Education Business

Schools are coming under increasing pressure to supply high-quality meals that not only meet government standards on heath and nutrition but are cost-effective and tasty enough to tempt the palates of fussy eaters. Quite a challenge – as most school meal providers
will agree.
    
But it’s not enough to overhaul the menu and hope that cutting out obvious examples of ‘junk food’ will do the trick. The most successful school caterers have discovered that it is also a case of analysing the everyday ingredients that go into their menus and substituting healthier options where available.
    
This is where Carotino Cooking Oil can make a real difference. Carotino is a cholesterol-free cooking oil that’s even healthier than olive oil, but without the strong taste that many people – particularly children – find over-powering. In addition, this vitamin-rich oil is packed with essential nutrients like pro-vitamin A and vitamin E, plus Omega 3 and 6, which are vital for good health.
    
Until recently, this versatile, high quality, yet surprisingly low-cost cooking oil was only sold in 500ml bottles in supermarkets. Now, for the first time, Carotino is being made available in catering size quantities, rather than just the stylish glass bottles which grace the supermarket shelves.

What makes Carotino special?
Carotino is a healthier alternative to ordinary cooking oils and even olive oil for all culinary applications, including:

• Frying
• Baking
• Roasting
• Sauces
• Soups 
• Salads    
  

It is made from a unique blend of red palm fruit oil and canola oil and is crammed with natural anti-oxidant alpha and beta carotenes (pro-vitamin A), the nutrients which give carrots, tomatoes and red peppers their vibrant colours.
    
The oil’s own distinctive colour, and name, comes from this carotene connection, which can be a positive asset in cooking as it adds a subtle golden tint to food, making it look as good as it tastes.
 
Cooking with Carotino
Carotino is ideal for catering as it has a high smoke point, even when frying at high temperatures, so the nutrients in the oil remain intact – which is not the case with many other cooking oils.
    
Its naturally rich consistency means you can use around a third less than other oils – lowering both the fat and calorie content of food cooked with Carotino.
    
The oil has no strong flavour of its own, making it suitable for cooking both savoury and sweet dishes and allowing the natural taste of the food to be savoured.
    
It is suitable for all kinds of diets, including:

• Vegetarian
• Gluten-Free
• Kosher
• Halal
  

The health benefits
Carotino’s natural nutrient content and chemical-free manufacturing process combine to make it one of the healthiest cooking oils on the market.
    
In addition to its vitamin content, the other natural nutrients found in Carotino include Omega 3 and 6 essential long chain fatty acids, which are vital for brain development. Several respected scientific studies have linked positive improvements in the behaviour, IQ and mental health of school children whose diets are rich in Omega 3 and 6.
    
The oil is low in saturated fat, high in healthy mono-unsaturates, which help lower bad (LDL) cholesterol and raise good (HDL) cholesterol, and is not hydrogenated and therefore contains no harmful ‘trans fats’ which are a by-product of the hydrogenation process.

In a nutshell, Carotino is high in:

• Pro-vitamin A
• Vitamin E
• Omega 3 & 6
  

Carotino is free from:

• Cholesterol
• GM ingredients
• Artificial colours
• Additives 
• Preservatives
  

Environmental commitment
If nutritional concerns alone aren’t enough to contend with, in today’s environment-conscious world it’s also important for schools to know that the food they provide is ethically sourced as well as being healthy.
    
Carotino is produced from environmentally sustainable sources that meet the highest international ethical and environmental standards. The red palm oil it contains comes from long-established palm plantations which actively encourage plant and animal biodiversity. It is bottled in factories that follow best practice in all aspects of production.

Case Study: Carotino-enriched biscuits and muffins
In the UK, most of our nutritional problems – and those of our children – are of our own making: too much junk food, too much salt, too much sugar.
    
In the developing world, serious nutritional deficiencies pose a major problem for millions of people and this so-called ‘hidden hunger’ is highly detrimental to health – particularly that of children.
    
Vitamin A deficiency is a serious issue in many countries and has far reaching consequences for general health, vision, immunity from illness, growth, foetal development and cognitive and mental performance.
    
The need to combat vitamin A deficiencies in South Africa prompted the South African Medical Research Council (MRC) to investigate ways of fortifying food with alpha and beta-carotene rich ingredients to provide this essential nutrient.
    
They discovered that red palm oil – the world’s richest plant source of natural carotenes and the key ingredient in Carotino Cooking Oil – could be added to foods like biscuits and muffins to make a real difference to children’s health.
    
The South African MRC joined forces with Carotino’s parent company to establish a series of self-sustaining ‘Red Palm Bakeries’ to produce and sell carotene-rich Carotino biscuits and muffins to South African school children.
    
A series of Red Palm Bakeries have been set up across South Africa and the award-winning project has been hailed as a major success.
    
As well as making significant improvements to the diets of thousands of vitamin A-deficient children and adults, the project has provided much-needed work for people running the bakeries and has helped generate funds for disadvantaged schools.

For more information
For more information about Carotino cooking oil, visit www.carotino.co.uk

To request a catering information pack, including samples and a recipe book, e-mail  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or call Brand Manager Mike Gilby on 01923 333834.