Leading Expertise in Custom Oil Orders: Inside Summit Oil Mill, Featuring Japan's No.1 Line-Up of Vegetable Oils

To begin, could you briefly explain what makes vegetable oils so appealing?

SakaWhen people hear vegetable oil, they most probably picture the cooking oils lined up in supermarkets – sesame, rapeseed, olive oil and so on; there’s a wide variety. In the past, oil was regarded as something best avoided, and it was often sold at knock-down prices. Today, however, oil is recognized as an ingredient that enhances both taste and nutrition, and consumers actively choose high-quality oils.

Vegetable oils are in fact used in many non-food products as well. Hair oils, serums and soaps all use vegetable oils as a raw material. Even the fibers of winter thermal underwear contain oil to improve their feel against the skin. And because soft capsules in health foods are made from gelatin, which cannot hold water, oil is used as the liquid content instead of water.

What kinds of vegetable oils does Summit Oil Mill produce and sell?

How are you able to produce as many as 41 different vegetable oils?

SakaOur product development usually starts with a customer asking, "We'd like to make this kind of product – can you produce an oil like that?" We then source raw materials, conduct analyses and pilot production, and only when we see a path to commercialization do we proceed with business negotiations. Continuing to respond to such requests has enabled us to handle such a wide variety of oils.

On the equipment side, in addition to a refining plant for mass-producing the same oil (Refining Plant A – Automation), we also have a plant for producing smaller batches of many varieties (Refining Plant B – Batch). Refining Plant A can process 100 tons per day, whereas Refining Plant B handles about 0.2–3.5 tons per day. Because each of the four major refining steps can be run independently in Refining Plant B, we can refine even small lots.

Could you tell us more about your career path?

SakaI started in quality control, where I learned the basics of oils, then moved mainly into the sales department about 21 years ago. I have also been involved in developing some products. Because my sales work often involved unusual oils, I acquired different qualifications that allowed me to give customers compelling technical explanations.

Of the products you've helped develop, which ones stand out for you?

SakaOne is sesame oil for commercial use. Sesame oil is widely used not only for food but also for aromatherapy and massages. A customer told us that when applying it to the face during treatment, some found the smell less than appealing. Massage-grade sesame oil is cold pressed, which leaves a slightly raw odor. By using our Refining Plant B equipment for deodorization, we succeeded in eliminating that odor.

What do you find interesting about your work at Summit Oil Mill?

SakaOil has a simple structure – one glycerin plus three fatty acids. But the type, ratio and position of each component change the characteristics. Imagine glycerin with three hands: which components it holds hands with, and in what order, makes all the difference. We do not chemically modify oils; instead, we search nature for oils whose inherent properties meet our customers' needs.

Even for a single oil such as rapeseed, we handle different types for different purposes: "LE rapeseed oil (low erucic acid)" used in margarine production; "HE rapeseed oil (high erucic acid)" used to prevent static electricity in black garbage bags; and "region-specific cold-pressed rapeseed oil" popular among discerning foodies. Composition, production and refining methods lead to completely different applications. Simple yet profound – that is the fascination of oil.

Finally, as part of the Sumitomo Corporation Group and Japan's No.1 vegetable oil producer in terms of line-up, what are your future aspirations?

SakaSumitomo Corporation has many divisions and works with customers across a diverse range of industries. Because vegetable oils have many uses, collaboration lets us offer more beneficial proposals to customers. With pushes toward sustainability permeating the market, we're receiving more inquiries about making oils from seeds left over from producing canned fruit goods or tomato sauces, for example. We'd like to work together on such upcycling initiatives.