Modified Milk Fat and Its Applications in Food Products

Abstract

Natural fats have complex composition as they are composed of several fatty acids present primarily as triacylglycerols, which give fat highly diverse functional and nutritional properties. This complexity of fat provides opportunities for modifying themselves for different applications. The negative nutritional and physical image of the fat, especially certain saturated long chain fatty acids, trans-fats, cholesterol as well as poor spreadability and oxidative susceptibility has driven the development of technologies to produce modified fat with different physicochemical or nutritional properties. Modified fats have wide area of application. They can substitute the conventional costlier fats and can also be used in functional foods, as nutraceuticals. Moreover, one can use different fractions derived from single source of fat for different applications. Therefore, modification of fat can be considered as a tool which enhances the functionality and nutritional value of natural fats and broaden their area of application.
Keywords: Triacylglycerols, trans-fats, spreadability, nutritional properties, nutraceuticals