With the replacement aim, the key part of the research is to determine where unhealthful trans and saturated fats are located within foods and to see if it is possible to supplement these for ‘healthier’ non-saturated versions. A secondary aim is to see if the replacement can take place without altering the texture of the food so that it becomes unpalatable to consumers.
Artificial trans fats are formed when oil goes through a process called hydrogenation. This makes the oil more solid (the process of hardening). This type of fat, is commonly used for frying or as an ingredient in processed foods. Consuming a diet high in trans fats can lead to high cholesterol levels in the blood.
In order to study various fats, the power of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Argonne National Laboratory in Lemont, Illinois was utilized. This allowed advanced X-ray power (a technique called ultra-small angle X-ray scattering) to probe the structure of edible fats at meso and micro levels (these are sizes that range from hundreds of nanometres to a few micrometres in size). The advantage of using X-rays over other imaging methods is that the X-rays do not alter the structure of the items being scanned. This is especially significant with fats, since the way that certain fats are arranged at the molecular level affects their properties.
This level of detail is necessary because, with many foods, simply switching healthier unsaturated fats to replace the trans and saturated ones often doesn’t work since the solid structure is lost and the food loses its shape and texture.
In a statement, lead researcher Peyronel-Svaikauskas discussed his experience of using the X-ray method: “You’re looking at X-ray scattering at really tiny angles. The smaller the angle, the larger the feature you look at in your sample. That’s important if you want to understand how the meso to micro structure gets formed.”
It is hoped by probing and experimenting with where specific fats are replaced, then ‘healthier’ foods can be developed.
The study has been conducted by the University of Guelph, and the results have yet to be published in a peer reviewed science journal.
