Fat Replacement Products

Because we live in a world where everyone seems to be trying to lose weight, manufacturers have come out with some sources of fat replacement products so they can lower the calories in popular foods, thus appealing to the dieting crowd while not seeing the decline in product sales they otherwise would.

A fat replacement ingredient works by replacing some or all of the functions of fat while not providing the energy that fat normally would. Therefore the premise is that the product will still look, taste and feel the same however won't have the fat calories it did before.

Sounds almost too good to be true.

In order to be considered a fat replacer, the ingredient must contribute very little or no energy to the food, it must be non-toxic and be able to be excreted by the human body and it must also not rob the body of precious fat soluble vitamins. One thing to be aware of however when using products that have fat replacers, is that if your diet solely consists of them and other naturally low fat or fat free foods, you likely will not be retaining the fat soluble vitamins as there will be no way for these to be stored in the body (since fat consumption is required). Therefore, 0% fat diets are never a good idea.

In addition to those requirements, the fat replacers must also offer flavour and taste to the product, which is obviously a given since if it didn't, people wouldn't buy the product anyway.

Lastly, the fat replacer needs to be able to meet the needs of the manufacturer who is using it by being a stable compound so they can incorporate it into the product, along with maintaining its function at the corresponding temperature and moisture level of the food's needs (for example those products that are being baked, the fat replacer must be able to withstand these high temperatures).

Fat replacers can be carbohydrate, protein or fat based, however will again provide fewer than the 9 calories per gram that dietary fat provides.

Carbohydrate Based Fat Replacers

Carbohydrate fat replacers include dextrins, modified food starches (such as maltodextrin for example) and gum (xanthan gum). These have been used in products with little or no issues for most people.

Protein Based Fat Replacer

The protein based fat replacer most often used is simplesse, which is made from egg whites or milk proteins and is digested and absorbed providing about 1-2 calories per gram. The downside to this product is that it cannot be used at high temperatures as it will begin to form a gel. Other downsides to it is that those who are allergic to eggs or milk products will not be able to use it nor will those who are protein restricted diets.

Fat Based Fat Replacer

Lastly fat based fat replacers are made from fats however still supply fewer calories that of pure fat. Caprenin and Salatrim are two such products, which are triacylgylcerol's with a special combination on fatty acids attached to glycerol (a short chain fatty acid which provides fewer calories than a longer chain fatty acid). This type of molecular set-up is absorbed poorly by the body therefore you will not retain the same amount of calories as you would if you had eaten a full fat product.

Another popular fat replacer that most people have heard of before as it was one that entered the market in the potato chip industry is Olestra or Olean. These are synthetic fat replacers and were the first artificial fat that could withstand the heat used in baking and frying. Their composition is that instead of using a glycerol with sucrose, they are basically 6-8 fatty acids attached to glycerol, which lipase (the enzyme which breaks down fat in the body) cannot break down. The big questions that were raised with this fat replacer however was whether it held up to the regulations on what a fat replacer was with regards to whether it would still allow for the absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins and whether or not it was non-toxic.

Many individuals who were using it reported severe episodes of diarrhea, cramps, bloating and gas. Because of these side effects, for most, it was simply not worth eating the foods with reduced fat content but yet still experiencing these issues.

Finally the last thing to keep in mind if you are ever going to choose to consume a product with a fat replacer is that while they may be lower in fat, they still do contain calories and as such, need to added as a replacement for other foods in your diet, not in addition to. If you just add them into your regular meal plan, you will still see a weight gain because of these excess calories.