Improving the fat content of foods

A considered overview of the influence of dietary fats on health and strategies for improving the fat content of foods whilst maintaining their sensory properties

The nutritional quality of some foods is under scrutiny, with growing concern that dietary imbalances are contributing to or exacerbating health problems. Dietary fats have received particular attention, but are all too often treated as a single dietary component when the truth is more complex. On the one hand, fatty foods can contribute to or exacerbate conditions such as obesity, coronary heart disease, diabetes and cancer. On the other hand, some fats are essential dietary components, with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs) known to deliver health benefits. It is in this context that companies are looking to develop new products or reformulate existing ones – to better meet the needs of consumers.

This book takes stock of the situation. Written by an international team of contributors, under the editorial leadership of Professors Christine Williams and Judith Buttriss, this authoritative work is in three parts. Part 1 looks specifically at dietary fats and their roles in health – both beneficial and detrimental. Part 2 looks at the fats and food technology, taking in the role of fats in product quality and consumer acceptance, as well as how the fat contents of various products, including meat and milk, can be modified. Part 3 concentrates on the future – looking in detail at new products with modified fats and new sources of beneficial dietary fats. The book will be of interest to anyone in the food industry actively involved in the diet and health debate, and particularly those working with the reformulation of products and their constituent fats.

Contents

Part 1 – Dietary fats and health

• Health problems associated with saturated fatty acid intake
• Dietary fatty acids, insulin resistance and diabetes
• Lipid-gene interactions, diet and health
• Health benefits of monounsaturated fatty acids
• Health benefits of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs)
• Dietary fat and obesity
• Specific fatty acids and structured lipids for weight control
• Conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs) and health

Part 2 – Reducing saturated fatty acids in food

• The role of lipids in food quality
• Gaining consumer acceptance of low-fat foods
• Optimising dairy milk fatty acid composition
• Optimising goat milk and cheese fatty acid composition
• Reducing fats in raw meat
• Producing low-fat meat products
• The use of fat replacers for weight loss and control
• Testing novel fat replacers for weight control

Part 3 – Using polyunsaturated and other modified fatty acids in food products

• Developing products with modified fats
• Using polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) as functional ingredients
• New marine sources of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs)
• Producing polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) from plant sources
• Modifying hydrogenated fats
• Novel fats for the future

Hardback book - 542 pages