Zero Acre Farms Launches Organic Fera Fruit Oil, the First Organic Seed Oil-Free Frying Oil for Restaurant-Scale Performance

A first-to-market, seed oil-free solution that delivers longer fry life and cleaner results across U.S. restaurant kitchens

NEW YORK, April 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Zero Acre Farms, the company focused on bringing better oils to restaurants, announces the launch of Organic Fera fruit oil™ — a certified organic, single-ingredient fruit oil, offering a seed oil-free alternative to restaurant frying. As the first to introduce this organic oil to the U.S. foodservice market, Zero Acre Farms is establishing a new approach to high-heat cooking—one that moves beyond seed oils toward cleaner and better oils designed for stability, ingredient integrity and a clean-fried^® standard that introduces a new way of thinking about frying. For decades, oils used for frying have been the most widely used yet least examined ingredients in restaurant kitchens. The seed oils most commonly used for frying are high in polyunsaturated fats, which are less stable under prolonged high heat and more prone to breakdown, unwanted flavors, and degradation during continuous use. Clean-fried establishes a new standard defined by better oils, stronger performance under high heat and more intentional sourcing, giving restaurant operators a clear way to communicate to guests how food is prepared, similar to pasture-raised or grass-fed descriptions found on menus.

Hospitality Partners
Beginning on April 21, restaurants, hotels and foodservice operators can offer clean-fried dishes to guests, establishing a new industry standard for frying. Already adopted by hundreds of foodservice operators across the country, Organic Fera fruit oil is used in kitchens nationwide. The following is a representative selection of current partners:

Restaurants

• COTE Korean Steakhouse, COQODAQ, Undercote, Bar Chimera, New York City
• Craig's, Los Angeles
• Jitlada, Los Angeles
• Mezeh Mediterranean Grill, national locations
• Nami Nori, all properties nationwide
• Nixta Taqueria, Austin
• Press Burger, Connecticut
• Strange Delight, Brooklyn
• Vespertine, Meteora, Destroyer, Los Angeles

Grocery + Membership Clubs

• BIÂN, Chicago
• Happier Grocery, New York City

Hotels

• 1 Hotels, all properties nationwide
• Proper Hotels, all properties nationwide

"Cooking oil is one of the most ubiquitous ingredients in the food system, yet most restaurants are still frying in seed oils that easily break down under heat," says Jeff Nobbs, founder and chairman of Zero Acre Farms. "Many kitchens are already returning to more natural oils and fats like olive oil and beef tallow, and we see Fera as complementary to those options as a seed oil-free frying oil that chefs can use alongside those ingredients, not instead of them."

"For us, it's never just about what's on the plate, it's about the system behind it. Ingredients are a reflection of how they're grown, how they're produced, and the values that shape them," says Kyle Connaughton, chef and owner of SingleThread, a Michelin three star farm, restaurant & inn in Sonoma County. "Oils are such a foundational part of how we cook, yet they've become increasingly industrialized and disconnected from their origin. There's a real opportunity to rethink that. What Zero Acre Farms is doing brings the conversation back to how these ingredients are sourced and produced, and shows that even at scale, there's a more thoughtful, more intentional way forward."

How Organic Fera Fruit Oil Aims to Revolutionize Restaurant Frying
Organic Fera fruit oil delivers a lighter, cleaner crisp, stays fresh longer in the fryer, and can produce less smoke and odor in the kitchen—all without the chemical processing or additives used in most frying oils. Unlike seed oils such as soybean, canola, sunflower, and corn, which are typically extracted using high heat and chemical solvents, Organic Fera fruit oil is expeller-pressed directly from fruit, with nothing else added. The result is an oil that performs reliably under heat. It can last at least twice as long in commercial fryers, reducing the frequency of oil changes and improving cost-in-use, while producing a cleaner, less greasy crisp with minimal flavor transfer.

About Fera
Fera is pressed from the fruit of a distinct South American palm tree, oleifera x guineensis, a relative of other palm trees that produce coconuts, dates, and açaí berries. This unique type of palm fruit is naturally rich in monounsaturated fats, with 40% more healthy fats than standard palm oil and 60% less saturated fat than coconut oil, both of which are primarily saturated fat, solid at room temperature. Fera fruit oil, on the other hand, is naturally liquid and pourable at room temperature, with a clean, neutral taste and strong performance under heat. It also contains naturally occurring antioxidants, contributing to better performance in commercial kitchens.

Regenerative Farms & Responsible Production
Organic Fera fruit oil is sourced from organic regenerative farms in Colombia, where it is grown deforestation-free on perennial trees that protect existing ecosystems and produce for more than 25 years—reducing soil disruption and avoiding the need for annual monocrop replanting. Unlike seed oil crops, which rely on annual planting cycles that can be environmentally intensive and contribute to soil depletion over time, Fera is cultivated in a system designed to support long-term soil health. It is cultivated exclusively on existing agricultural land, with a strict commitment to never expanding into newly cleared land or peat soils. Fully traceable from farm to fryer, Fera reflects a more responsible approach to how oil is produced. The fruit's high oil content allows more oil to be produced per acre than with commodity oil crops, requiring significantly less land to deliver the same output, up to 95% less than soybean oil and 60% less than standard palm oil, making it a lower-impact choice at scale. After the oil is pressed, the remaining fruit pulp is composted and returned to the soil as natural fertilizer, reinforcing a closed-loop system that prioritizes soil health and long-term sustainability.

The Case For Rethinking Frying Oils
Restaurant frying is the highest-impact place to improve oil quality, both because it is a leading source of oil calories in the American diet and because it is where low quality oils become most damaging. Seed oils account for an estimated 80–90% of all frying oil used in U.S. restaurants. The issue isn't the seeds themselves, but what happens to their highly processed oils under heat: soybean, canola, sunflower, and corn oils are high in polyunsaturated fats, which are less stable under prolonged high heat. That can contribute to faster degradation, off-flavors, and the formation of unwanted breakdown compounds, such as toxic aldehydes, during frying. For example, independent research has found that food fried in certain seed oils can contain aldehyde levels far exceeding recommended daily exposure thresholds, raising broader questions about why the dominant frying medium in America is one that degrades under the very conditions it should withstand.

Organic Fera fruit oil Specs

• Product Benefits
  • Organic Fera fruit oil is built for high-performance frying at scale
  • Delivers longer fry life, consistent food quality, and improved operational efficiency
  • In testing, it lasts at least twice as long as typical frying oils, reducing oil change frequency, lowering waste, and improving overall cost in use
  • High smoke point and a clean, neutral flavor, Organic Fera fruit oil performs reliably under continuous high heat.
  • It produces a lighter, less greasy finish with minimal flavor transfer, allowing food to stay crisp and true to its intended taste
• Other Highlights
  • Seed oil-free
  • Expeller-pressed, no chemical processing
  • High smoke point
  • Zero cholesterol or artificial trans fats per serving
  • Higher in monounsaturated fats, lower in polyunsaturated fats
  • Not made from the top 9 allergens
  • Vegan
  • Chef-tested and kitchen-proven
• Certifications
  • Seed oil-free certified™
  • Non-GMO Project Verified
  • USDA Organic
  • OU Kosher Certified

Organic Fera fruit oil samples can be sent upon request through the Zero Acre Farms website here, and can be purchased at WebstaurantStore at a premium or through a local distributor where prices may vary. Because it lasts at least 2x longer in the fryer, operators use significantly less oil over time, often bringing the effective cost to within ~10% of common oils.

About Zero Acre Farms
Zero Acre Farms is on a mission to improve human and planetary health through better oils. Working with chefs, restaurants, and foodservice operators, the company brings high-performance cooking oils to the market designed to replace problematic seed oils used across the industry.

The company's cooking oils have been embraced by award-winning culinarians who love the Zero Acre difference: better tasting food with healthier fats and improved kitchen operations.

Its newest innovation, Organic Fera fruit oil, reflects Zero Acre Farms' mission to rethink one of the most overlooked ingredients in the food system. Made from a single-ingredient, antioxidant-rich fruit grown on certified organic farms, it offers a cleaner, more conscious approach to frying. Pressed from the fruit of an unconventional palm tree and designed for high-heat cooking, Organic Fera fruit oil delivers a neutral taste and extended fry life while holding up better under high heat, giving restaurants a new option for frying that has ingredient integrity for a cleaner frying result.

As a public benefit corporation and a first-of-its-kind enterprise focused on the impact of oil in foodservice, Zero Acre Farms has been featured in The New York Times, Food & Wine, and Bon Appétit, and was named one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies. For more information, visit ZeroAcre.com and follow us on Instagram.

Media Contact:

• Name: Jacqueline Hensel
• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: 203-246-8724

SOURCE Zero Acre Farms