FATS & OILS WHO says there is no place for trans fat in food
A new report from the World Health Organisation (WHO), has found that five billion people globally remain unprotected from trans fat, increasing their risk of heart disease and death. Since WHO first called for the global elimination of industrially produced trans fat in 2018 – with an elimination target set for 2023 – population coverage of best-practice policies has increased almost six-fold. Forty- three countries have now implemented best-practice policies for tackling trans fat in food, with 2.8 billion people protected globally.
Despite substantial progress there are still 5 billion worldwide at risk from trans fat’s health impacts with the global goal for its total elimination in 2023 remaining unattainable at this time. Trans fat intake is responsible for up to 500,000 premature deaths from coronary heart disease each year around the world and industrially produced trans fat is commonly found in packaged foods and baked goods.
“Trans fat has no known benefit, and huge health risks
that incur huge costs for health systems,” says WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “By contrast, eliminating trans fat is cost effective and has enormous benefits for health. Put simply, trans fat is a toxic chemical that kills, and should have no place in food. It’s time to get rid of it once and for all.” Best-practices in trans fat elimination policies follow specific criteria established by WHO and limit industrially produced trans fat in all settings. There are two best- practice policy alternatives: 1) mandatory national limit of 2 grams of industrially produced trans fat per 100 grams of total fat in all foods; and 2) mandatory national ban on the production or use of partially hydrogenated oils (a major source of trans fat) as an ingredient in all foods. Currently, nine of the 16 countries with the highest estimated proportion of coronary heart disease deaths caused by trans fat intake still have no best-practice policy.
They include Australia, Azerbaijan, Bhutan,
Ecuador, Egypt, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Nepal, Pakistan and Republic of Korea.
“Replacing high-cost fats, such as cream or butter – depending on initial usage rate and the ratio in which the product is use – could result in significant cost-savings”
considering that gram-for-gram, reducing fat is the most effective way of improving HFSS Nutrient Profiling Model health scores.
Consumer demand is another factor argued Robert. While in 2023 cost has become a much bigger consideration for many consumers, health remains a key purchasing driver. The provision of indulgent bakery products which can also help mitigate any negative health benefits, is still a strong trend. According to Robert, fat reduction technologies should aim to replicate the functionality of fats and oils in reformulations. He says: “Many of Ulrick & Short’s fat reduction solutions, for example, are based on tapioca. If you look at tapioca under a microscope, you will find that that, compared with other crops such as maize or wheat, it has smooth, spherical granules. This creates a creamy, indulgent mouthfeel in the many applications, as well as providing the body and moist texture required in bakery products such as cakes and muffins – effectively acting as a fat mimetic and simulating the sensory properties of fat.
“Our fat reduction solutions have the
added benefit of being entirely plant- based and clean label, ensuring that
bakeryproduction.co.uk
bakeries do not have to compromise on their ingredient declaration, and making the solutions suitable for both conventional and vegan bakery product offerings.” Robert believes that the use of functional fat replacers can also help reduce costs. Explaining further, he says: “Replacing high-cost fats, such as cream or butter – depending on initial usage rate and the ratio in which the product is use – could result in significant cost-savings. We have achieved this in multiple applications, for example with custards and pie fillings.” Ultimately, when it comes to fat reduction solutions, there is no one-size-fits-all answer for bakeries. There are so many variables to consider, including exact final application, recipe usage
rates and processing methods. However, it now possible
to significantly reduce fat content, while maintaining product quality and indulgence when you find the right combination of ingredients. There are additional bonuses, as it can also help bolster an organisations sustainability credentials, which is growing
in importance in the eyes of both retailers and consumers.
Kennedy’s Bakery Production February/March 2023 33
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