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 »

Lard / Tallow

Lard, which is the fat from swine, was the major shortening in use in the early 1900s. Tallow, like lard, is an animal fat but it is derived from beef cattle or sheep. Because both are from animal sources, they are primarily saturated fat. They cannot be used for their shortening power in food preparation without first being rendered (melted down); for commercial use, the rendered fat is then deodorized. Read more »

Process of Hydrogenation

Hydrogenation is a commercial process that makes fats and oils more solid, allows them to be heated to higher temperatures before smoking, and increases their shelf life or that of the foods coated with them. The process of hydrogenation is facilitated with the aid of a metal catalyst (nickel, copper, platinum, or paladium) and the presence of pressure and heat. Read more »

Winterizing

Some vegetable oils, when stored in the refrigerator, do not stay completely liquid. The cooler temperatures may result in cloudiness from the crystallization of certain fatty acids that have a higher melting point than their neighboring fatty acids. This cloudiness may be eliminated by winterizing the oil - a commercial process that lowers the temperature of the oil, allowing the fatty acids with higher melting points to crystallize so that they may be filtered out. Read more »

Tropical Oils

The higher amounts of saturated fats in coconut, palm, and palm kernel oil, popularly known as the “tropical oils”, made them popular in the past with the food industry for use in cereals, candy, baked items, chocolate coatings for ice cream bars, pressurized whipped toppings, dog and cat food, and other products requiring a long shelf life. Read more »

About Olive Oil

Olive oil, which is considered a specialty oil, is more expensive than most other vegetable oils. Despite its higher price, olive oil consumption has increased among health-conscious consumers because of its high monounsaturated fatty acid content (78 percent). Unrefined olive oil are also popular in Italian dishes and salad dressings for their full flavor. Read more »

Different Types of Oils

Many different types of oils are available for food preparation purposes, and the type of oil used depends on the desired outcome. The first factor to consider when selecting an oil is its flavor or lack thereof. The bland, mild flavor and heat stability of soybean, corn, and safflower oils make them ideal for frying. Read more »