Food Chemistry: Fat Substitutes

Example of fat substitute that is not absorbed

Olestra

Examples of where Olestra is used

Potato chips, corn chips, cheese puffs, crackers, doughnuts, pastries, pies, cakes, cookies, ice cream, French fries, fried chicken, fried fish, onion rings., margarines and cheeses.

What do substitutes or fat replaces do?

Provide the sensory and functional qualities normally provided by fat.

Protein-based fat substitutes cannot

be used for deep-frying.

Carrageenan

Has been used since the early 1960s as an emulsifier, stabilizer, and thickener, but is now commonly used to replace fat in foods, as is guar gum, which has been used as a thickener for nearly a hundred years.

Salatrim (BenefatT)

- 5kcal/g (about half of regular fats) - Short and long-chain acid triglyceride molecules (fat based) - Partially absorbed in the digestive tract - Adapted for use in confections, baked goods, dairy and other applications. - chocolate chips

Nu-Trim

- A beta-glucan rich fat replacer made from oat and barley using an extraction process that removes coarse fiber components. - The resulting product can be used in foods and beverages such as baked goods, milk, cheese and ice cream, yielding products that are both reduced fat and high in beta-glucan.

Which is better for you: Half cup of ice cream or 3 scoops of sorbet?

- A half cup of ice cream - If you eat what you're craving, you're more likely to feel satisfied and eat less. And scoop for scoop sorbet contains twice the sugar with none of the filling dairy protein and fat.

Which is better for you: Low fat Greek yogurt or 100 calorie Yoplait yogurt?

- Answer: 2% Greek Yogurt - A little fat is good in the morning to keep you full—plus it has upwards of 17g of protein per container. - Fat-free "fruit" yogurt is high in sugar—7 to 10 g per serving—and lower in protein

Gums

- Blocked Throat and Intestine - Do not take guar gum supplements, such as those sold for weight control, if you have difficulty swallowing or an intestinal obstruction.** - Be sure to carefully follow instructions on the package. Don't use more than the recommended dose, and always drink at least a cup of water or more, depending on the directions. - FDA has banned guar gum as a weight loss pill due to reports of the substance swelling and obstructing the intestines and esophagus

Olestra (Olean®)

- Calorie-free ingredient made from sucrose and edible fats and oils. - Not metabolized and unabsorbed by the body (much larger than regular fat). - Approved by the FDA for use in replacing the fat used to make salty snacks and crackers. - Interferes with the absorption of fat-soluble nutrients (including vitamins A, D, E, and K), phytochemicals, and also prescription drugs that are soluble in fat. - Stable under high heat food applications such as frying. Has the potential for numerous other food applications.

Maltodextrins

- Carb based fat replacer - CrystaLean®, Lorelite, Lycadex®, MALTRIN®, Paselli®D-LITE, Paselli®EXCEL, Paselli®SA2, STAR-DRI® - Four calorie/gram gel or powder derived from carbohydrate sources such as corn, potato, wheat and tapioca. - Used as fat replacer, texture modifier or bulking agent. - Applications include baked goods, dairy products, salad dressings, spreads, sauces, frostings, fillings, processed meat, frozen desserts, extruded products and beverages.

Function of Fat

- Contributes to flavor, or the combined perception of mouthfeel, taste, and aroma/odor - Contributes to creaminess, appearance, palatability, texture, and lubricity of foods and increases the feeling of satiety during meals.

Modified Whey Protein Concentrate (Dairy-Lo®)

- Controlled thermal denaturation results in a functional protein with fat-like properties. - Applications include: milk/dairy products (cheese, yogurt, sour cream, ice cream), baked goods, frostings, as well as salad dressing and mayonnaise-type products.

Z-Trim

- Developed by the USDA for blending with Oatrim, is an indigestible insoluble fiber made from the high-cellulose portion of the hulls of oats, soybeans, peas, rice, or bran from corn or wheat. - In gel form, Z-trim is suitable for frying hamburgers, for example, but is not suitable for deep fat frying. - Commercial availability is expected to follow completion of commercial processed

The Role of Fat Replacers in Healthy Diets

- Fat replacers have opened the door for a new generation of reduced-fat foods that have the taste and texture of the high-fat foods consumers enjoy, but without unnecessary calories, cholesterol or fat. - Provide an opportunity for individuals to reduce intake of high-fat foods and enjoy reduced-fat formulations of familiar foods while preserving basic food selection patterns

Sorbestrin

- Low-calorie, heat stable, liquid fat substitute composed of fatty acid esters of sorbitol and sorbitol anhydrides. - Has approximately 1.5 calories per gram and is suitable for use in all vegetable oil applications including fried foods, salad dressing, mayonnaise and baked goods.

Fat based substitutes

- Macromolecules that physically and chemically resemble triglycerides (conventional fats and oils) and which can theoretically replace the fat in foods on a one-to-one, gram-for-gram basis. - Substances that have some of the same properties as fat, but are not recognized by the body as such and are thereby not absorbed.

Which is better for you: A low fat cookie or dark chocolate

- People believe fat free is calorie free - Go for the dark chocolate filled with antioxidants and not high carbs, sugar and fake sugar.

Inulin

- Raftiline®, Fruitafit®, Fibruline® - Carb based - Reduced-calorie (1 to 1.2 calorie/gram) fat and sugar replacer, fiber and bulking agent extracted from chicory root. - Used in yogurt, cheese, frozen desserts, baked goods, icings, fillings, whipped cream, dairy products, fiber supplements and processed meats.

Microparticulated Protein (Simplesse®)

- Reduced-calorie (1-2 calorie/gram) ingredient made from whey protein or milk and egg protein. - Digested as a protein. - Applications, including: dairy products (e.g., ice cream, butter, sour cream, cheese, yogurt), salad dressing, margarine- and mayonnaise-type products, as well as baked goods, coffee creamer, soups and sauces.

Esterified Propoxylated Glycerol (EPG)

- Reduced-calorie fat replacer. - May partially or fully replace fats and oils in all typical consumer and commercial applications, including formulated products, baking and frying.

Can Fat Substitutes Help to Reduce Dietary Fat?

- Reduced-fat versions of food products can significantly reduce the amount of fat that people eat. - Still has calories and they may not be all that different from the full fat product due to other ingredients added

Which is better for you: Fat free salad dressing or regular salad dressing?

- Regular salad dressing - To absorb fat soluble vitamins like Vitamins E and K in vegetables you need to consume them with a fat to aid nutrient absorption. - Fat-free dressing, meanwhile, is low-calorie but gets its flavor from added sugar and salt

Fat mimetics

- Substances that imitate organoleptic (smell) or physical properties of triglycerides but which cannot replace fat on a one-to-one, gram-for-gram basis. - **Often called protein- or carbohydrate-based fat replacers - The caloric value of fat mimetics ranges from 0-4 kcal/g. - Adsorb a substantial amount of water.

Oatrim

- The mouthfeel of oatrim mimics that of regular triglycerides. - Developed by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture's (USDA) National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research (Peoria, Ill.)

GOOD FAT

- The right kind (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) can lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and raise good cholesterol (HDL). - Fat helps regulate hormones and your nervous system, aids vitamin absorption, encourages healthy blood vessels, enhances bone health and boosts your immune system.

Simplesse®

- whey protein - The caloric value of Simplesse, on a dry basis, is 4 kcal/g.

Protein-based fat substitutes applications

Cheese, yogurt, sour cream, frozen desserts such as ice cream, mayonnaise, and salad dressing.

Fat is the most _________ source of energy in the diet, providing how many calories?

Concentrated; providing 9 kcal/g compared to 4 kcal/g for proteins and carbohydrates.

Protein-based fat substitutes Sources

Egg, milk, whey, soy, gelatin, and wheat gluten.

Which is better for you: Real butter or spray on fake butter?

Serving sizes for spray butters (even low calorie ones) are around 1/3 nd spray. Perhaps it is better to use butter because no one knows what 1.3nd spray is, and it is a lot less ingredients than the 20 found in spray butters.

Protein-based fat substitutes

Some are microparticulated (sheared under heat) to form microscopic coagulated round deformable particles that mimic the mouthfeel and texture of fat.

Two groups of fats substitutes

fat substitutes and fat mimetics

Many fat substitutes are simply old ingredients used in new ways, example

the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved polydextrose for use as a moisture-binding agent in the early 1980s, but more recently it has been used as a fat substitute.