Ferré & Consulting Blog (English Version)

Using new emulsifiers or combining high structurizing fats with low saturated fat oils can help overcome the technical challenges involved in saturated fat reduction, said Barry Callebaut as it launches an extended healthier product line.

The Swiss headquartered group said following increased consumer demand for products that are lower in saturated fats (SAFA) and in anticipation of new EU measures, the company has reformulated its filling and coating applications along those lines, without “compromising on technical functionality or taste.”

Zurich based Callebaut reveals that its confectionery fillings have SAFA reductions of up to 60 per cent, while 80 per cent of its bakery fillings are low in those particular fats.

In addition, the supplier commented that it can achieve up to 35 per cent reduction of SAFA in its biscuit and confectionery coatings and 50 per cent in terms of ice cream coatings without affecting quality parameters such as taste and texture or impacting cooling time.

Reformulation of products along healthier lines is billed as part of the struggle against obesity, along with increased physical activity and education efforts.

The European food information legislation, now in second reading, will most likely include a Guideline Daily Amounts (GDA)-like scheme for giving percentages of daily maximum saturated fat per portion on a label.

Technical challenges

But reducing sugar or fat in products presents challenges to manufacturers, as these nutrients perform functional roles in products beyond just making them taste good. For instance, they can play a role in texture and preservation.

Hans Vriens, chief innovation officer at Barry Callebaut, said that reducing SAFA – without (re)-introducing trans-fatty-acids – can result in a loss of a certain hardness and consistency of the end-product and it also has a high impact on crystallization behaviour.

However, he told this publication that the supplier was able to overcome these technical challenges through approaches that involve the combination of a low dosage of high structurizing fats with a high percentage of low SAFA oils, or fat reduction through the use of new processing techniques or new emulsifiers.

Vriens said that, in some cases, the incorporation of specialty fats and interesterification techniques can also address the potential functional loss arising from fat reduction efforts.

And he added that part of the fats can be replaced by the other ingredients used in compounds and fillings such as cocoa powder, milk powder and fibres.

Lower hydrogenated fat

Callebaut said that it has also been taking major steps to dramatically reduce the use of hardened (hydrogenated) fats in its confectionery fillings and coatings while still maintaining high standards of taste and quality.

“To put this reduction in perspective, the hydrogenated fat content of Barry Callebaut products has been reduced from 47 per cent to 20 per cent in just eight years.

Barry Callebaut has also drastically reduced the trans-fatty-acid content of all vegetable oils in use since 2002 (from 6.1 per cent to 1.3 per cent),” said the ingredients supplier.

As a result, it continued, practically all trans-fatty-acids have been eliminated from the vast majority of its products.

Source: Bakery and Snacks

Chocolate, Ingredients Callebaut, Emulsifiers, fats, formulation, SAFA

An emulsified blend of palm stearin and palm oil may create a margarine with better functional characteristics for use in hydrogenated-fat free food products, according to a new study.

The research, published in the Journal of Food Science, suggests new insight into the chemical composition and crystallization regime of palm oil and oil-based products produced by blending or emulsification. The authors said that such information is important for defining the uses of such products in food products such as margarine, shortening, and butter.

The profile of palm oil makes it a natural contender to replace hydrogenated fats in solid-fat food formulations – where it has been suggested that the use of palm oil could virtually eliminate trans- fatty acid content.

Palm oils

According to the authors, the ability of palm oil to crystallize has made it an attractive option for the production of trans-fat free margarine.

They added that palm stearin expresses similar crystallization behaviour and is considered one of the best substitutes of hydrogenated oils due to its capability to impart the required level of plasticity and body to the finished product.

However, palm stearin can not be used directly for edible purposes because it exhibits incomplete melting at body temperature, due to the high-melting point of its triacylglycerols. Generally, palm stearin is blended with palm oil to produce a blend with a melting point below body temperature (37 °C).

Previous studies have focused on the thermal behaviour of edible oils and blends of oils and fats. Whilst the crystallization of oils and fats are well documented, the authors noted that there is limited information regarding the mechanisms related to crystallization and emulsification.

Experimental margarine fats, formulated with palm oil and palm stearin in different ratios were subjected to an emulsification process and analysed for total triacylglycerols, solid fat content, and thermal behaviour. In addition, the microstructure properties, including size and number of crystals, were determined for experimental margarine fat and commercial margarine fats.

Study details

The researchers observed that blending and emulsification at palm stearin levels over 40 per cent significantly changed the physicochemical and microstructure properties of experimental margarine fat – as compared to commercial margarine fats.

They reported that the blend resulted in a “desirable” dipalmitoyl-oleoyl-glycerol content of less than 36.1 per cent solid fat content at 37 °C.

“The development of primary crystals within palm oil -based margarine fat was dominated by high-melting triacylglycerols … whilst the addition of a small dose of monoacylglycerol delayed the emergence of undesirable changes in the margarine fats,” said the researchers.

Triacylglycerol composition, solid fat content, thermal behaviour, and microstructure properties of palm oil-based margarine fats were significantly affected by blending and emulsification, said the authors.

However, they noted that incorporation of palm stearin at less than 40 per cent in the presence of a dose of monoacylglycerol as emulsifier expressed complete melting at body temperature, adding that as such the blend should result in “excellent mouth feel.”

In contrast, the addition of palm stearin at more than 40 per cent caused a grainy texture in the mouth, which in turn exhibited incomplete melting at body temperature.

Source: Journal of Food Science

Ingredients, Research fats, palm oil

All fats are made of various mixtures of saturated and unsaturated (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) fatty acids. All fatty acids are composed of chains of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms. Fatty acids are named and numbered based on how their carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms are arranged. “Omega-3”, “Omega-6”, and “Omega-9” are actually chains of unsaturated fatty acids categorized based on where the double bond between two carbon atoms occurs. Omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9 have a carbon–carbon double bond in the #3 position, the #6 position, and the #9 position of their carbon chains, respectively.

Omega-3 fatty acids are extremely important to health because they help suppress inflammation, an underlying cause of many diseases. There are a number of omega-3 fatty acids. They can be categorized according to short chain or long chain configurations. One important short chain omega-3 fatty acid is alpha linolenic acid (ALA). It is essential to health; however, our bodies cannot make it, so we must get this fatty acid from our diets. It is a nutrient most Americans do not get enough of as relatively few foods are good sources. Canola and soybean oils are two widely available dietary sources of essential ALA so their inclusion in the daily diet is healthful. Longer chain omega-3’s are found in fatty fish, which also have health benefits.

Omega-6 fatty acids are also essential to health and are nutrients that our bodies cannot make. The most familiar omega-6 fatty acid is called linoleic acid (LA). Many oils contain omega-6 fatty acids, including safflower, sunflower, soybean, corn, cottonseed, and peanut oils so it is much easier to get the amount needed through our daily diet. There has been some debate regarding the importance of a balanced ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids in the diet, but others feel that it is the absolute amounts of each fatty acid in the diet that matters. The current recommendation for omega-6 fatty acid intake is 5-10% of total calories.

Omega-9 fatty acids are found in various vegetable oils and animal fats. Unlike omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, they are not essential, but they too are important to health. Oleic acid is one of the main omega-9 fatty acids, and emerging evidence is showing that it may be important in metabolism and weight regulation. Oleic acid is the main component of olive oil, as well as, some of the new generation, heat stable oils, including high-oleic canola and sunflower oils. Another term for high-oleic oils is Omega-9 oils. Omega-9 oils refer to a category of oils that have over 70% oleic acid and less than 3% linolenic (ALA).

When it comes to frying, the fatty acid composition of the oil determines how well it stands up to the high heat of frying. Oils high in oleic acid are very heat stable. Omega-3 fatty acids are not very heat stable however they impart an important flavor profile to the oil so when there is just enough (above 1% or so), taste perception of the cooked food product is improved. New generation, low linolenic (ALA) soy oils also have enhanced heat stability and improved frying performance.

Ingredients fats, fatty acids, omega 3, omega 6, omega 9, saturated, unsaturated