Few food manufacturers can say they get through a day of production without using oil or fat of some kind. Bakery, confections, snacks, sauces, and condimentsꟷall rely on the right oils or fats, and all their makers need to keep their fingers on the pulse of the latest in food oil developments and technology.

In spite of a current demonization of seed oils, ongoing progress in seed oil breeding, extraction technology, functionality improvement, and competition in the multibillion-dollar field of fats and oils are constantly expanding the options. They not only bring advancements in the more mainstream oils from soy, peanuts, corn, sunflower seeds, canola, cotton, and other seeds, but also new sources of oil from other seeds (including fruit and vegetable seeds), grains, and even algae. Examples run the gamut from high-oleic versions of soy, canola, sunflower, and peanut oils to upcycling former discarded portions from processed ingredients. Such ingenuity has led to exploitation of such seeds as those from tomato, carrot, melons, and cucumber for their oils.

Improved processing technology is being applied to advance smoke points, shelf life, and healthfulness of fats and oils through solvent-free extraction and via botanical extracts. These techniques preserve the health and flavor advantages of oils from olive, avocado, sesame, pumpkin seed, and tree nuts, among others. Tech also is going into oils used in non- or low-heat treated applications to preserve and enhance their flavor components.

Also trending: oils from traditional cuisines. Popular examples such as cumin, mustard, and fennel seed oils from South Asian cuisine, and chia seed oil from South America are making greater inroads into prepared food formulations. But that’s not all: The use of simple, classic solid fats like butter, duck fat, lard, and tallow continue to gain recognition for their value for flavor, performance, and, yes, even healthful attributes.

Solid plant-derived fats are being reimagined, with healthful, MCT-rich coconut oil still making headway, and tocotrienol-rich red palm and annatto oils could be the next big healthful oils to make waves. Palm oil makers continue to address sustainability, traceability, and ecological issues more vigorously to meet the demands of informed and aware consumers.

One of the more promising developments in fats and oils is summed up in three letters: EPGꟷesterified propoxylated glycerol. Although EPG was approved GRAS in 2016, it has yet to take off. However, this non-GMO fat replacer made from canola oil might finally attain sufficient scalability and price-point amelioration to move it into the mainstream now that, in a surprising move, its main source, Epoge, LLC was acquired in May, 2025 by foodtech company Linus Technology, Inc. (under its protein bar maker, David Protein).

EPG delivers the same mouthfeel, taste, and appearance as fat. The manufacturers of this modified plant-based oil split rapeseed oil into glycerin and fatty acids, then inserted a food-grade propoxyl connector to reattach the fatty acid and glycerin. This propoxyl link is resistant to digestive enzymes.

Unlike previous fat replacers, EPG does not lead to unwanted gastrointestinal side effects. It can be used to replace from 50% to 85% of the fat in a formulation, depending on the application, decreasing up to 92% of calories from fat, and up to 45% of total calories in the finished product. EPG is gluten-free, allergen-free, trans-fats-free, vegan, and kosher, and has a neutral flavor profile that adapts to the flavor of the product in which it is formulated.

Although satiety research has yet to be published, in the field of edible fats EPG could prove to be something of a “holy grail” for product developers as a calorie-free fat with full function.

In this section, we offer detailed listings of ingredient fats and oils suppliers. Click below for references by company name, headquarters and website.