What are fat substitutes used as food additives?
Fat substitutes can be carbohydrate-, protein- or fat-based. The first type to reach the market contained carbohydrate as the main ingredient. Avicel, for example, is a cellulose gel introduced in the mid-1960s by FMC Corp., and N-Oil is a tapioca dextrin introduced in the early 1980s by National Starch and Chemical Co. These types of fat substitutes are used in a variety of foods today, including lunch meats, salad dressings, frozen desserts, table spreads, dips, baked goods, and candy. Protein-based fat substitutes entered the market in the early 1990s. There are two that have been affirmed as “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS): microparticulated proteins from egg white or dairy protein and whey protein concentrate. Microparticulation is a process in which the protein is shaped into microscopic round particles that roll easily over one another. These fat substitutes give a better sensation in the mouth–“mouth feel” in industry parlance–than the carbohydrate-based ones and can be
