Low-fat cheeses and cakes that are just as tempting as full-fat equivalents could be available in two years, after researchers have discovered how proteins can replace fats without affecting foodstuffs’ taste and texture.
Researchers at Heriot-Watt University and the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, as part of a three-year project with £232,000 in funding from the UK's Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), has produced modified proteins that easily break down into micro-particles and therefore closely mimic the behaviour of fats during food manufacture. The proteins will enable food manufacturers to remove much of the fat used in their products without compromising on product quality.
While protein-for-fat substitution is not new – to date it has been restricted to products such as yogurts – in cheeses and cakes it has proved less successful in ensuring the authentic taste and texture vital to consumer satisfaction, mainly because proteins could not mimic the behaviour of fats closely enough.
The proteins will enable food manufacturers to remove much of the fat used in their products without compromising on product quality
By studying the proteins’ chemical structure, the team has developed a detailed understanding of how they behave when they are heated or undergo other food manufacturing processes. This has provided the basis for modifying proteins so that they can be used as effective fat substitutes. The proteins could encourage development of a wider choice of low-fat foods, helping consumers to eat more healthily and reduce obesity.
The team has achieved particularly promising results in using proteins to replace eggs, which are commonly used as a gelling agent in bakery items.
The research will now be taken forward by project partner Nandi Proteins, which will use the findings to extend its range of proteins with a view to food manufacturers incorporating them in new low-fat products that could be available within two years.
As part of a Technology Strategy Board-supported Knowledge Transfer Partnership, the research team is now also developing a computer model to help food manufacturers pinpoint the optimum level of protein-for-fat replacement for particular products.
Dr Steve Euston of Heriot-Watt University, who led the project, says: 'We’ve paved the way for the development of modified proteins that, by closely mimicking fat, can be used to produce a wider range of appealing low-fat foods. The result could be important health benefits, as well as a reduction in the burden on the NHS caused by obesity and other weight-related health problems.'
The heated, unfolded molecule
