UNAIR NEWS – To enrich the national discourse on health and nutrition, the President of Indonesia has introduced Red Cooking Oil (M3). Red Cooking Oil represents a recent innovation in the culinary world that is expected to transform the paradigm of cooking oil consumption. This nutrition-rich product not only offers health benefits to the public but also opens up new opportunities for the food and pharmaceutical industries.
Lailatul Muniroh, SKM, M Kes, a Nutrition Expert from Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR), explained that Red Cooking Oil (M3) contains several bioactive compounds (phytonutrients) that surpass conventional oils. “Data from the Palm Oil Research Center (PPKS) in 2022 shows that M3 contains concentrations of 753 ppm of Carotene, 1016 ppm of Vitamin E, and 348 ppm of Squalene, which are higher compared to other oils,” clarified Lailatul.
Furthermore, Lailatul elaborated that Carotene, functioning as pro-vitamin A and an antioxidant, plays a vital role in boosting the immune system, as well as promoting eye and skin health. Additionally, Vitamin E, as an antioxidant, contributes to heart health and supports immune function. Meanwhile, Squalene, known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, plays a crucial role in skin health and immune function.
With its wealth of vitamins and bioactive compounds, according to Lailatul, M3 not only becomes a healthier choice for cooking oil but also has the potential to serve as a functional food beneficial to health.
She suggested ways to integrate M3 into daily diets to maximize its health benefits, including using it for frying, sautéing, baking, and as a salad dressing. According to her, M3 has the potential to be utilized by the food and pharmaceutical industries to enrich vitamin A and pro-vitamin A, by packaging it in encapsulated form as supplements or multivitamins.
Lailatul Muniroh SKM MKes, nutritionist of Universitas Airlangga (Photo: By courtesy)
Important for brain development
Furthermore, Lailatul emphasized M3’s potential in supporting children’s brain development. “Red Cooking Oil is claimed to have good nutritional content for children because it contains oleic acid and linoleic acid, which are omega-9 and omega-6 fatty acids important for children’s brain development.”
“Oleic acid is involved in the formation of brain cell membranes, while linoleic acid is the main component in the formation of these membranes and is also a precursor to arachidonic acid, which is involved in cellular signal transmission in the brain. Both fatty acids provide fuel for the formation of brain cell membranes and support normal brain cell function,” she added.
Benefits and disadvantages
The production process of M3, which does not involve bleaching, has both positive and negative impacts. Lailatul believes this process maintains relatively high concentrations of beta-carotene, vitamin E, squalene, and other bioactive compounds.
“This means that the development of M3 not only meets the needs of functional foods but also reduces Indonesia’s dependence on synthetic vitamin A and E imports, which contributes to foreign exchange savings and improves the country’s trade balance,” she explained.
As a result, she continued, the production of M3 by palm farmer cooperatives around smallholder oil palm plantations enables local communities to access this product at relatively affordable prices. However, Lailatul believes that M3 products that do not undergo the bleaching process may contain higher levels of contaminants, which could affect the quality and safety of the final product. Additionally, M3 is more susceptible to oxidation, which may shorten its shelf life.
She mentioned that variability in the quality of raw oil used in food production can also lead to inconsistencies in the final products. Thus, it poses a challenge for the food industry, which requires product consistency.
Author: Aidatul Fitriyah
Editor: Khefti Al Mawalia
