properly crystalized enables achievement of the sweet spot between excellent and inferior bakery shortenings. How does a reduced saturated fat claim impact what oils a baker might use? A saturated fat is one that is comprised solely of saturated fatty acids. A typical oil is a blend of mono- and polyunsaturates and saturates. A baker who wants to achieve a reduced saturated fat claim will likely be guided to a high-oleic oil and saturated fat blend with or without emulsifiers. The end product achieved can match up with full saturate containing shortenings, but the path to the end product may entail adjustments to the blending, mixing and baking processes on the baker's part. How do you help bakers maintain functionality while achieving a reduced saturated fat claim? Stratas Foods has a strong technical service provider presence in the industry. Our team is available to work alongside bakery professionals to achieve the desired output from use of our shortenings. What are some of the most common issues bakers face with the shortening/oil in their formulations? Too little or too much of the right shortening seems to be the primary issue involving the shortening component. In general, bakery ingredients are either tenderizers or tougheners. Finding the right balance between the toughening power of the proteins from eggs and flour and the tenderizing power of the sugars and shortenings is the common challenge. Working with the Stratas Foods team is the right step on the journey to reconcile science with the art of bakery science. How can emulsifiers aid in the performance of shortening in baked goods? Emulsifiers work to bring water-loving and water-hating components together to achieve a uniform blend. This helps to translate to cakes that rise just enough, pastries that puff appropriately to achieve the desired distinct layers and buttercream-style icings that have the desired foaming characteristic without slumping or falling off the cake. Download the podcast Tune into Season 10 to hear best practices to retaining your workforce. Charlotte Atchley, Editor, Baking & Snackhttps://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9mZmFmYWEwL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/since-sliced-bread/id1493986734 https://open.spotify.com/show/5Vxkt3AnNwbbsKjHKkjifU?si=zMRtbZ49S4W02I6CDbwlDQ