Sausages and breads contain saturated fats that can put the cardiovascular health of people who eat them in excess at risk. A team of researchers from the Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA) and the Food Science Research Institute (CIAL, CSIC-Autonomous University of Madrid) has carried out a study in which they have managed to develop oleogels that could act as substitutes for that saturated fat.
Oleogels are liquid vegetable oils created from gelling agents that give them structure. In this case, edible carbohydrates have been used, such as carrageenan and agars from red algae, which allow the oil to be trapped and act in a very similar way to a solid fat, but without processes that alter or damage that oil.
The research has been published in the journals Algal Research and Carbohydrate Plymers, and has been carried out thanks to various experiments in which oleogels were included in the production of sausages. The results in the tasting with 100 consumers were quite satisfactory.
By using oleogels as substitutes for saturated fats, the risks of cardiovascular problems are reduced in those who consume them
“One of the main advantages of this patent is its application in the food industry, since it can function as a substitute for solid fats in different products, such as some types of bread and sausages. This point is very interesting, given that by not using saturated fats, the result is very beneficial for the health of consumers, since the intake of saturated fats is associated with different cardiovascular problems and diseases”, explained Cynthia Fontes Candia, one of the authors of the study.
Uses of oleogels for health
In addition to this utility, oleogels can be used as controlled release vehicles, as they include beneficial compounds for health and provide greater extra value. An example of this would be curcumin, a natural antioxidant colorant that comes from turmeric. Its main characteristic is that it has bioavailability and stability problems, which can be solved with the oleogel, since it solubilizes the compound and provides its benefits, which have been associated with anti-inflammatory or antioxidant properties.
This product has also been investigated for use in the biomedical field, specifically in the simulation of fatty tissue for cancer detection. A benefit of this process is that the electrically non-conductive and insulating properties of the materials can be adjusted for this purpose. In addition, the researchers have highlighted that their technique is simple and cheap, which is why they believe that it is a competitive patent in the market.
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