Reduced-Fat Foods: The Complex Science of Developing Diet-Based Strategies for Tackling Overweight and Obesity

Abstract

Fat plays multiple roles in determining the desirable physicochemical properties, sensory attributes, nutritional profile, and biologic response of food products. Overconsumption of fats is linked to chronic diseases, such as obesity, coronary heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. There is therefore a need to develop reduced-fat products with physicochemical properties and sensory profiles that match those of their full-fat counterparts. In addition, foods may be redesigned to increase the feelings of satiety and satiation, and thereby reduce overall food intake. The successful design of these types of functional foods requires a good understanding of the numerous roles that fat plays in determining food attributes and the development of effective strategies to replace these attributes. This article provides an overview of the current understanding of the influence of fat on the physicochemical and physiologic attributes of emulsion-based food products and highlights approaches to create high-quality foods with reduced-fat contents.

Design of reduced-fat food emulsions: Manipulating microstructure and rheology through controlled aggregation of colloidal particles and biopolymers

“…However, reduced-fat food products often have limited consumer acceptance and commercial success due to undesirable changes in appearance, flavor, mouthfeel, and texture when fat is removed (Malone, Appelqvist, & Norton, 2003;McClements, 2015b;van Aken, Vingerhoeds, & de Wijk, 2011). For example, in oil-in-water emulsions, a decrease in fat content leads to a reduction in "lightness" due to weaker light scattering (McClements, 2002), a reduction in viscosity due to less energy dissipation (Derkach, 2009;Tadros, 2010), a change in flavor profile due to differences in ingredient partitioning (Taylor & Linforth, 1996), and a reduction in creaming stability due to faster droplet movement (Chanamai & McClements, 2000).…”

Multi-Response Optimization in the Formulation of a Topical Cream from Natural Ingredients

“…Creams are usually emulsions, which are thermodynamically unstable and consist either of two-phase systems (oil in water or water in oil), in which one is dispersed in the form of small droplets throughout the other [2]. To produce commercial products with sufficiently long shelf lives to environmental stresses, it is necessary to incorporate stabilizers, such as thickening agents, gelling agents, weighting agents, ripening inhibitors, and emulsifiers [3]. The emulsifying agent possesses hydrophilic and hydrophobic groups [4], adsorbed at the interface of water and oil, and reduces the interfacial tension.…”

Is nano safe in foods? Establishing the factors impacting the gastrointestinal fate and toxicity of organic and inorganic food-grade nanoparticles

“…In particular, the nanoparticles may increase the bioaccessibility, chemical stability, and/or absorption of the encapsulated bioactive agents. 87 In general, nanoparticles tend to be digested or dissolved more rapidly in the GIT and/or release any encapsulated components more rapidly because of their small size and high surface area. This will lead to differences in the pharmacokinetics of the bioactive agents within the systemic circulation (Fig.…”

“…Lipid nanoparticles are also being developed as colloidal delivery systems to encapsulate, protect, and release hydrophobic bioactives, such as colors, flavors, antimicrobials, antioxidants, nutrients, and nutraceuticals. [86][87][88][89] The major advantages of using lipid nanoparticles for these applications is that they can increase the bioavailability and/or functional performance of encapsulated components, they can be designed to be optically transparent (which is desirable for clear foods and beverages), and they can increase the physical stability of the product (since small particles are less susceptible to gravitational separation and aggregation). 84,90 Different types of lipid nanoparticles may be present in foods, including micelles, vesicles, oil droplets, and fat crystals, which vary in their compositions, structures, and dimensions.…”