Technological Characteristics of Wheat-Fiber-Based Fat Mimetics in Combination with Food Additives

Abstract

In addition to the fact that the “ideal” fat mimetic should have all functional characteristics of fat, it is preferable to be from natural sources. Dietary fibers from different natural sources have large potential for fat mimetic roles in low-energy food products. This work observes the functional characteristics of wheat-fiber-based fat mimetics (microstructure, rheological and textural properties), as well as the influence of addition of small molecules of additives, which are usually necessary during the production of food products. Different concentrations of fat mimetics were analyzed (from 1–10% of fibers) alone and also in combination with a mixture of additives (sodium ascorbate, trisodium citrate and sodium acetate). The concentration of hydrated wheat fibers above 3% formed viscoelastic gel structures with an antithixotropic type of Newtonian flow, with a domination of elastic properties (G′) and ability for partial recover. Firmness and consistency were also stable at higher fiber concentration (5–10%). Thus, these fat mimetics have high ability to imitate fat functional properties and to provide the role of continuous phase in food systems. The application of food additives significantly reduced all observed properties of wheat fibers’ fat mimetics by disturbing the proper hydration process during gel formation and crosslinking of the three-dimensional structure of fat mimetics.