Title: Alternative Sweeteners

Fat and Oil Replacers 523
means that fat replacement is formulation-specific. Fat replacement in any formulation
requires attention to more than fat—support ingredients are required to
address mouth-feel, texture, aeration or structure, color, flavor, handling characteristics,
and shelf stability (Fig. 1). Other factors to consider are cost, regulatory
concerns, safety, packaging needs, label claims, and availability (Fig. 2).
II. FAT REPLACERS—AN OVERVIEW
Most fat replacement is accomplished by using water effectively, and air can be
entrapped as a texture aid in many products. The first fat replacers were primarily
air, water, and emulsifiers. Because early products were unsuccessful and the
NLEA eliminated the use of emulsifiers as nonfats, combinations of ingredients
in a systems approach found more success. Finally, when the consumer discovered
that ‘‘reduced fat’’ or ‘‘fat free’’ did not necessarily mean less calories,
development became more focused toward caloric reduction and fat reduction.
The term ‘‘fat replacer’’ is a generic term for any bulking agent or ingredient that
somehow replaces fat in a system. Fat extenders serve to extend the usefulness of
a reduced amount of fat in a food. This could be an emulsifier or something
coated with a fat—so that the fat is still a part of the system. A fat substitute
actually has the characteristics of fat but is absorbed differently (or not absorbed
at all) by the body, resulting in less caloric density. An example of this would
be olestra, caprenin, or salatrim. Fat barriers reduce the amount of oil migration
into a product (doughnuts, french fries). A number of film-formers such as
starches and celluloses could be placed here. Finally, fat mimetics are ingredients
that somehow partially imitate fat, usually by binding water. Many of the carbohydrate
and protein fat replacers would fall into this category. Another way to
look at fat replacers is to place them into general application classes—the simplest
classification is to classify them as (a) modified fats or (b) water binders.
It is more fair and easier to discuss properties when they are classified by their
chemical identity—carbohydrate, protein, or fat. Many fat replacers do function
by binding water, but thinking of this in terms of their chemical class helps to
explain how they accomplish this and whether more functional ingredients are
available. A number of general reviews on fat replacers have been published (6–
14) and can be consulted for more specific information. Because virtually every
ingredient that participates in water binding or structure setting in foods could
be considered a fat replacer, this will be a general overview of those potential
ingredients.
A. Carbohydrates
At many ingredient trade shows, about 50% or more of the products promoted
as fat replacers have been carbohydrates. Carbohydrates generally mimic fat by