Last week in Anaheim, California, Valley County-based Simply Sunflower Oil was named America’s First Non-UPF Certified Cooking Oil. Non-UPF stands for non-ultra-processed foods. This new verification was launched by the Non-GMO Project and identifies foods made primarily from minimally processed ingredients and produced without harsh industrial processing. As 70% of Americans are seeking non-ultra-processed foods, this certification is designed to help consumers more easily identify foods made with simple ingredients and traditional methods.
Simply Sunflower Oil is a cold-pressed cooking oil produced by Ord natives Alan and Jeanette Koelling. It has become the first cooking oil in the United States to receive Non-UPF Verified certification, recognizing the product as free from ultra-processed food (UPF) ingredients and excessive industrial processing.
The Koelling’s were honored at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, California which is the world’s premier natural products expo. With 3,300 booths and 70,000 people attending, Simply Sunflower Oil was recognized as one of the first 100 products verified under the new Non-UPF Certification standard. Other early verified brands include Chomps Beef Sticks, Spindrift Beverage Company, and Simple Mills.
For Simply Sunflower Oil, this new certification highlights the process the Koelling family has followed all along with cold-pressing their nutrient-dense sunflower seeds to extract oil naturally, without chemical refining. “Seed oils have faced many backlashes recently,” Koelling says. “But the concern isn’t the seeds – it’s the processing. That is why we do things differently.”
“We wanted to be on the cutting edge of this certification and began the verification process on the first day it was available,” said Sierra Forrest, Director of Marketing and Sales for Simply Sunflower Oil. “My dad has been cold-pressing our oil all along. Most cooking oils are highly refined and cannot meet the high standards of Non-UPF verification. We are grateful to offer something unique that retains the nutrient-density and vitamins in its natural state.”
Simply Sunflower Oil is available locally at Ord Grocery Kart and Speeds Apple Market, along with 1300 retail locations across 33 states and ecommerce platforms. Koelling shares, “So much beauty blooms from Valley County farms. It is an honor to share the fruit of our labor with the rest of the world.”
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