Potential Fat Replacer Research Articles

Cornstarch nanocrystals as a potential fat replacer in reduced fat O/W emulsions: A rheological and physical study

The objective of this study was to evaluate cornstarch nanocrystals (CSNC) suspensions (10, 12 and 14%) as a fat replacer in reduced fat emulsions (25% fat reduced: 25FR, 50% fat reduced: 50FR and 75%fat reduced: 75FR). Atomic force microscopy (AFM) showed rounded edge platelet-like particles with size around 10–150 nm. Sulfate content and zeta potential of CSNC were 0.21% and −34.6 mV, respectively. Nanocrystals crystallinity (36.8%) was higher than the source starch (25.7%). Rheological and physical properties of reduced fat emulsions were compared to full-fat emulsion (control, 80% fat). All the emulsions indicated good homogeneity (PDI = 0.21–0.29). There was no significant difference between the Z-average of the control and some samples (25FR with 14% CSNC, 50FR with 12% CSNC and 75FR with 10–12% CSNC). The reduced fat emulsions showed higher absolute zeta potential values (33.2–39.4 mV) than control (31.9 mV), resulting from the negatively charged surface of CSNC. Although the full-fat emulsion revealed the highest whiteness index (99.27), no significant changes were observed at the low levels of fat reduction and CSNC substitution. On the basis of dynamic rheological properties, the emulsions indicated a more solid like behavior as a result of fat reduction and CSNC addition, related to smaller droplet size and more negative charges. The reduced fat samples had more spreadability than the control. The results indicated a probable formation of nanocrystal network in the continuous phase, which trapped the oil droplets and prevented creaming after 6-month storage.

Starch as a potential fat replacer for application in cheese: Behaviour of different starches in casein/starch mixtures and in the casein matrix

The behaviour of different types of native starch (regular, waxy, and high-amylose maize starch) and modified starch (acetylated/adipate maize starch with regular basis and hydroxypropylated/phosphate maize starch with waxy basis) in mixtures with calcium caseinate (CN) and embedded in casein matrix were studied to understand the potential use of starch as a fat replacer in fresh cheese. In mixtures with CN, the modified starches showed high viscosities (peak and final), indicating high potential for water retention in cheese, as well as low peak temperature and low variation of enthalpy (ΔH), requiring thereby low gelatinisation temperatures. They also showed low tendency for retrogradation, high swelling power, and good thermomechanical resistance. Furthermore, due to the very low loss in whey of both modified starches and their presence embedded in the protein matrix acting as inert fillers, they can be considered as promising fat replacers in cheese.

Effect of partial replacement of fat with added water and tragacanth gum (Astragalus gossypinus and Astragalus compactus) on the physicochemical, texture, oxidative stability, and sensory property of reduced fat emulsion type sausage

This study aimed to investigate the effect of partial fat replacement with two species of gum tragacanth (Astragalus gossypinus and Astragalus compactus) on physicochemical, textural, oxidative stability, and acceptability of reduced fat emulsion type sausages. Increasing the concentration of both gums to 1%, minimized extractable fat and cook loss. A. gossypinus at the concentration of 1% was the most effective in retardation of TBARS formation in sausages (p < 0.05). Reduced-fat sausages with 1% A. gossypinus showed the lowest carbonyls at the end of storage (28 days) (p < 0.05). Sausages with 1% A. gossypinus or A. compactus showed the lowest shear force (~6 and ~7 N respectively) and hardness (~21 N/cm2) among all treatments (p < 0.05). The results suggested that A. gossypinus (1%) enhanced oxidative stability and textural properties. Addition of 0.5% A. gossypinus showed an acceptable sensory score of the sausage formulation and as a potential fat replacer in the reduced fat sausages.

Pectin from Citrus Canning Wastewater as Potential Fat Replacer in Ice Cream.

Pectin had been recovered from canning wastewater produced by chemical treatment of segment membrane during preparation of canned citrus in our previous research. The purpose of this study was to characterize the extracted pectin from canning wastewater, and to evaluate its application as a fat alternative to replace fat in ice cream. The monosaccharide composition and rheological properties of the pectin were determined. The influences of fat reduction and pectin addition on the physicochemical, rheological and sensory properties of low-fat ice cream were determined. The rheological results showed that pectin solutions were typical pseudoplastic fluids. The addition of pectin in ice cream can cause an increase in viscosity, overrun, and hardness, and a decrease in meltdown of the ice cream. When 0.72% pectin (w/w) is incorporated into ice cream, a prototype product of ice cream with 45% lower fat content compared to the control was made. Results indicated that their qualities such as appearance, flavor, and taste were not significantly different. The low-fat ice cream had higher smoothness scores and lower mouth-coating scores. Hence, pectin extracted from citrus canning wastewater can be potentially used as fat replacer in ice cream, which benefits both the environment and the food industry.

Physicochemical and textural properties of mozzarella cheese made with konjac glucomannan as a fat replacer

Konjac glucomannan (KGM) is a natural polysaccharide with several favorable nutritional characteristics, and exhibits functional properties as a potential fat-replacer in dairy products. In our study, composition, color and browning (L*, a* and b* before and after heating), and textural characteristics of low-fat and skimmed Mozzarella cheese with KGM (LFKGM and SKKGM) were compared with those of full-fat, low-fat and skimmed Mozzarella cheese controls (FFC, LFC and SKC) after 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days of storage at 4 °C. In general, LFKGM and SKKGM had similar composition to LFC and SKC, respectively, except that LFKGM had higher moisture than LFC and SKKGM had high aw than SKC. The LFKGM and SKKGM had higher L* (lightness) than LFC and SKC, respectively, and LFKGM had similar whiteness to FFC before and after heating. However, the browning factor was not affected by KGM addition. The a* values (greenness) of LFKGM and SKKGM were more negative than for LFC and SKC before and after heating. The b* values (yellowness) of LFKGM and SKKGM were higher than LFC and SKC, respectively. Grated SKKGM exhibited lower firmness than SKC, and LFKGM exhibited higher stickiness than LFC. The melted LFKGM and SKKGM had similar resistance and stretch quality to LFC and SKC when they were stretched, respectively. The changes in the lightness, moisture and firmness as affected by KGM addition in the cheeses were more close to those of full-fat cheese compared with the cheeses without KGM, indicating KGM would be a potential fat replacer to be used in Mozzarella cheese.

Double emulsions as potential fat replacers with gallic acid and quercetin nanoemulsions in the aqueous phases

The development of fat replacers to obtain healthier/functional foods is a constant challenge. With this aim, double emulsions (DE) with a blend of olive, linseed and fish oils as oil phase were developed. To prevent the oxidation of these oils, gallic acid and quercetin were incorporated in the internal and the external aqueous phase (W2), respectively, according to a factorial design. Considering the low solubility of quercetin in water, it was included in O/W nanoemulsions (QN), thus being freely dispersible in W2. The antioxidant activity in DE was attributed to QN, which significantly improved the oxidative stability of DE/QN. Furthermore, DE/QN showed good physical stability with a limited coalescence during storage at 4 °C for 28 days, significantly longer than time usually required for food ingredients. Therefore, DE/QN could be used as potential fat replacer in a variety of food formulations, providing blends of fatty acids consistent with dietary recommendations.

Textural, microstructural, and dynamic rheological properties of low-fat meat emulsion containing aloe gel as potential fat replacer

ABSTRACTThe effect of aloe gel (AG) and vegetable oil (VO) as animal fat replacers on the texture, dynamic rheology, microstructure, and oxidative stability of low-fat meat emulsions was evaluated. There was no difference in complex viscosity (η*), G’0 - G’’0, and An values between 50% fat replacement and full-fat meat emulsion samples. In all the samples, the G′ values were much higher than G″ values with a small frequency dependency. In low-fat meat emulsion (50% fat replacement) samples, the difference between G’ and G’’ was higher which suggested strong matrix network structure. Hardness and springiness values were affected (P < 0.05) by addition of AG and were in agreement with dynamic rheological parameters (G’ and G’’). The scanning electron microscopic (SEM) images of meat emulsion samples containing 50% AG showed more regular, compact, and dense continuous phase as compared to other samples. Higher oxidative stability (low TBARs) was observed (P < 0.05) in samples which contained AG.

An artificial neural network approach to estimating the enzymatic hydrolysis of Chinese yam (Dioscorea opposita Thunb.) starch

Reasonable hydrolysis of starches could be used to partly replace fat in food. The Chinese yam starch hydrolysates were investigated based on DE value and inverted microscope. Photomicrographs clearly showed that the sizes of starch hydrolysate granules had been reduced effectively. A three-layer back-propagation neural network (BPNN) network was designed based on the results of orthogonal design experiment with a L18(35) array, and the BPNN network architecture contained 5, 4, 1 neuron in the input layer, the hidden layer, and the output layer, respectively. The hydrolysis conditions and DE values were considered as input and output variables, respectively, and they were utilized to train the BPNN network. The network configuration could be used to predict the DE values of starch hydrolysates with correlation coefficient of 0.9550. Moreover, variable importance analysis indicated that the descending sequence of the five variables was: enzyme concentration, reaction temperature, pH, starch concentration, and reaction time. Practical applications Excessive intake of fats would cause some health problems. It is very necessary to reduce the amount of fat in consumers’ diet and to produce the low-fat food. Starch hydrolysates are considered to be a kind of potential fat replacer. It can provide fewer calories. However, starch hydrolysis is highly nonlinear because of the complexity and variability of the processing conditions. Traditional experiment data analysis methods, such as the “pick the winner” approach, are impotent to find optima. In the current study, Chinese yam starch hydrolysates were obtained by enzymatic hydrolysis. The relationship between hydrolysis variables and DE values of starch hydrolysates was described by artificial neural network model. The model could be used to guide the production of the starch-based fat replacer. Furthermore, Chinese yam could be adequately developed as a good source of starch in East Asia, and its added value was also enhanced.

Mixing behaviour of WPI-pectin-complexes in meat dispersions: impact of biopolymer ratios.

Particulated complexes composed of oppositely charged biopolymers were incorporated into highly concentrated protein matrices as potential fat replacers and structuring agents. A multistep procedure was therefore utilized to generate process-stable complexes, which were subsequently embedded into emulsion-type sausages, whereas macro- and microstructural properties were then assessed. Firstly, stock WPI and sugar beet pectin solutions were mixed under neutral conditions (pH 7) at various biopolymer ratios r (2 : 1, 5 : 1, 8 : 1). Secondly, the pH of the biopolymer mixture was decreased to 3.5 to promote associative complexation. Thirdly, electrostatically attracted biopolymer particles were subjected to a heat treatment (ϑ = 85 °C, 20 min) to enhance their stability against superimposed stresses. Finally, fat-reduced emulsion-type sausages were fabricated containing stable WPI-pectin complexes. The results revealed that the heat treatment increased the pH-stability of the biopolymer complexes. In addition, textural and sensorial analysis demonstrated that the meat products became increasingly soft as the biopolymer ratio r increased. This effect was attributed to thermodynamic incompatibility between meat proteins and beet pectin. The results obtained from this study might have important implications for the fabrication of processed meat products with reduced fat levels.

Influence of double (w1/o/w2) emulsion composition on lubrication properties.

Double (w1/o/w2) emulsions are potential fat replacers in foods. Fats are known for their lubricating properties, which contribute to texture perception. It is therefore of interest to understand how the composition of double emulsions influences lubrication properties. This study focuses on the understanding of the influence of the fraction of inner dispersed aqueous phase w1 and the gelation of the w1 droplets on the lubrication properties of double emulsions. The addition of an inner water phase w1 to the oil droplets decreased friction at low entrainment speeds due to adsorption of the lipophilic emulsifier polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR) at the hydrophobic tribo-surface. At higher entrainment speeds, double emulsions with w1 fractions of up to 6% (corresponding to fat reduction of 20%) displayed comparable tribological behavior as full-fat single (o/w2) emulsions. For double emulsions with gelled w1 droplets at higher w1 fractions of up to 15% (corresponding to fat reduction of 50%), an increase in friction was observed compared to full-fat single (o/w2) emulsions. The increase in friction is probably related to the presence of gelled droplets expelled from the inner w1 into the outer w2 phase, and to the deformability of (w1/o) droplets. Lubrication decreased when gelled particles were expelled from the inner w1 phase to the outer w2 phase. Lubrication also decreased when the deformability of (w1/o) droplets decreased, since less deformable (w1/o) droplets spread less easily on the tribo-pair surface. Knowledge about lubrication properties of double emulsions can be used in future studies to relate composition to sensory perception and develop double emulsions further as fat replacers.

Emulsion gels as potential fat replacers delivering β-glucan and healthy lipid content for food applications.

Oat emulsion gels and oil-free oat gels were formulated with varying proportions of oat bran/olive oil (from 12/40 to 28/0) without or with alginate or gelatin used as animal fat replacers and/or to provide β-glucan and MUFA for meat products. Composition, technological properties (thermal stability, colour, texture, etc.) and the effects of chilled and frozen storage of samples were evaluated. Depending on the proportion, samples developed for use as animal fat replacers in meat products may endow these with properties qualifying them for nutrition and health claims. No samples showed any noticeable syneresis and all showed good thermal stability. Increasing of oat bran/olive oil increased a* and reduced b* values, while differences in L* depended on the gelling agent. Penetration force (PF) and gel strength increased when the oat bran/oil ratio increased, with the highest values in the samples containing alginate or gelatin. Thermal losses and PF generally increased during chilled and frozen storage, and no significant differences were observed in colour or pH over storage.

Chemical Composition and Functional Properties of Selected Seaweeds from the Kenya Coast

The aim of the study was to determine the chemical and functional properties of five Kenyan seaweed species namely; (Hypnea musciformis, Eucheuma denticulatum, Laurencia intermedia, Sargassum oligocystum, Ulva fasciata) as a potential fat replacer in chicken sausage processing. The proximate composition was investigated using the standard AOAC methods, while the nitrogen-free extract (NFE) was determined by weight difference of the proximate components. The seaweeds were analyzed for mineral composition using atomic absorption spectrophotometry while the fatty acid profile was determined by gas chromatography. The water holding capacity and the emulsion capacity of the seaweed were determined using AACC procedures. The highest proximate component was NFE (65.06 %) while the least was crude fat (0.87 %). Among the nine minerals analyzed, calcium was the highest (1185.29 mg/100g) while lead was not detected. Saturated fatty acids (SFA) were the highest with a range of 53.03-71.05 % followed by monounsaturated fatty acids (4.83-17.71%) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) (2.75 - 10.13%). The highest emulsifying activity was obtained in Ulva fasciata (75.66 %) and Eucheuma denticulatum (75.69 %) while the lowest was obtained in Sargassum oligocystum (59.19 %). The highest water holding capacity was obtained in Sargassum oligocystum (13.75ml/g) while the lowest was recorded in Eucheuma denticulatum (8.42ml/g) and Ulva fasciata (9.16ml/g). The findings of this study demonstrated the potential of seaweeds in improving the chemical and functional characteristics of processed foods.

Partial Fat Replacement by Boiled Quinoa on the Quality Characteristics of a Dry-Cured Sausage.

Different approaches have been previously studied in order to reduce the fat content of dry-cured sausages. Among them, the use of polysaccharides, such as fiber, gums, or starch, have been proposed for fat replacing. Although scarcely studied, it is likely that starchy grains and vegetables might also be used as potential fat replacers in those sausages. Quinua is a starchy seed with high nutritive value, which contains substances of technological interest in dry-cured manufacturing. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of replacing fat by quinoa on the quality characteristics of a small diameter dry-cured sausage. Three types of sausages were prepared: a control (C; no fat replacement; 30% of pork back-fat), a quinoa half-fat (50% of fat replacement; 15% of pork back-fat), and a quinoa low-fat (LF; 85% of fat replacement; 4.5% of pork back-fat) sausage. Sausages were analyzed for proximate and microbial composition, volatile compounds, and instrumental texture and color. Descriptive and hedonic sensory analyses were also performed. Fat reduction resulted in higher aw , protein content, hardness, chewiness and redness values and spice-derived volatile levels, and in lower cohesiveness values (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the descriptive sensory analysis showed a higher pungent flavor and lower juiciness in LF sausages than in C sausages (P < 0.05). In spite of those differences, fat reduction did not result in a decreased overall acceptance of the sausages by consumers.

Impact of octenyl succinylation on rheological, pasting, thermal and physicochemical properties of pearl millet (Pennisetum typhoides) starch

The impact of octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA) esterification was investigated on rheological, pasting, thermal and physicochemical properties of pearl millet (Pennisetum typhoides) starch. Starch was esterified with 3% OSA at four reaction times viz. 2 (OSA-2H), 3 (OSA-3H), 4 (OSA-4H), and 5 h (OSA-5H). Degree of substitution (DS) increased significantly (p < h.05) from 0.018 to 0.022 with increasing reaction time and peak height at 1724 cm−1 in fourier transform infrared spectroscopy increased with increase in DS. Resistant starch and oil absorption capacity increased significantly (p < 0.05) from 2.41 to 13.72% and 1.31–2.67 g/g, respectively with increasing DS. Significant increase was observed in peak, hot paste, cold paste and breakdown viscosity upon OSA esterification while, pasting temperature and setback ratio decreased. Storage modulus, loss modulus and strain increased upon OSA esterification. Herschel Bulkley model was found best fitted with R2 values 0.997 and 0.995 for native and OSA-3H (DS 0.0208) gels, respectively. Consistency index decreased from 13.57 to 2.25 and 27.30 to 1.84 for native and OSA-3H, respectively with increase in temperature from 5 to 85 °C. Gelatinization temperature and enthalpy of gelatinization decreased significantly. OSA-starch gels exhibited good proportioning, homogeneous mixing and self leveling characteristics making them potential fat replacers.

Physico chemical, microstructural and sensory characteristics of low‐fat meat emulsion containing aloe gel as potential fat replacer

SummaryIn this study, a possible use of aloe gel (AG) as a potential fat replacer in the manufacture of low‐fat meat emulsion was investigated. The low‐fat meat emulsions with added AG and vegetable oil (VO) in different proportions [AG7.5 (7.5% AG + 7.5% VO); AG5 (5% AG + 10% VO); AG2.5 (2.5% AG + 12.5% VO)] were compared with full‐fat meat emulsion [Control (15% VO only)]. A substantial fat reduction (P &lt; 0.05) up to 50% as compared to full‐fat control meat emulsion was recorded without compromising other sensory attributes of meat emulsion. Microstructural properties as studied by scanning electron microscopy indicated more homogenous regular emulsion matrix with fewer cracks and more regular shaped oil droplets in AG‐added samples than the control samples.

Fat Mimicking Properties of Citric Acid Treated Sweet Potato Starch

Fat mimicking properties of citric acid treated sweet potato starch were investigated in this present study. Citric acid treated sweet potato starch was prepared by treating the native sweet potato starch with 3% citric acid for 6 h at a temperature of 45°C. Dextrose equivalent value of citric acid treated sweet potato starch was 2.05%. A significant increase in amylose content was noticed in citric acid treated sweet potato starch possibly due to the lyses of amylopectin fractions. The melting temperature of citric acid treated sweet potato starch was 51.44°C, which was close to the melting point of fat. Citric acid treated sweet potato starch exhibited superior water holding capacity and in vitro digestibility. Gel strength and enthalpy (∆H) of citric acid treated sweet potato starch were comparatively lower than native sweet potato starch; correspondingly, citric acid treated sweet potato starch confirmed a low pasting profile. Native sweet potato starch and citric acid treated sweet potato starch exhibited a shear-thinning behavior. Acid treatment did not alter the granule size of native sweet potato starch (≈8 µm). Hence, this study concluded that citric acid treated sweet potato starch would be used as a potential fat replacer in food preparations due to its fat mimicking properties.

Pectin-enriched Material from Mandarin Orange Byproducts as a Potential Fat Replacer in Cookies

The production of mandarin orange canned on an industrial level leads to a considerable quantity of residue, which is still considered as waste or used as a complement in agriculture. In general, mandarin orange byproducts have no economic value, even though their composition is rich in soluble sugars, cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin and essential oils that could form the basis of several industrial processes. The purpose of this study was to characterize pectin from byproducts and to study their application as a fat replacer in cookies. When pectin solutions were subjected to steady-shear measurements, shear-thinning behavior was observed. The flow behaviors could be described by the Cross model (R2 = 0.84), and temperature effects were investigated by the Arrhenius equation. When pectin-enriched material were incorporated into cookie formulations in place of shortening (semisolid fat generally used in baked foods) up to 30 % by the weight of shortening, the cookie spread diameter was reduced while the color has no significant difference with control. Surprisingly, the use of mandarin orange pectin at different prosentation as fat replacer reduce the fat content significantly. Thus mandarin orange pectin proved to be a promising alternative as a fat replacer in cookies production.

Effect of gelation of inner dispersed phase on stability of (w1/o/w2) multiple emulsions

The use of water-in-oil-in-water (w1/o/w2) multiple emulsions offers a method for the reduction of oil in foods. In this study we investigated the influence of osmotic pressure tailoring and gelation of the inner dispersed w1 water droplets on the stability and yield of multiple emulsions. Yield is defined as the percentage of water retained in the inner dispersed phase w1 after preparation, storage, heat or shear treatment. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to determine the yield. Gelation of the inner aqueous phase w1 by gelatin or whey protein isolate increased stability and yield of multiple emulsions after preparation, storage (after 7 days at 20 °C), shear (5 min at 10,000 rpm) and heat treatment (30 min at 97 °C) by 20%–50% compared to reference emulsions. Yield and emulsion stability were correlated to oil droplet sizes and the mechanical properties of the gelled inner dispersed droplets. Yield increased with increasing fracture stress and modulus of gelled w1 droplets. We conclude from the present study that stable food-grade multiple (w1/o/w2) emulsions can be prepared by gelling the inner dispersed phase. These multiple emulsions are able to withstand shear and heat treatments. This provides opportunities to use these emulsions as potential fat replacers in foods.

Effects of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) as fat replacers on the microstructure and sensory characteristics of fried beef patties

Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) or carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) can be used as potential fat replacers; both are non-digestible fibers. The objective of this study was, therefore, to assess the impact of added CMC/MCC on the microstructural/functional characteristics of beef patties. Therefore, low-fat beef patties were formulated with CMC/MCC at concentrations of 0.5–3.0 wt%. For this formulation, 10 wt% of the ground beef was replaced using a dispersion of CMC or MCC in water. The influence of the addition of MCC and CMC on the sensory characteristics, such as the texture, color, taste, flavor, and juiciness, of fried beef patties was evaluated by using a hedonic scale from 0 to 10 (5 = optimal). The confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) measurements and sensory evaluation all indicated that addition of CMC (>1 wt%) led to destabilization of the microstructure, sensory quality and texture of fried beef patties, which, upon heating, could no longer be converted into a protein network with coarse meat and fat particles, a fact that was also revealed in the CLSM images. By contrast, the CLSM images prove that MCC was highly compatible with the matrix and improved the texture in the sensory evaluation with increasing concentration compared to the control. The best sensory evaluation achieved was with the beef patties containing 2 wt% MCC. Generally, hot samples containing MCC had more juiciness than the control and had a fat-like mouthfeel. Contrarily, CMC is not suitable as a fat replacer in concentrations more than 0.5 wt%.

Physical and sensory aspects of maltodextrin gel addition used as fat replacers in confectionery filling systems

Confectionery fillings are products used in confectionery and baking industry containing approximately 30–40 g fat/100 g product. Due to the high fat content, they have considerable high caloric value. Therefore, there is a trend to decrease fat content in confectionery filling formulations. The objective of this study was to investigate the feasibility of using two types of maltodextrin gels as potential fat replacers in confectionery fillings.Vegetable fat was partially replaced by potato maltodextrin and specially derived waxy-maize maltodextrin aqueous gels (15 and 20 g/100 g) in three different ratios (5, 10 and 15 g/100 g). The increase in the amount of fat reduction resulted in an increase in hardness and change in colour of the final product. According to sensory analysis performed by trained sensory panel as well as by measurements of product acceptance–preference performed by untrained panellists (consumers), confectionery filling with 5 g/100 g fat reduction had the highest scores. However, according to product acceptance–preference test, it was estimated that the final product with 15 g/100 g fat reduction was also sensory acceptable.