Baking & Snack - June 2024 - 56

FATS & OILS
Saturated fat
reduction poses
challenges, as these
fats are critical to
product structure
and shelf life.
©nolonely-stock.adobe.com
Reducing saturates while shielding the shelf life and
quality consumers expect from their baked goods can
be difficult, but thankfully for producers, there are now
many options at their disposal to pull it off.
Tried, true and brand-new strategies
Baking and snack manufacturers today can employ a
variety of ingredient solutions - some well-established
and others more cutting-edge - to reduce or eliminate
saturated fats in their products. Determining which
strategy is best depends on the application, the size of
the reduction, costs, label requirements and more.
One common method is incorporating oils like high
oleics that are resistant to oxidation.
" Bakers can choose high-oleic oils like sunflower, safflower
or canola oil, which have higher oxidative stability
compared to standard liquid oils, " said Lauren Cuseo,
customer innovation scientist, AAK USA. " This higher
oxidative stability is achieved in high-oleic oils due to
their low content of linoleic fatty acids. "
High-oleic oils are low in saturated fat and high in unsaturated
fat, and have been shown to lower LDL (bad)
cholesterol, which in turn reduces the risk of heart attack,
heart disease and stroke. These healthier oils can
replace saturates in a variety of bakery applications,
including products like crackers that are less reliant on
saturates for structure, said Michelle Peitz, technical solutions
and marketing, oils, ADM.
" Cereals and bars can use oils, including very higholeic
oils like sunflower or soy, to support oxidative
stability, which is extremely important in these applications, "
she said.
For applications more dependent on saturated fats for
their structure, such as laminated pastries, donuts and
56 Baking & Snack June 2024 / www.bakingbusiness.com
icing, producers can opt for blends of saturated fats and
liquid oils that reduce overall saturate content without
eliminating the necessary functionality and shelf life
they provide.
Richard Galloway, fats and oils consultant, United
Soybean Board, said soybean oils can be used in a variety
of products depending on shelf life and structure
needs. He noted that high-oleic soybean oil has among
the greatest oxidative stability ratings of any liquid oils.
" Soy shortenings have successfully used fully hydrogenated
soybean oil with both common soybean oil and
high-oleic soybean oil to tailor the finished fat, " he said.
The use of enzymes is another increasingly popular
option for extending shelf life. Interestifcation, for example,
the process of enzymatically altering the structure of
a fat, can be used to boost unsaturated oil longevity and
is used in high-saturate applications, Peitz said.
Outside of high oleics, bakers can use traditional oils
in tandem with emulsifiers to achieve longer shelf life
without increasing saturates, said Roger Daniels, vice
president, research, development, innovation and quality,
Stratas Foods.
Natural emulsifiers like gelatin or carrageenan are options
for saturated fat reduction, said Marie Shen, associate
innovation scientist, Kemin Food Technologies, as
are certain types of plant-based proteins, which appeal
to many health-minded shoppers.
Oleogels have become a recent and promising development
as well, Machado observed.
" These semi-solid, lipid-based materials contain more
than 70% oils rich in unsaturated fatty acids, physically
entrapped in a polymer network, " he explained.
" Oleogels effectively mimic the textural and structural
qualities of traditional fats while providing a healthier
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