Columbus Vegetable Oils, one of the nation’s leading suppliers of oils, fats, dressings and sauces, is showcasing its oils and shortenings offerings at the 2014 IFT Food Expo, Booth 647. Columbus Vegetable Oils has been serving the foodservice industry since its founding in 1936 and is still owned and managed by the Gagliardo family.

The foodservice business is constantly evolving. The ever-changing landscape in labeling and regulatory spaces, along with the volatility of commodity prices, crop availability and quality due to extreme weather conditions, have caused food companies to adjust the contents of their formulations. 

According to Rick Cummisford, Quality Control Director at Columbus Vegetable Oils, having a diverse oil supply is key to helping with these demands.

“Companies are dealing with future disruptions and restrictions, such as rulings on PHOs, sustainability of palm oils, or non-GMO verification requests, or short-term setbacks, such as the quality and supply of cottonseed oil,” Cummisford said. “Our ability to reformulate or redesign a product to match or improve its original taste, texture, nutrition, and price far surpasses industry standards.”

Columbus Vegetable Oils has several hundred varieties and blends of food oils and fats, including (but not limited to): olive and olive oil blends, high oleic oil products, plant-based oils, tropical fats and oils, specialty plant-based oils, organic and non-GMO oils, animal fats and numerous zero trans-fat options.

Columbus Vegetable Oils has state-of-the art R&D labs and kitchens for formulating their own branded products and works with customers to formulate private label and unbranded dressings, oils, shortenings, sauces and dips.

“For more than 75 years, Columbus Vegetable Oils has been the dependable partner that focuses on helping companies grow their food business through quality, availability, service and expertise,” said Paulette Gagliardo, owner of Columbus Vegetable Oils. “The passion my grandfather had for helping customers when he started this business in 1936 still flows through the company’s veins today. We pride ourselves not only on flexibility, but the ability to produce exactly the product customers want, when they want it.”