Your team, consisting of Professor Dorota Zyżelewicz and Dr Joanna Oracz, wants to improve the health of our society by proposing the use of healthy fats in food production? You have developed new technologies at the Institute, which will almost revolutionise the production of certain types of food, such as bread. What is this innovation?
Until recently, bakery and confectionery fats were obtained mainly by partial hydrogenation of vegetable oils. Such fats were characterised by favourable technological properties, especially good consistency, fluffiness and resistance to oxidation. They contained trans fatty acids, which, as numerous clinical studies have shown, lower good cholesterol and increase total cholesterol, and contribute to atherosclerosis, obesity and diabetes. In response to these reports, 'zero trans' fats have begun to appear on the market.
However, simple recipe conversion of trans fats to zero trans fats did not give good results, products were solid, fat melted and leaked. Technologies had to be adapted to zero trans fats through deeper recipe changes and selection of the temperature profile in the different production steps. The Institute of Food Technology and Analysis, as a result of 4 investment projects co-financed by national and European funds, was equipped with modern analytical and technological apparatus, thanks to which it was able to take up the challenge of carrying out research into the conversion of trans fats to trans-free fats in various products. As a result, manufacturers received the know-how to start producing healthier products without trans fats.
Your team has an important task, almost a mission, to help us consumers improve their health by eating the right products. What have been the results of the research conducted in the project?
The research carried out in the framework of several scientific projects concerned technologies for obtaining foods with reduced trans-fatty acid content or completely free of them. In particular, these were dessert and snack products. Consumption of these foods is steadily increasing, so it is important to offer consumers the healthiest possible alternative. Thanks to the use by food manufacturers of technologies developed at the Institute, 'zero trans' snacks containing healthier fat have appeared on the market.
New technologies and patents have been created as a result of the research. Whose needs does the project address? Who is it aimed at?
The project is aimed at manufacturers of foodstuffs in which trans fats are most used, i.e. manufacturers of confectionery bakery products and confectionery creams. Consumers are also the recipients of the results and will be able to reach for such products.
One of the proposals your team worked on is the development of trans-free confectionery. Consumption of such products is supposed to result in consumers having a lower risk of diabetes and atherosclerosis. As a fan of good dark chocolate, I would be very interested in such healthy products. Will they be labelled in a special way?
Cocoa fat is an important ingredient in chocolate. It may contain small amounts of trans fats, which are formed when the cocoa beans are roasted. Properly selected roasting conditions can eliminate even these small amounts of trans fats from chocolate. Therefore, chocolates, like various types of pastries, may be trans-free products. Now, due to pressure from nutritionists and doctors, the European Commission has introduced a regulation that sets limits on industrially produced trans fats in food.
From April 2021, products in which trans fats exceed the 2% limit, i.e. 2 g trans per 100 g fat, cannot be offered to consumers. The next step will be the appearance of products clearly labelled with the description "ZERO TRANS FAT". In other countries such descriptions are already in place because consumers understand its importance for health.
Trans fats are already being censored in many countries fighting obesity. What are the chances that trans-free fats will be massively introduced in domestic production of sweet snacks?
Manufacturers are prepared for such a change. Its rapid introduction in most sweet snacks will depend on the responsible behaviour of manufacturers and, not least, on pressure from informed consumers.
Is the food industry interested in such healthier production? Will the industry's use of trans zero fats significantly increase the price of products?
Manufacturers committed to innovation and healthy food production are interested in new trans-free solutions. Trans-free fats are a new generation of fats resulting from advanced research over many years. They are currently a more expensive alternative to trans, but with each passing year the price difference may become less and less visible in the final product. The gain in increased health safety cannot be overestimated, so it is worth informing consumers about the harmfulness of trans and supporting the presence of trans-free foods on the market.
Can you already buy products in shops using the technology of trans-free products developed at TUL?
The technology developed at the PE has been successfully implemented in WIEPOL and DELTA. These products have been on the market for several years and their implementation has enabled the manufacturers to become innovative companies using new technologies friendly to consumer health and contributed to their rapid growth.
Interview by: Małgorzata Trocha