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A hydrocolloidal fibre composite made from rice bran and barley flour, called Ricetrim, was found to have similar rheological properties to coconut cream. Coconut cream displayed a very narrow region of linear viscoelastic behaviour, both above and below strain values of 0.1%, the oscillatory shear modulus dropped sharply with increasing strain, indicating non-linear viscoelastic behaviour. This region of linear viscoelastic behaviour extended to strains of 10%. When Ricetrim was substituted for coconut cream in Thai foods, it was found to produce acceptable products, but with lower saturated fat contents. Cookies, pumpkin pudding, layer cake, dip for pot crust, taro custard and sauteć hicken curry were produced with fat contents reduced by 47.8, 94.3, 59.8, 75.3, 61.3 and 60.6%, respectively. Some differences in flavour and texture were observed at the higher levels of substitution, but these differences appeared to present only small changes in the overall score of general acceptability, or suitability, of the fibre gel foods. Scanning electron micrographs of the pumpkin pudding revealed only small changes in their surfaces with Ricetrim addition, even at higher levels of substitution.

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A rheological study was conducted to determine the functional properties of a hydrocolloidal blend of soybean flour and oat bran, called Soytrim. Soytrim was prepared by thermomechanically processing soybean and oat products. After finding that Soytrim had similar rheological characteristics to coconut and soybean milk products, two studies were conducted to investigate its use in improving the nutritional value of some Asian foods by reducing the saturated fat content and increasing the soluble fibre content. In the first study, four Thai foods were prepared using a 60 g kg À1 Soytrim suspension to replace some of the coconut milk, with subsequent sensory, chemical and physical analysis. A 750 g kg À1 substitution of Soytrim for coconut milk in green chicken curry gave a 74.7% reduction in saturated fat content and a 142.8% increase in soluble fibre content. Total substition of Soytrim for coconut milk in fermented soybean dip gave a 96.2% reduction in saturated fat and a 10.6% increase in soluble fibre. Total substitution in mungbean conserve gave a 97.0% reduction in saturated fat and a 19.0% increase in soluble fibre. A 500 g kg À1 substitution of soytrim for coconut milk in sweetened condensed cassava paste gave a 48.7% reduction in saturated fat and 37.5% increase in soluble fibre. Sensory evaluation of these foods revealed no distinguishable changes in acceptability at the 500 g kg À1 replacement level, but unacceptability with total substitution. In the second study, more widely consumed Asian foods, soymilk and tofu, were combined with Soytrim. These foods could also be made more nutritious when combined with Soytrim at rates of substitution up to 300 g kg À1 , with satisfactory acceptability at this replacement level. In all the Asian foods studied, the hydrocolloidal blend of soybean flour and oat bran could add nutritional value by reducing saturated fat and increasing soluble fibre.

Hydrolyzed oat flour, called Oatrim, was found able to cr eate suitable food desserts when partially substituted for butter or coconut cr eam. In bakery pr oducts, a 25% Oatrim gel was substituted for butter in rice cookie, br ownie, and banana cake r ecipes. The cholester ol contents of the rice cookie, banana cake, and br ownie wer e reduced by 24.7%, 13.5%, and 24.1%, r espectively. Coconut cream was replaced with a 15% Oatrim suspension in the Thai desserts coconut custar d, coconut cream spread, and mungbean conserve. In these pr oducts, a substantial r eduction in saturated fat content was found: coconut custar d (60.6% reduction), mungbean conserve (76.4% r eduction), coconut cream spread (83.7% reduction). Although adequate textur e measurements wer e observed for most par- tially substituted products, the breaking strengths of the rice cookie and mungbean conserve wer e significantly increased over control foods. These data suggested that the use of the gel should be limited to less than 50% of the substitution. W ithin the experimental parameters examined, the baked goods and Thai desserts exhibited satisfactory sensory qualities in the 50% to 60% substitution range.