, there is still a perception of healthfulness in consum-ers minds.Petersen knows its difficult to combat misinformation on the internet.Well never be able to quiet voices who are making claims without providing evidence, but we have to stay rooted in sci-ence. And, we need to present that information in a way thats easily understandable, she says. Some topics are complex but breaking it down into relatively simple messaging can help.Still, as some influencers and politicians promote alternatives to seed oils, consumer curiosity is growing.According to the North American Renderers Association, the market for beef tallow jumped from $46 million in 2018 to $480 million in 2023, but thats still only a small fraction of the seed oil market so canola, soybean and other seed oils seem to be here to stay.Consumer choice is a wonderful thing, and we need to con-tinue to make information available to help people make deci-sions, Davison says.SW800-873-3321sales@ernstseed.com16/ SEEDWORLD.COMOCTOBER 2025'