Fat replacer for foods: plant fibres

Fats are essential for a diet. But how much fat is good for human health? The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommends a fat intake of 20-35 energy percent (E%) for adults. Fat intake in many Western countries, however, exceeds these recommendations. Since it is difficult for people to implement the diet recommendations in their daily life, using fat replacers in food processing for fat reduction is gaining in importance. Our natural JELUCEL® plant fibre is ideal for this purpose.

JELUCEL® plant fibres are used as a fat replacer in the food industry

Foto: © Dmytro Sukharevskyy – Fotolia.com


 

Not all fats are alike

Fats are an integral part of a healthy diet because they deliver energy for the brain and muscles. They support the body in taking up the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Moreover, fats play an important role as regards taste, mouthfeel and aroma of the product. Scientists recommend paying attention to a moderate fat consumption and a favourable fatty acid composition. Above all, fats with high amounts of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids and omega-3 fatty acids should be consumed because they have a positive effect on the cholesterol level. Saturated fats, on the other hand, should be reduced. They are chiefly found in fats of animal origin such as in bacon and lard. Therefore, the JELUCEL® fat replacer is especially suitable for meat processing.

Fat reduction in meat processing

Cold meats and convenience food such as hamburger patties contain animal fat by nature. If part of the fat is replaced with our finely ground plant fibre, the content of saturated fatty acids in sausage meat and hamburgers decreases. This also leads to a lower calorie content. The fine grinding of the fibre imparts a creamy mouthfeel to products such as meat spreads.

Even when JELUCEL® is added, the product remains juicy after thermal processing because the food fibre binds high amounts of liquid in the food. This is due to the capillary-fibre structure of the fibre. Furthermore, JELUCEL® is able to absorb water that is additionally added. This leads to increased product yield and consistent volume despite heat treatment. The JELUCEL® plant fibre is heat-stable. This manifests itself mainly during the manufacture of cooked meats and sausages. At the same time, the sensory properties such as mouthfeel, colour, aroma and taste remain unchanged.

Functional and economical

JELUCEL® belongs to the type of fat replacers that are based on indigestible carbohydrates – also known as insoluble dietary fibre. By adding our food fibre, part of the fat contained in the product can be replaced. In doing so, the chemical composition of the food changes: the fat and protein content decreases, while the fibre content increases.

Our plant fibre preferably binds to water instead of to oil and retains the water tightly. As a result, batter coatings to which JELUCEL® has been added absorb less oil during frying because the water bound in the product ensures a longer steam pressure.

Advantages at a glance

  • High water- and fat-binding capacity
  • Improved consistency and juiciness
  • Higher product yield
  • Improved rheological properties
  • More dietary fibre
  • Fewer calories

Sweet and less fat

Even in the confectionery industry our plant fibres can be used to manufacture energy-reduced goods. Since JELUCEL® preferentially binds to water instead of to oil, JELUCEL® is suitable for the manufacture of deep-fried baked goods such as doughnuts. Adding our fibre to the dough results in the product absorbing less oil during frying as long as the water bound in the product creates a steam pressure. As a consequence the calorie content decreases. At the same time, the fibre content of the food increases, which is good for gut health.

JELUCEL® – a versatile fat replacer

JELUCEL® is a natural plant fibre that is suitable to reduce fat in foods. The fibre has no resemblance to fat as regards its chemical structure. It doesn’t contain any fatty acids and only mimics the sensory properties of fat, therefore JELUCEL® is also called a fat mimetic. If part of the fat in the product is substituted with our very finely ground food fibre, the calorie content drops yet the sensory properties are retained: the taste, texture and mouthfeel of the original food remain unchanged.

Suitable for the food industry

The JELUCEL® plant fibre has product properties that are ideal for use in food technology:

  • Chemically inert
  • Tasteless
  • Neutral in colour
  • Available as powder or fibre
  • Made from vegetable raw materials

JELUCEL® can be used in a versatile manner. For information on the different applications, see our application pages. Our plant fibre assumes diverse functions and can be used as

  • Fat replacer for fat reduction
  • Anti-sticking and anti-caking agent
  • Bulking agent
  • Stabiliser
  • Binding agent for liquids

 

Our products
JELUCEL® is available in the following 4 grades:

 
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