Baking & Snack - September 2020 - 43

FORMULATION
Fats & Oils

DIALING INTO
FUNCTIONALITY
A wealth of shortenings and formulating technology enables bakers to find
the fat system that will optimize their needs for a high-quality baked good.
by Charlotte Atchley

Across the wide array of baked goods, fat provides multiple functionalities. There's the obvious one - taste. But
it also provides structure and mouthfeel.
"Fat systems play a vital role in determining the textural, nutritional and organoleptic characteristics of
food products," said Chandra Ankolekar; PhD; technical manager, bakery, dressings and oils; Kemin Food
Technologies. "Each category has macro needs; products
within the category demand something slightly different
from the fat system in use."
These specific needs can require a tailored fat system
rather than an all-purpose one. With a good supplier relationship, bakers can communicate their needs and find
a solution that will deliver.
"A cookie manufacturer may have a specification
for a particular bite, a pie manufacturer for a particular crumb or a pastry maker for a specific structure
and color," said Frank Flider, oils consultant, United
Soybean Board. "The shortening or fat supplier can
take these specifications and targets and, working
with the baker, design a fat solution to meet those
specific needs."
He pointed out that today's bakers can describe their
product's analytical, physical and chemical properties,
which allows suppliers to design fat solutions that can
hit these targets. With these measurable properties guid-

ing the way, new product development is getting more
targeted to create more effective fat systems. All of this is
guided by the finished products' needs.
"The customer's finished product, market and process help to dictate the kind of fat or oil required," said
Rick Cummisford, director of quality control, Columbus
Vegetable Oils. "It isn't necessarily a simple drop-in ingredient as there may be subtle changes needed to get it
just right for their process or product.

Shortening for frying
donuts needs to be stable
with high melt points
to minimize oiling out
and assist with glaze
adherence.
Cargill

A higher calling
While all-purpose shortenings have their place and
some bakers may find them well-suited to their product
portfolio needs, a shortening designed for a specific application delivers optimum quality.
"A tailored fat and oil solution should be used when
developing bakery products that will have superior appearances, textures and shelf-stability as well as improved manufacturing efficiencies," said Andrea Weis,
customer innovation application specialist, AAK USA,
Inc. "They provide process and formulation optimization in a variety of ways to help the baker improve upon
a current bakery product or solve process, nutritional,
clean label and sensory challenges."
Fats, oils and shortenings contribute to texture,
structure and taste in different ways, so providing an

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