Development and evaluation of soybean oil organogels strutured with phytoesterols and sorbitan monoestearate

• Grant number: 15/09171-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): August 01, 2015
• Effective date (End): July 31, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Technology
• Principal Investigator: Ana Paula Badan Ribeiro
• Grantee: Giulia Isabela Magossi
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia de Alimentos (FEA). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The controversial issues about the role of trans fatty acids in the diet caused progressive changes in legislation, in order to provide more information to consumers. In response, Brazilian industries have opted for gradual replacement of trans fat in many products, through the development of fatty bases with functionality and economic viability equivalent to partially hydrogenated fats, leading, however, substantial increase in the content of saturated fatty acids in foods. At the current moment, the science of lipids aims to define alternatives to a problem widely discussed by health organizations in the world, which is to limit the saturated fat content in food available to the population. The reduction in saturated fat bases is not feasible by isolated use of conventional modification processes, such as fractionation or interesterification, because the potential for reducing the levels of saturated fatty acids by these means is significantly limited. In contrast, the use of structuring agents or modifiers of the crystallization process as specific triglycerides, partial glycerides and some emulsifiers, have been indicated as the only viable alternative for obtaining low sat fats with properties compatible with application in food. In this context, the phytosterols - minor lipids with proven natural hypocholesterolemic action - presents as a fairly recent option for structuring lipid matrices; as well as sorbitan monoestearate, used for the formation of stabilized organogels. This research project aims at the development of zero trans fatty bases with reduced levels of saturated fatty acids from soybean oil, using free phytosterols and sorbitan monoestearate as potential structuring agents.