Sorting fat from fiction

Prepared Foods, Oct, 2002 by Kellie Fischer

With low- and no-fat products, consumers have become accustomed to a certain reduction in eating quality associated with many--but not all--of these products. It will be interesting to see how consumers react when trans fats are labeled and additional health claims for various healthy lipids appear in the future. Ultimately, this will drive the development process, but the timing of these products will be dependent on the availability of suitable replacements.

During the most recent IFT meeting in Anaheim, Calif., one supplier indicated that the company is commercially "ready" with a reduced trans all-purpose shortening. This supplier indicated the reduced-trans product contains an 80% reduction in trans fatty acids when compared to other shortenings and can be used as a drop-in replacement. Applications work conducted internally potentially minimizes reformulation efforts for cookies, biscuits, pie crust, cakes and icings. Other suppliers indicate their liquid shortening products have reduced trans options but that they are still working on trans reduction in solid shortenings.

The challenge is to reduce the level of trans fatty acids without increasing the saturated fatty acid levels. Product developers may find they require further assistance with ingredients and technologies from specialty fat suppliers and non-fat ingredient manufacturers.

Website Resources:

www.ifst.org/hottop9.htm -- U.K's institute of Food Science & Technology page on trans fats

http://napa.ntdt.udel.edu/trans/default.html -- University of Delaware searchable database of trans fat content of foods

http://ific.org/proactive/newsroom/

release.vtml?id=11762 -- International Food Information Council Foundation (IFIC) Q&A

www.cottonseed.org/links.htm -- Links to oil organizations, government statistics and research organizations

www.iseo.org -- Institute of Shortening and Edible Oils

www.PreparedFoods.com -- Use "trans fats" or "trans fatty acids" in keyword search field

www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/NEW00698.html -- FDA'S 1999 proposed trans fat labeling

www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4776

-- American Heart Assoc. page on trans fats

RELATED ARTICLE: Healthful Lipids

Fats and oils are not immune to the functional food trend. Designer lipids and modified fats and oils are being assessed for their ability to impart health-promoting benefits. Perhaps the term "healthful lipids" would be more appropriate and consumer-friendly in terms of promoting the virtues of fats and oils.

An emerging trend in fats and oils is in the area of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids such as certain fatty acids of the omega-3 and -6 families, and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). The difficulty of fortifying products with these ingredients, or any nutritional ingredient, is highly dependent on the level needed to reach any claim that the food producer hopes to advertise.

Highly unsaturated fatty acids in their liquid form, currently, are less feasible due to their limited shelf life. Some suppliers offer many of these lipids in a highly concentrated powder form that makes them easy to odd to food products. Other advice previously noted in PF includes use of adequate packaging and adding the easily-oxidized fats toward the end of processing, to minimize exposure to heat, light and air.