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Fat Replacers in Food The development of new processing methods to create compounds that taste, act, and function like fats has created a need for greater public awareness regarding their physiological mechanisms and energy yielding benefits. These fat-replacers take on characteristics of fats without the high-energy yields associated with high fat consumption. Manufacturers have produced over 5,000 products with fat-replacers that attempt to increase weight loss and decrease the amounts of fats in the diet to meet the needs of the consumer. Although it would seem that fat-replacers are a great solution to the problems associated with the American diet, they have not produced any positive changes overall. The reason for the ineffectiveness of the low-fat or fat-free food trends is the fact that consumers do not understand the theories that explain weight loss. It is true that the fat-replacers have helped to lower the total fat consumption percentage of the American diet. The percent of total daily energy consumed as fat has dropped from approximately 41% in the 1960's to 34% in the 1990's. However, it has not lowered the total caloric intake, which has risen from 1,989 kcal/day in the 1970's to 2,095 kcal/day in the 1990's. So, the lack of progress made attempting to lower fat in the American diet has come from a failure to control caloric intake values. The numbers have changed but the result is the same: 1/3 of the American population is overweight. The basic recommendation is to lower fat intakes to no more than 30% of the total calories consumed daily. Of those fats 10% or less should come from saturated fat sources. By following these guidelines a marked reduction in calories should ensue. Although genetic constitution, level of physical activity and total diet composition will also directly affect weight response, the objective is to reduce the incidence of disease associated with high fat diets. Obesity, CHD, hypertension, insulin resistance and certain cancers are all associated with too much fat in the diet. Statistically, an average of 80% of the United States population consumes more than 30% of their calories from fat sources. The worst of the groups are young persons between the ages of 6-19 years of age. Children are growing up lazier and fatter with no break in sight for this phenomenon. Perhaps fat-replacers can still effectively have an impact on the health of America with proper awareness and education as to their role in a healthy diet. There is no doubt that foods containing fat-replacers are consumed by most Americans. A 1996 National Survey revealed that 88% of the US population consumes low-fat, reduced fat, and fat free products. Food manufacturers have made most popular food items free of fat or reduced in fat. These fat-replacers fall under three categories, fat substitutes, fat mimetics, and fat barriers. Each particular fat-replacer has specific characteristics that enable it to replace the fat in certain foods. Fat substitutes or "analogs" are designed to replicate the properties of fat. They contain less energy and can be used to replace all or a portion of the fat normally present in the food. The second class, fat mimetics, replicate only certain properties of the fat they are to replace. They are often used for partial fat replacement. Fat barriers are used to block the absorption of fat during the cooking process. Often fried foods are cooked with fat barriers to reduce the absorption of fat during frying. Fat-replacers are composed of different macronutrient bases. They are either carbohydrate, protein or fat based. Carbohydrate-based replacers are plant polysaccharides that include cellulose, gums, dextrin, fiber, polydextrose and starches. They are used to thicken and add bulk to food, which produces a natural sensation in the mouth when consumed and contributes to structural and emulsification properties. They may retain an energy value of 4 kcal/g but often yield a decreased energy value of 1to 2 kcal/g. Proteins when blended with gums form gels that provide functionality and structures similar to fat. They, too, yield lower energy values of 1-4 kcal/g but still have the biological value of amino acids. However, they can only be used in foods that are not prepared with high temperatures due to protein coagulation. Fat-based fat replacers work in several ways. Monoacylglycerols and diacylglycerols contribute to sensory properties and act as emulsifiers. These replacers yield approximately 5 kcal/g. Another sensory replacer is triacylglycerol, which has reduced energy yields due to properties that prevent complete absorption. One common triacyglycerol is salatrim. Other types of fat-based replacers change normal fat properties by binding fatty acids to sugars. These also have the inability to be absorbed by the body and yield no energy value. These products can pose a risk for gastrointestinal distress and reduced absorption of fat-soluble nutrients; therefore, many are fortified with additional fat-soluble vitamins. Fat-replacers are considered safe, based upon their toxicological profile, effect on promoting nutrient deficiencies and expected level of use by various populations. The FDA determines whether each product is considered safe and will not have any detrimental effects on the consumer. They base their determinations on research and an approval process that must be completed for each product before it is approved for consumption. With the current information about the fat-replacers examined and the current use of the products identified, it now becomes a relevant issue to incorporating these products into a healthy diet. These products offer the ability to reduce fat in the diet, reduce total daily energy consumption, and increase the number of healthy, palatable food sources, without increasing fat or caloric intakes. Obviously, past experience has proven that just adding the products to the diet will not automatically cause beneficial effects related to health and weight loss. Successful reductions in fat and weight, which utilize the benefits of fat-replacers, must, also, consider total caloric intake and increased caloric expenditure. When calorie and fat consumption are strictly regulated, weight loss almost always occurs. So, to avoid the compensatory reactions often associated with fat-free or fat-reduced eating, diet planning must take place. Efforts need to be made to improve consumer understanding of calories and how to properly read labels for energy values and serving sizes. Additional support is needed for awareness related to food preparation, eating frequency and energy balance. |