Cargill celebrates honours after being named top of 2025’s Edible Oil Supplier Index

The Cargill group has celebrated being named top of the inaugural Edible Oil Supplier Index 2025, with its work on development of applications and products for the confectionery and bakery sector being instrumental to its success, reports Neill Barston.

Delivered by the Access to Nutrition initiative (ATNi) non-profit organisation, the ranking has noted the company’s performance in removing industrially produced trans-fatty acids* (iTFAs) from its entire segment portfolio, which it achieved even in markets that held no regulatory frameworks.

Confectionery Production met with Cargill at this year’s Sweets & Snacks Expo event held earlier this month in Indianapolis, in which the company reflected on its work within the snacking segment (watch our exclusive video below, as part of the supplier showcase at the major US show).

As the business has asserted, its work on this topic of reducing fatty acids, has made a key difference for customers and consumers on an international level. It cited Chantilly, an established brand in Mexico known for its bakery, pastry and confectionery products, which has acknowledged that Cargill as a key ally in helping remove iTFAs from its popular whipping cream recipes.

“Cargill provided the expertise and technology needed to solve crucial challenges such as maintaining the taste and texture our consumers and operators expect, while preserving the functionality suitable for various culinary applications,” said Miriam Leticia Rodriguez Chigora, R&D leader, Chantilly. “It not only highlights Cargill’s ability to provide technical support and innovative solutions but also its commitment to consumer health and regulatory compliance.”

These efforts are part of what ATNi evaluated in its first-ever ranking of the eight largest edible oil suppliers. The international nutrition organisation assessed the companies on 19 indicators across four categories. Cargill earned the highest overall score, 81.4%, leading across all assessment areas, with the second-highest scoring company achieving just 14.2%.

As the business noted, recognition builds on a major milestone reached in January 2024, when Cargill became the first — and still only known — global edible oil supplier whose entire portfolio complies with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended limit of no more than two grams of iTFAs per 100 grams of fats and oils in food products — a threshold set to protect public health.

Cargill’s journey began years earlier, well ahead of the WHO’s 2018 REPLACE initiative, which called for the global elimination of industrial trans fats. The company invested millions in capital upgrades, committed thousands of R&D hours and helped hundreds of customers reformulate products. To date, Cargill has helped remove more than 1.5 billion pounds of products containing iTFAs from the global food chain.

“Being recognised by ATNi reinforces our responsibility to lead with purpose — delivering safe, sustainable nutrition through the food and ingredient solutions we provide,” said David VandenEinde, Vice President of R&D for Food North America, Cargill. “This achievement is the result of decades of innovation, close collaboration with customers like Chantilly, and investment in improved edible oil solutions. We will remain fully engaged with food manufacturers and related stakeholders, working together to help pave the way for a healthier and more resilient global food supply.”

According to the WHO’s 2024 progress report, as of the end of 2023, only 53 of the world’s 195 countries — covering just 46% of the global population — had adopted one of WHO’s best practice policies to limit iTFA in foods. That reality puts added meaning to ATNi’s call for other suppliers to “follow Cargill by example.” The company not only drove change within its own operations and with its customers, but it has also worked as a catalyst for global change, actively collaborating with health organizations to share expertise and support policy development in markets where iTFA regulations are still emerging.