Product reformulation - replacement of hard fats with oils

Project team: Charles Speirs
Member subscription funded project
Running: January 2012 – December 2014
Project Number: 125501
Proposal documentation

The replacement of hard fats with polyunsaturated oils has seen significant success in some food products. However, there are some sectors where this has been less effective, including bakery products, fillings and toppings, and reformed meats. Whilst the industry recognises the need to reduce the level of hard fats, there are currently no commercially developed routes to achieve this for many products. Nevertheless, hard fats in cakes are being replaced by vegetable oils, but the consequence is that cake quality can be compromised in terms of cake volume, softness, tenderness, appearance and shelf life. This project will look at routes to stabilise oils and provide the correct rheology and melt characteristics to substitute for hard fats in food products.