Cottonseed Oil Plays a Big Role in Giving French Fries a Makeover

By Jim.Robinson|December 28, 2010

The French fry, once relegated to a “side,” is emerging as a 2011 trend to watch, getting made over in highly publicized campaigns featuring gourmet touches like sea salt. Despite myriad discussions over seasonings, spud choice or how much skin to bare, little has been mentioned about the less-obvious ingredient with arguably the biggest impact on flavor: the frying oil.

“Leading fast-food restaurants oftentimes are tight-lipped about their choice of oil, as it can be their ‘secret weapon’ in giving fries a distinguishing flavor,” explains Ben Morgan, executive vice president of the National Cottonseed Products Association. “Staying hush on the topic also can mean they don’t want to tie themselves to a less-visible ingredient when inevitable price fluctuations come into play.”

Some fast-food companies, like Arctic Circle, choose to take that calculated risk of not only disclosing oil and other ingredients choices, but advertising them. The West Coast fast-food icon known for quality Black Angus burgers and over-the-rim real-fruit shakes went “all out” on its quest for a trans-free cooking oil that would bring out the flavor of its branded Yukon Gold fries, which launched in 2007, says Kasey Christensen, purchasing director for the chain’s 83 locations in eight states.

After rigorous testing, Arctic Circle chose a zero-trans cottonseed-sunflower blend. In 2009, the chain switched suppliers, but stayed with a cottonseed oil blend, again for its “superior flavor and fry life.”

“We were definitely ahead of the curve in spotlighting specific ingredients in our fries, but we saw an opportunity to create a competitive advantage and spur word of mouth about our menu,” Kasey continues. “It was very risky to veer from the QSR-industry standard quarter-inch shoestrings cut from a white potato, and commit to sourcing Yukon Gold potatoes.”