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A Renewed Focus on Trans-Fats

Source:Ringier Release Date:2012-01-13 622
Food & Beverage
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A portion of fat may be replaced with an emulsifier to reduce the total fat profile in fresh baked goods, without the harm of LDLcholesterol (Photo ? Magdalena ?urawska | Dreamstime.com)

THE ONGOING buzz about trans-fat continues to impact the way food products are produced.  This is because consumer demand for healthier and palatable products is at an all time high, and as governments move to tighten effective reformulation of such products with more complex guidelines and restrictions on manufacturers. Given the negative health-implications of trans-fat, several manufacturers and restaurants are just beginning to offer trans-fat free alternatives.  Many though, still have a long way to go. 

As consumers, one of the biggest challenges we face is related to the foods that we eat. From genetic modification to the chemical content of the foods, the more we digress from the natural, the bigger the hazards we face in the form of lifestyle diseases such as cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes. Amongst the hordes of culprits responsible are trans-fats.

Trans-fat is the common name for a particular type of unsaturated fat. Artificial trans-fats are created by adding hydrogen to liquid oil through a process called hydrogenation. The main sources of trans-fats in the diet are butter, cheese and meat, and products such as biscuits, cakes and fried foods.  Trans-fat also occurs naturally in low levels in meat and dairy products, but the vast majority of the trans-fat that we consume is artificially produced.

Artificial trans-fats have certain properties that make them well suited to commercial food production, such as greater stability, longer shelf life, and low cost. Excess trans-fat intake is associated with a number of negative health consequences. Several epidemiological studies have demonstrated a strong link between the consumption of trans-fat and coronary heart disease. Leading public health experts and organisations recommend that trans-fat consumption be limited as much as possible, whilst maintaining a nutritionally adequate diet.

Industry Challenges

For food manufacturers, completely eliminating or replacing trans-fats in foods can be tricky. For one, trans-fats increase the shelf life of foods.  It is also responsible for the "crispness" in fried snacks and the savoured qualities in hundreds of other favourite foods.  All of which make it difficult to convince the industry to bring the level down to zero.

"Food products must deliver not only on good nutrition, but also on taste, quality, convenience and price," says Mr Wouter Moormann, Market Unit manager (Food Division) of Purac Asia Pacific, a leading ingredients company.  Food producers, he adds, must find the right balance between these criteria by understanding consumer expectations.
 
The challenges faced by manufacturers are far more complex than first imagined. The difficulty lies in finding the right substitute ingredients and new formulations that reduce trans-fat content yet taste as good as their predecessors without compromising on food safety and shelf-life. Amongst the major challenges are providing health-conscious products to the public, and developing environmentally responsible production technology. 

Alternative Routes

Despite the number of manufacturers that have already turned away from hydrogenated oils, others have discovered new opportunities.  Some have replaced partially hydrogenated oils with cottonseed, soybean and sunflower oils.  Other oils, such as palm oil, palm kernel oil and coconut oil offer the desirable functional traits but are high in saturated fat in place of trans-fat.  Whilst saturated fats from plant sources do not appear to raise LDL cholesteMen's Shorts - Shop Men's Shorts Online

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