21 Apr 2016
Fats are an essential part of our diet. Not only do fats supply us with energy, they also contribute to normal body function. Without them we could not live. However, it is also harmful to eat too many it, especially too much of the wrong type. There are 2 types of fat: saturated fats and unsaturated fat.
Did you know?
Did you know that more than 1 in 3 adults has some form of cardiovascular disease? The good news is that 80% of heart disease and stroke can be prevented. (Source: American Heart Association). Eating the right foods, like food low in saturated fats is a good way to lower cardiovascular risk.
What are saturated fats?
Saturated fats are present in high proportions in animal-based foods like cheese, butter and fatty meat but also in coconut and palm oil. They are solid at a room temperature of 20°C. Saturated fat, when consumed in excess, can result in high LDL-cholesterol (known as the “bad” cholesterol).
The World Health Organisation recommends that saturated fats should not exceed 10% of our total energy intake. However, saturated fats consumption exceeds this recommendation in most Western countries: in adults aged 35 +, approximately 35% of the reported average saturated fat intake was 15 % or more of the total energy intake (source: ESFA).
What are unsaturated fats?
Unsaturated fatty acids are found in seeds, nuts and vegetable oils such as rapeseed, sunflower and olive oil. They are liquid at room temperature. Consumption of unsaturated fatty acids is recommended as they do not increase the "bad" cholesterol, instead they help maintain "good" cholesterol.
What role does fat play in bakery?
Fat is a key ingredient in bakery: it plays a crucial role in the volume of the bread, in texture improvement and in flavour. Most common fats used in bread (for example butter, margarine and palm fat), contain high levels of saturated fatty acids.
What does this mean for consumers?
Being conscious about their food, consumers frequently read the nutritional and ingredient information on the label. While doing so, they mainly check the fat and calorie levels. So consumers are looking for healthy and better-balanced products, but with no compromise on indulgence or taste.
Less is more
Puraslim allows to decrease the fat content of rich baked goods and increasing water content, with a marginal effect on refined carbohydrates and sugars. The reduction in calories, fat and saturated fat is such that it allows bakers to communicate health claims* on the product packaging.
Take, for example, a sweet bun: this product is generally considered to have 15% fat by flour weight, but a Puraslim bun only contains 5%. The results speak for themselves: 10% fewer calories, 47% less fat and a reduction of 45% in saturated fat content. In this case, nutritional claims such as ‘reduced in fat’ and ‘reduced in saturated fat’ would be valid (according to EU legislation). Consumer tests have shown that consumers mostly prefer the Puraslim bun over the reference bun.
(*)claim legislation varies from one country to another
More information about Puraslim?
Looking to receive additional information about Puraslim or to discuss nutritional improvement for your baked goods? Contact your local Puratos representative.
