If you think oil prices are a bit steep at the moment, you’re not wrong. The raw commodity canola increased in cost by more than 100% in the past two years, and unfortunately the price is not expected to subside until production increases, meeting worldwide demand. Realistically, this won’t happen until at least late 2023. With prices so high, how can foodservice providers weather the canola price storm?
Why is canola oil so expensive?
The world’s top two canola exporters, Canada and Ukraine have been hit in recent years by adverse weather. While Canada is dealing with unusually dry weather, Ukraine suffered through a harsh winter in 2021 and more recently, increased conflict with Russia.
Canada has committed most of her canola exports to China and is actually importing canola from Ukraine to keep up with the demand. With China buying such a large proportion of the available seed, the limited supply available to the rest of the fish and chip loving world has pushed the oil price sky high.
Australia is the third largest exporter of canola. While our farmers are benefiting financially from the high demand for their liquid gold, local fish and chip shop owners are losing out.
Fish and chip shop owner, Michael Cristaldi, told the ABC his canola oil bill increased by up to 70 per cent. Many in the industry are faced with a similar predicament. Do you wear the cost with a tighter profit margin or pass the cost onto the customer?
How can you save on you oil costs
The commercial deep fryer you use can significantly impact oil consumption and increase the oil’s cooking efficiency. Equipment such as the Frymaster’s H55 Gas filtration and FilterQuick Electric models can save you 40% in oil costs while maintaining consistently high product quality. Frymaster is a leader in oil management and the above mentioned units conserve the oil for longer than other deep fryers on the market.
The Frymaster frypot cooks the same amount of food in 40% less oil. Instead of paying for 25L of oil, Frymaster can cook the same quantity of food in 15L. Not only are you using less oil overall, but the oil is changed only when it needs to be – which is less often.
The integrated oil quality sensor detects and notifies you when an oil change is needed. You no longer need to guess the quality of the oil. Cooking in old oil or discarding perfectly usable oil won’t be an issue.
The oil also lasts longer. By topping off 15L of oil, rather than 25L, the fresh oil to used oil ratio is higher. The higher ratio of fresh oil in the Frymaster 15L frypot significantly improves the quality of the food and extends the life of the oil. The consistency and quality of your food are maintained automatically.
Filtration is also automatic and is fast, easy and safe. Each individual frypot takes only 3 to 4 minutes to filter. The built-in filtration is safer to use, as hot oil will no longer need to be carried around a busy kitchen. Built-in filtration (located beneath the frypots) can save operators 50% of their oil cost with daily filtering.
Rather than absorb the current high costs of canola oil, take the time now to use your oil more efficiently. Investing in commercial deep fryers like Frymaster will ensure that your profits are not eaten away by the price of canola.
Speak to a filtration specialist to discover how you can save on your oil costs. Contact Comcater on 1300 309 262 or visit www.comcater.com.au .
