Fats in Food Products

The properties of fats and the characteristics of some food products based on fats have been documented in several books. Individual fats such as milkfat, however, have received less attention despite many successful initiatives to increase their utilization in food products. Moreover, the availability of data on the function of fats in the context of major manufactured food products has often been constrained by the general reluctance of manufacturers to disclose details of working practices. In some areas, such as yellow fat spreads, the market has changed dramatically over the last decade or so by the introduction of a broad class of new products resulting from a trend among consumers in the developed world towards reduced fat consumption. A review of this general area therefore now seems very timely. In the preparation of this book, we have been fortunate to have had the support of internationally recognised specialists with much relevant experience and achievement in their subject areas. We believe that their contributions not only subscribe to the main aim of this book, by providing useful insight into the functional properties of the major fats in foods, but also offer information concerning recent and novel methods of processing these fats. Opportunities for possible future developments are indicated throughout.