Lipid-Based Fat Replacers

Fewer calories (kcal) can be derived from fats if their molecular structure is modified so they are not absorbed as well, or if the length of fatty acids on the glycerol molecule is reduced. It is known that short- and medium-chain fatty acids provide fewer calories (kcal) than larger ones, which is why butyric acid, with only four carbon atoms, yeilds fewer calories (kcal) than palmitic acid, which contains sixteen carbons. Read more »

Protein-Based Fat Replacers

The venerable protein-based fat replacer that has been used in foods, particularly ground meat products, for many years is isolated soy protein. The USDA allows isolated soy protein at certain percentages to be added to ground meat, poultry products, cooked sausages, and cured pork. Read more »

Producing lower fat products often entails removing some of the fat and replacing it with some other ingredient, which is often a carbohydrate. Some of these fat replacers have a long history of being used in foods because of their thickening abilities. Read more »

Fat Replacers

One of the big challenges facing the food industry is that of reducing the fat content in foods without diminishing their taste and salability. One food industry survey in the early 1990s revealed that fat- and calorie-reduction was the leading research and development priority for 76 percent of food processors. Read more »