Protein-Based Fat Replacers: A Focus on Fabrication Methods and Fat-Mimic Mechanisms

Abstract

The increasing occurrence of obesity and other non-communicable diseases has shifted the human diet towards reduced calorie intake. This drives the market to develop low-fat/non-fat food products with limited deterioration of textural properties. Thus, developing high-quality fat replacers which can replicate the role of fat in the food matrix is essential. Among all the established types of fat replacers, protein-based ones have shown a higher compatibility with a wide range of foods with limited contribution to the total calories, including protein isolate/concentrate, microparticles, and microgels. The approach to fabricating fat replacers varies with their types, such as thermal–mechanical treatment, anti-solvent precipitation, enzymatic hydrolysis, complexation, and emulsification. Their detailed process is summarized in the present review with a focus on the latest findings. The fat-mimic mechanisms of fat replacers have received little attention compared to the fabricating methods; attempts are also made to explain the underlying principles of fat replacers from the physicochemical prospect. Finally, a future direction on the development of desirable fat replacers in a more sustainable way was also pointed out.

Optimization of protein extraction from "Cam" rice bran by response surface methodology

“…Figures 2a and 2c correlate stirring time and two other variables. The effectiveness of protein extraction generally improved as the stirring time increased from 3.5 to 4.0 h, reaching its peak at 4.0 h. According to Shen et al (2008), extraction productivity rose sharply in the first 2.0 h, peaked at 4.0 h, and no significant growth was observed beyond 4 h. Stirring motions that occur in less than 4.0 h were necessary to break the bonds between phytic acids and proteins, which hinder protein extraction (Canan et al 2011;Nourmohammadi et al 2023). Surprisingly, stirring for more than 4.5 h does not yield better results than stirring for 4.0 h since proteins are partially oxidized due to prolonged immersion in the water.…”

Natural ingredients and probiotics for lowering cholesterol and saturated fat in dairy products

“…Gelatin and collagen have excellent emulsion-stability, gel-formation, and water-holding properties. Owing to their unique properties, gelatin and collagen can substitute fat, as they can mimic fat's sensory characteristics, smoothness, and lubrication properties by "ball-bearing" effect (Nourmohammadi et al, 2023). Gelatin chains create a sensation that mimics the melting point of natural fat under oral conditions, which is approximately 37°C (Godoi et al, 2021).…”

“…However, reducing dairy fat by substituting with plant oil, carbohydrate, or protein could have adverse effects. The amount and bioavailability of dairy fat-soluble vitamins and essential minerals, such as vitamins A and D and calcium, would be lower if dairy fat is reduced (Moriano and Alamprese, 2017;Nourmohammadi et al, 2023;Patel et al, 2020). Moreover, addition of plant oil, plant protein, or fish protein negatively affected the sensory properties, such as fishiness, grassiness, greenishness, and bean-like off-notes, of plant proteins.…”

Psyllium and okra mucilage as co-carrier wall materials for fenugreek oil encapsulation and its utilization as fat replacers in pan bread and biscuit production

“…To meet these challenges and to maintain the consumer acceptance, fat mimics and microencapsulation technology could be employed. Fat replacers that emerged in food production could be subdivided according to their chemical structure and functions to fat substitutes (lipid-based) and fat mimics (carbohydrate- and protein-based) [ [14] , [15] , [16] ]. Most of fat mimics cannot fully replace fat in food products [ 17 , 18 ], but they have good properties as carrier materials in encapsulation technology [ 19 , 20 ].…”