Fat Replacers
High fat and cholesterol intake is linked to chronic disease all around the world. Therefore, it is up to the consumer to reduce the number of calories coming from fats. It is up to processors to provide substitutes that are compatible with the food system to make up for the positive attributes of fat.
What is a perfect fat replacer?
Perfect fat replacers must provide a range of functions and, ideally, should allow heat transfer, since fat is a heat exchange medium that enables rapid cooking. Texture, color and flavor are factors that could be affected by heat transfer.
Types of fat replacers
Fat replacers can be protein-based, carbohydrate-based or fat-based. Carbohydrate based replacers can be fully digestible, partially digestible or non-digestible, yielding 0-4 kcal/g. Compared with fat, this means a savings of 4-9 kcal/g. Here are some examples from each category.
| Carbohydrate-based | Fat-based | Protein-based |
| Microcrystalline cellulose | Caprenin | Egg whites |
| Carregeenan | Salatrim | Whey |
| Gelatin | Olestra | Simplesse |
| Pectin | ||
| Xanthan | ||
| Gellan | ||
| Algin | ||
| Locust bean | ||
| Inulin |