Food Tech ingredient superstar Benson Hill has signed a supplier agreement with Schnuck Markets to roll out Veri™ brand cooking oil for use in prepared foods in the grocery chain’s more than 100 stores across Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. As part of the grocery retailer’s initiative to find more local, sustainable suppliers, Schnucks will use Benson Hill’s Midwest-grown soybean oil across various foodservice applications.
“Buying trends at the retail level are increasingly shaped by Gen Z consumers who seek out food choices that align with their personal values, promote better health and can be sourced locally,” said Connie Diekman, Registered Dietitian and Past President of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “Everyone benefits when consumers can check all those boxes seamlessly and at multiple access points such as local grocery stores. Better food choices then become possible at scale.”
Designed to meet the changing needs of today’s health-conscious consumer, Veri also offers 10 grams of Omega-9 fatty acids per serving3 like those found in olive oil and can be used in any cooking style.
Furthermore, it can serve as a more sustainable alternative to other vegetable oils like canola, one of the most common oils used in foodservice today. In fact, Veri uses significantly less water, reduces CO2e emissions and takes less land to produce than canola or sunflower oil.2 “We believe everyone should have access to nutritious food options,” said Nicole Balderas, Vice President and General Manager of Benson Hill’s specialty oil business. “A better-for-you oil starts with better soybeans that are grown right here in the Midwest. When using Veri, retailers can offer their consumers a great tasting, more sustainable product.”
As a food tech company, Benson Hill combines soybean seed innovation with a closed-loop business model to help bring more nutritious, more sustainable, and better tasting food options to market. Benson Hill works directly with farmers to grow its soybean varieties in a transparent supply chain emphasizing regenerative agriculture practices, leading to additional traceability and sustainability benefits.