Nutritional Fats & Functional Foods
Formulation, quality control issues slow incorporation of beneficial fatsinto foods and beverages.

by Heather Granato

Functional foods and beverages are designed to deliver desirednutritional compounds in an easier to consume format than pills and powders.There are many challenges facing formulators, from taste issues to qualitycontrol/efficacy concerns that must be addressed. In the area of nutritionalfats, these issues are squarely in the forefront, slowing incorporation of manybeneficial compounds into the food supply.

Currently, the American diet swings heavily to trans-fat andsaturated fat, with little intake of beneficial fats. Unfortunately, this leadsto an imbalance in prostaglandins (hormone-like compounds), which is linked tohealth problems including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. Essentialfatty acids (EFAs) are integrally involved in maintaining cellular health andpromoting proper functioning of prostaglandins. Within the EFA category, thereare sub-groups for particular nutritional benefits. Fish oil EFAs are especiallybeneficial for cardiovascular wellness, while conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)aids fat loss while maintaining muscle mass.

Whatever health benefit they bestow, nutritional fats are hotbusiness with many mainstream food and beverage companies, according to industrysuppliers. "There is no question that major food companies are very awareof these ingredients," said Robert Orr, general manager of Bedford, NovaScotia-based Ocean Nutrition. "There is increasing awareness that not allfats are bad."

Understanding the differences between fats means companies canmake their products more nutritious. "Food companies are beginning tounderstand the need for nutritious lipids to make their productshealthier," agreed David Lewis, director of sales and marketing for NorthAmerica with Loders Croklaan Lipid Nutrition in Channahon, Ill.

Added Helen Zhong, sales and marketing manager with Greensboro,N.C.-based San Mark, "Consumers are realizing that simply avoiding 'bad'fats is not the solution to their health concerns. Food companies have alwaysbeen trying to create a healthy image of their products in relation to the fatcontent. With the continuing decrease of consumer interest in low-fat products,it is only natural for food companies to look into adding back some goodfats."

As suppliers of nutritional fats have looked to expand theirmarkets, many have taken the time to educate mainstream food manufacturers aboutthe basics on EFAs. "Food companies generally ask for more scientific andtechnical information as many of them are new to the nutraceutical arena,"Zhong said. "It is essential to provide complete technical support to foodcompanies and work with them closely to develop products that will have consumeracceptance."

There is a broad range of beneficial fats. Fats, also known aslipids, are molecules consisting of a long chain of mostly carbon and hydrogen,with some oxygen. Saturated fats occur when all the carbons in the chain aresaturated with hydrogen; these fats are responsible for many negative healtheffects. Monounsaturated fats, such as oleic acid in olive oil, result from afree carbon forming a double bond. Polyunsaturated fats contain more than oneunsaturated carbon, resulting in many double bonds.

EFAs are polyunsaturated oils and are chemically distinguishedby the position of their first double bond. Omega-3 fatty acids have their firstdouble bond three carbons from the molecule's acid tail; omega-6 EFAs have theirfirst double bond six spots up the tail. In the omega-3 family, EFAs includealpha linoleic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid(DHA). Among the omega-6 EFAs are linoleic acid (LA) and gamma linoleic acid (GLA).

The primary omega-3 fatty acid, ALA, is found in abundance indeep-, cold-water fish, as well as in flaxseed, hemp and perilla oils. Fish oilsprimarily provide long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs), whilevegetable sources of omega-3 tend to provide short-chain PUFAs. Flaxseed candeliver omega-3 EPA, and omega-3 DHA can be sourced from fish (which alsocontains EPA) or marine microalgae.

Vegetable oils such as flaxseed, black currant and borage supplyconsiderable amounts of omega-6 LA. In addition, black currant, borage andevening primrose oils are rich dietary sources of GLA. Another popularbeneficial fat is CLA, a derivative of the omega-6 LA commercially producedthrough the manufacturing of sunflower or safflower.

Formulating With Fat

There are two primary challenges in formulating functional foodsand beverages with nutritional oils. First, most nutritional oils can contributean off flavor to a finished product, though many EFAs (particularlymarine-sourced) are deodorized to minimize the impact. Second--and related--isthe fragility of the oils; most EFAs are extremely sensitive to heat, light andoxygen, and can go rancid very quickly. This not only damages the flavor, but iteliminates the benefits of the oil and could cause health damage by increasingfree radical formation in the body.

"Absolutely the major challenge [in formulation] is toprevent oxidation of these highly unsaturated fatty acids," Zhong said."However, replacing existing fats in a product with nutritional oils willnot only bring nutritional benefits to the products but can have minimal impacton the texture and flavor of the final products."

How quickly a fat oxidizes is a function of the length of thefatty-acid chain and the techniques used for extraction and processing.According to Orr, LCPUFAs from fish oil tend to be extremely unstable, oxidizingmuch more quickly than shorter chain PUFAs such as those extracted from flax.

Even vegetable-sourced fats are still prone to oxidation."Because of their high susceptibility to oxidation, nutritional fats mustbe carefully protected with antioxidants or protective coatings to minimizetheir interaction with oxygen in formulations," said Glenn Pizzey, chiefoperating officer and vice president of research and development for Angusville,Manitoba-based Pizzey's Milling. "Rancid oils produce undesirable odors andflavors."

In typical food formulation, unsaturated oils such as canola orsafflower are treated to maximize their application in food processing. However,EFAs cannot be hydrogenated to protect against rancidity because that woulddestroy the bonds that give EFAs their health properties. According to Pizzey,this means suppliers must find other ways to protect the oils. "They can bespray dried into powders by commingling with other ingredients, such as starchesor proteins, which protect them against oxidation," he said. "Inliquid applications, they can be mixed with emulsifiers or density modifiers toprevent their separation or settling in liquid formulations."

It is important to select the right ingredient for anapplication. For example, if a company wanted to add CLA to a nutritional bar,an oil might work best as a substitute for an existing ingredient. "Mostbars contain a vegetable oil to assist in providing excellent flavor andmouthfeel," Lewis said. "By replacing some or all of the fat phase ina traditional bar with CLA oil [Loders supplies CLA Clarinol G80], they getthe benefit of excellent flavor and mouthfeel but with the added health benefitsassociated with CLA." Using emulsions, oils can also be effectivelyincorporated into products such as yogurts and cheese, suggested Angela Tsetsis,executive director of marketing for Columbia, Md.-based Martek Biosciences.

Powders may be more preferable in products such as baked goodsor functional beverages, where the ingredient has greater dispersability andenhanced stability, as well as better flavor masking. Powders may be easier toincorporate into beverages with heavy suspension, where the cloud hides anyimpact of the nutritional oil. Pizzey's, for example, offers a pasteurizedfine-grade flaxseed (BevGrad) that resists settling out of suspension. Othercompanies, such as Natural Inc., promote spray-dried powders [such as itsTonalin CLA] in a starch matrix because of additional protection againstoxidation.

Another consideration when adding nutritional fats into foodproducts is whether the ingredient has been affirmed generally recognized assafe (GRAS). Many companies have either self-affirmed their ingredients as GRASor are in the process of doing so. Lewis mentioned Clarinol's GRAS status hashelped the company position the ingredient for functional food companiesdesiring that status before reformulating a product.

An additional suggestion from suppliers is that manufacturersread certificates of analysis before accepting shipments of products, visitingmanufacturing facilities to review quality control (QC) procedures, andrequesting further information on patented processes and application ideas.

While QC procedures and technological application work are stillin development, there is a bright future for nutritional fats in food andbeverage form. "Consumers just prefer the form, so as companies make asignificant commitment to bring these products to market, they'll see thereward," Orr said.

Linda Pizzey, president of Pizzey's, noted that consumereducation will also be a driving force in growing the category. "Increasedconsumer exposure to medical and nutritional research documenting the benefitsof CLA, omega-3 fats and other 'healthy oils' within the past two or three yearshas spurred companies to seek new ways to incorporate the benefits of these fatsinto their products," she said.

Lewis agreed with the assessment of the category's potential."We are just beginning to see the wave starting to form," he said."Once it starts moving, the trend will continue for many years tocome."