Role of dietary fats
Fats provide 9 kcal/g of energy1 and the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends fat intake level to be about 25-35% of the total daily calorie intake. The preferential sources for fat consumption according to AHA include nuts, vegetable oils or through fish with mono and poly unsaturated fats to be among the high priority fats. Dietary fats are a source of energy and are essential for growth and regulation of body functions2. They are sources of vitamins (A, D, E and K) and essential fatty acids (EFA)2. EFA are required by the body for cell growth and nourishment, brain development, regulation of water loss by the skin, blood pressure regulation and for the development of placenta and mammary glands in pregnant women3. …show more content…
Fat also serves as a carrier for the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K along with flavors, colors and antioxidants in certain food applications. In bakery products, fats play the role of providing lubrication, flakiness, firmness, mouthfeel, crumb texture, aeration among others13. Higher solid fat content helps in the entrapment of air in the bread dough14. Other than influencing the organoleptic properties of food products, the type and the amount of oil used also affects the oxidation stability of the final product. Oils high in unsaturated fatty acids if used for frying operations can oxidize during frying and contribute rancid notes to the product15. On the other hand, oil migration either due to poor tempering, storage, temperature fluctuations or use of incompatible fats can cause a bloom in chocolate products and can contribute to lower quality16. Stability of the products also depends on the polymorphic form of the fat crystals as in case of chocolate manufacture16. Palmitic acid is known to crystallize in the β’ form and is a major fatty acid in cottonseed oil. Hence, addition of cottonseed oil is desirable in applications requiring plasticity such as shortenings17. The suitability of the oil for the final application can be determined based on the fatty acid and triacylglycerol composition of the oil as it determines the physical and chemical
Fats provide 9 kcal/g of energy1 and the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends fat intake level to be about 25-35% of the total daily calorie intake. The preferential sources for fat consumption according to AHA include nuts, vegetable oils or through fish with mono and poly unsaturated fats to be among the high priority fats. Dietary fats are a source of energy and are essential for growth and regulation of body functions2. They are sources of vitamins (A, D, E and K) and essential fatty acids (EFA)2. EFA are required by the body for cell growth and nourishment, brain development, regulation of water loss by the skin, blood pressure regulation and for the development of placenta and mammary glands in pregnant women3. …show more content…
Fat also serves as a carrier for the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K along with flavors, colors and antioxidants in certain food applications. In bakery products, fats play the role of providing lubrication, flakiness, firmness, mouthfeel, crumb texture, aeration among others13. Higher solid fat content helps in the entrapment of air in the bread dough14. Other than influencing the organoleptic properties of food products, the type and the amount of oil used also affects the oxidation stability of the final product. Oils high in unsaturated fatty acids if used for frying operations can oxidize during frying and contribute rancid notes to the product15. On the other hand, oil migration either due to poor tempering, storage, temperature fluctuations or use of incompatible fats can cause a bloom in chocolate products and can contribute to lower quality16. Stability of the products also depends on the polymorphic form of the fat crystals as in case of chocolate manufacture16. Palmitic acid is known to crystallize in the β’ form and is a major fatty acid in cottonseed oil. Hence, addition of cottonseed oil is desirable in applications requiring plasticity such as shortenings17. The suitability of the oil for the final application can be determined based on the fatty acid and triacylglycerol composition of the oil as it determines the physical and chemical