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FAKE FATS IN REAL FOOD Demand grows asfood substitutes satisfy tastes of calorie- andfat-conscious consumers Elisabeth M. Kirschner C&EN Northeast News Bureau
$1.14 billion after dropping from 1989's $845 million sales to $774 million in 1995 because of price declines. Demand for ood additives and substitutes have surimi, inexpensive fish processed to imicome a long way from the salt of the tate shellfish, is expected to grow 5.9% earth. Now, complex engineered fla- per year to $140 million. Other food subvors, sweeteners, and fats are part of the stitutes, such as soy-based burgers, are growing at 7.4%. daily U.S. diet. Food additives are a $4.2 billion-perThe U.S. market for fat replacers is exyear industry and growing. Expensive fla- pected to double by 2000, says Paul vorings top the sales, followed by textur- Bailin, an analyst at Freedonia Group. He izers, emulsifiers, preservatives, and acid- projects increases of more than 25% per ulants. A subset of the additives market is year from 1995 levels, with most of the the $1.5 billion food substitutes market. growth from olestra. Artificial sweeteners were the first inBailin cites "continued interest in lowgredients to make up for an overabun- fat products of all sorts, as health and imdance—in this case, of sugar—in our diet. age-conscious consumers strive to lower Fat substitutes have attempted to do the their intake of fat, cholesterol, and calosame, but for years have suffered from lim- ries." He says price declines are expected itations in how they can be used and the in established products, but premium pricinability to match the myriad effects- ing should hold for newer products still such as texture, flavor delivery, and under patents. "mouthfeel"—that fat has on food. In evolutionary terms, a predilection When the Food & Drug Administration for the concentrated energy of fat was approved Procter & Gamble's sucrose good. Fat has 9 calories per g, whereas polyester olestra last year, the fat replace- carbohydrates and proteins provide only ment market potential took off. Fat replac- 4 calories per g. Fat stored in the body e s are expected to grow to a 443 million- helped through times of scarcity. Most lb market by 2000, up from 164 million lb in 1995, according to the Cleveland-based industry research firm Freedonia Group. With expected increases in the average price per pound, Freedonia pegs the 2000 market at $495 million, up from $158 million in 1995. Substitutes are grabbing an increasing share of what we eat. In 1995, U.S. consumers bought about 2.2 lb of substitutes in every $1,000 worth of food and beverages, according to a Freedonia Group study. That should top 3 lb by 2000. U.S. consumers buy about half the food substitutes produced worldwide, being the leading market for artificial sweeteners, fat replacers, and most other substitutes. Western Europe and Japan each account for about 20% of the market. Food and beverage substitutes have long been dominated by the artificial sweeteners, sales of which are expected to grow at 8.1% through 2000, reaching
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people in developed nations now have plenty of food, but continue to yearn for the crispy fried foods and creamy sauces and desserts made possible by fats. In addition to obesity, the surgeon general blames high intakes of fat for "some types of cancer and possibly gallbladder disease." High intake of saturated fats is linked to increased risk for coronary heart disease. Strokes and high-blood pressure are also correlated to fat intake. When FDA introduced new food labels in 1994, there was no place to hide the fat. Since then, sales of premium ice creams dropped 5%. Low-fat products gained an advantage on the supermarket shelves. At least 1,000 new low-fat products are introduced each year, says Laszlo P. Somogyi, a senior consultant at SRI Consulting, Menlo Park, Calif. And consumers are seeking them out. "This phenomenon transcends age and gender boundaries," says the Calorie Control Council, an association of fat and sugar substitute manufacturers. In the council's 1996 national survey, 88% of the 1,500 respondents—90% of women and 87% of men—said they consume low-fat, reduced-fat, or fat-free foods and beverages. While government agencies and health organizations recommend limiting fat intake to 30% of the diet, Americans still consume an average of 33% of calories from fat. A decade ago, estimates put the average at 36% for men and 37% for women. So consumers are willing to cut fat—as long as food still tastes good. That's where the substitutes come in. Normal edible fats are triglycerides derived from glycerol and three carbox-
APRIL 21, 1997 C&EN 19
business
Low-fat milk and salad dressings are most popular reduced-fat foods
Milk 66%
Snack foods 43%
_ , , , Salad dressings, sauces, mayonnaise 60%
Meat products 41%
Cheese, yogurt, S 0 U r cream ^2%
Baked goods 40%
Margarine 50%
Dinner entrees 31%
Percent of 1,500 adults who say they consume these low-fat products Source: Calorie Control 1996 survey
ylic acids. The variety of combinations of Frito-Lay introduced Max brand chips in the acids—with differing chain lengths 31 supermarkets in Eau Claire, Wis.; Grand and saturation—gives rise to the many Junction, Colo.; and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. different types of fat solids and liquids, "One store in Cedar Rapids took mail or also called oils. ders from across the country," says a FritoMany fat substitutes are based on Lay spokeswoman. "We almost had a mu starches, gums, and emulsifiers that thick tiny when we ended the first test-mar en with water to give the mouthfeel, keting phase." bulk, and texture of fats. Others are In February, Frito-Lay changed the based on proteins, broken into microme brand name to Wow! and began a second ter-sized particles that slide over each round of more extensive test marketing. other on the tongue to feel like a hydro The company brought olestra-fried Doriphobic fat. But use of these substitutes tos, Lays, and Ruffles to central Indiana su has been limited by heat stability, tex permarkets, convenience stores, mass ture, taste, and marketing. None of them merchandisers, and club stores. could maintain the guise of a fat when it In four weeks "we've sold more than came to the frying pan. 4 million servings," says the spokeswom Olestra is a true fat. It is made up of fat an. "We're very, very encouraged by this ty acids, but they are attached to a core of expanded test market." sucrose rather than glycerine. Because six P&G made its debut with Pringles last to eight fatty acids, rather than three, are September in Columbus, Ohio. Test mar attached to the central sugar molecule, the keting began in March in Indiana. digestive enzymes can't get in place to Currently, olestra is produced only at a break them off. Olestra passes through the P&G pilot plant in Cincinnati. "We can't body unchanged. make enough," says a spokeswoman. She The FDA approval limits olestra's use to says the pilot plant is "fully committed" to savory snacks, such as potato chips, torti test marketing and product development lla chips, and cheese curls. The agency re work with about a dozen food makers. quires that package labels warn of poten Construction on a full-scale plant at P&G's tial digestive effects such as abdominal nearby Ivorydale site—started two months cramping and loose stools. P&G must mon after FDA's approval—is expected to be itor consumption, report customer com completed in early 1998. plaints to the FDA, and study long-term ef To make olestra, natural oil—such as fects. Because olestra affects the uptake of cottonseed or soybean oil—is heated in a feit-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, those vi base-catalyzed reaction with methanol to tamins must be added to foods fried in detach the fatty acids as methyl esters. olestra. The glycerine settles out and is drawn P&G's competitor Frito-Lay Co., Piano, off, and the fatty acid methyl esters are Texas, was the first company to use distilled. Then, sucrose and another base olestra in its snack foods. In April 1996, catalyst are added to the fatty acid meth 2 0 APRIL 21. 1997 C&EN
yl esters, with emulsifiers. Under high temperature, sucrose polyesters form and methanol is removed. Further pro cessing removes leftover fatty acid esters and emulsifiers. Then, the new fat is bleached and deodorized. The original sucrose polyester discov ered was a liquid, but the approved mate rial was thickened to be stififer and bind to digesting food at body temperature. Olestra is mostly liquid but is bound with enough solid particulates to keep it from becoming runny. Olestra does not separate from the intestinal contents, P&G says. FDA requires olestra to contain at least 70% octaesters and less than 0.5% of mole cules with five or fewer fatty acid chains, which are digestible. The requirements also call for fat-soluble vitamins to be add ed to foods fried in olestra: 1.9 mg of α-to copherol equivalents per gram of olestra, 51 retinol equivalents, 12 IU of vitamin D, and 8 ug of vitamin K. Carotenoids, which some say are important in a healthy diet, are not added because the actual effects are not understood. The two varieties of olestra being pro duced are from cottonseed oil—tradition ally used for potato chips—and soybean oil—used in tortilla chips and crackers. The primary difference isflavorcharacter istics, because the flavor of the source oil carries through to the sucrose polyester. "During frying, some of the fatty acid chains will break down and add small components in the parteper-million range," says Patrick J. Corrigan, P&G research fel low for olestra process development. "You get the same breakdown products from olestra that you would get from the source oil." Other variations are based on classic oils chemistry, he says, dependent on chain lengths and saturation. A flurry of patents on polyol polyes ters have been granted, so competitors may soon challenge olestra. So far, P&G says it has the only product that meets FDA requirements and tastes good in salty snacks. Of course, not everyone is pleased with olestra. The Center for Science in the Pub lic Interest (CSPI) has waged a public battie against the approval of the fake fat. Michael F. Jacobson, CSPI's executive di rector, says olestra's effects on vitamins, carotenoids, and other food ingredients and resulting disease may not be realized for many years. But other effects are more immediate. Since olestra-containing prod ucts have been on the market, he says, CSPI has received a "large numbers of calls, about 900 reports, and seven people went to the emergency room. Many experience
cern. Obviously, we are not getting reports of peoU.S. has acquired a taste ple dying—our language for fat substitutes does not match CSPI's." FDA has scheduled a pubSynthetic & other lic hearing for olestra in Prme\nbased 1998. Carbohydrate P&G says it has folbased lowed up by testing a number of people who filed complaints. Those people did not experience adverse abdominal effects in the testing process, says the spokeswoman. 1985 1989 1995 2000 $42 million $68 million $158 million $495 million "We remain bullish Note: Market for fat replacements. Source: Freedonia Group a b o u t olestra's prospects," says Freedonia's Bailin. "Consumer resevere cramps and diarrhea." As to P&G's sponse [for the first test market] was argument that olestra has an effect similar quite favorable, despite widespread to fiber or other natural foods, he cites awareness of the health-related concerns olestra's ominous warning label and re- and an aggressive antiolestra media camported effects: "This doesn't happen if paign by CSPI. Indeed, products with you eat broccoli or fiber." [olestra] typically sold at a 20 to 40% preAn FDA spokesman says the reports on mium over standard chips, indicating the olestra's effects will be reviewed. There level of demand among fat- and caloriehave been several hundred complaints, he conscious consumers." says, but "they do not give us cause for conBailin says his projection of $225 mil-
lion in 2000 sales for synthetic fats is likely to be somewhat low. "P&G and some financial analysts covering them peg the potential market as high as $1 billion," he says, "but any prediction at this point remains highly speculative, given the number of unknowns and the early stage of the production cycle." With FDA's blessing on zero-calorie olestra, other fat replacers are experiencing a shakeout. P&G's Corrigan says the company has set aside market development and production of caprenin, which was developed as a structured fat to replace cocoa butter. It was sold for a short time in 1989 in Milky Way II bars. But with 5 calories per g, caprenin doesn't have the "compelling" fat and calorie reduction consumers demand. Caprenin is made up of two unsaturated shortchain acids and behenic acid (C 22 ). Caprylic (Cg) and capric (C10) acids are digested quickly—as are carbohydrates. Behenic acid, from hydrogenated rapeseed oil, is poorly absorbed because of its large size. "We still believe there are potential uses for caprenin," says Corrigan. "But it's not nearly as attractive as olestra." And Frito-Lay's research into another alternative fat, dialkyl dihexadecylmalonate
I Fat substitutes face rocky road, one that artificial sweeteners know all too well Artificial sweeteners are a staple in the diet of many people. They have been on the market for more than a century, and they are expected to be a $1.1 billion business in the U.S. by 2000. Companies are readying new products for Food & Drug Administration consideration even as controversy continues over the long-term health effects of the established sweeteners. About 75% of U.S. use of high-intensity sweeteners is in soft drinks. Tlie U.S. market is now dominated by aspartame, with 1995 estimated consumption at 18.8 million lb compared with 10 million lb of saccharin, according to SRI Consulting, Menlo Park, Calif. Sweeteners approved for use outside the U.S. include cyclamates, alitame, and sucralose. Hoechst's Sunett, acesulfame potassium (Ace-K), is 200 times sweeter than sugar. Discovered in 1967, Ace-K was first approved for the U.S. market in 1988 for use in dry food products. Since then, it has been sold in tabletop sweeteners, chewing gum, hard candies, ice pops, and drink mixes such as hot cocoa and coffees. In 1995, FDA approved its use in alcoholic beverages such as wine coolers and beer. But Sunett has yet to gain FDA approval for the lucrative U.S. soft-drink market
Last summer, it battled the Center for Science in The Public Interest (CSPI) in a publicity campaign. CSPI argued that Hoechst's carcinogen tests on Ace-K were outdated and "seriously flawed." The organization called on FDA to require further testing before approving the use of Ace-K in diet soda and to withdraw approvals for use in other foods. Hoechst claims the product has a 14year record of safe use and that approximately 90 studies validate Ace-K's safety. Hoechst said CSPFs arguments are based on a degradation product that could form in minute quantities during long-term storage. "An average person would need to consume . . . the equivalent of one to three Olympic-size swimming pools daily to produce any effect." Last June, FDA approved the use of aspartame (L-aspartyl-i-phenylalanine methyl ester) as a "general-purpose sweetener," freeing NutraSweet Kelco Co. and its competitors to sell it for use in all foods and beverages. Aspartame was first approved in 1981 for use in certain products. Last fall, the controversies over aspartame were reignited when a study linked aspartame to brain cancer (C&EN, Nov. 25,1996, page 10). The report and ensuing press conference by John W. Olney, a
psychiatrist at Washington University's School of Medicine in St. Louis, cited statistics on brain tumors from the National Cancer Institute and an animal study. Olney said the data show that an increase in brain cancer rates in the mid1980s may be connected with the introduction of aspartame. NutraSweet charged that Olney, who has contested aspartame approval since the late 1970s, manipulated the statistics. And a spokesman for FDA, which has received thousands ofcomplaints about the sweetener, says it found "no scientific credibility" to any of them. NutraSweet last year announced it has another sweetener in development NutraSweet 2000 is 40 times sweeter than aspartame, 8,000 times sweeter than sugar. Although it will reveal little about the product, NutraSweet claims the "2000" sweetener has a taste profile similar to sugar, with no bitterness or off-taste. Because of the high potency, the product will also be much cheaper than sugar, the company says. And the stability "appears to be an improvement over aspartame." NutraSweet says it is performing the requisite tests for regulatory approval worldwide, and expects to submit a petition to FDA by spring 1998.
APRIL 21, 1997 C&EN 2 1
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(DDM), has been put on hold. well in confections, dairy foods, DDM is a noncaloric fatty alcohol and baked foods. "Potential cus Fat replacements piece is ester of malonic and alkylmalonic tomers in a wide variety of food one-sixth of food substitutes pie acids. It is virtually not digested or applications have evaluated absorbed and contributes no calo EPGs," says the spokeswoman. Sweeteners ries, like olestra, it could be used They "like its performance and 59% Fat for baking or frying. "We're happy find [foods made with them] in replacements with olestra," says the Frito-Lay distinguishable from foods made spokeswoman. "It's already got with conventional fats and oils." FDA approval." Cultor's Benefat brand fat-based fat replacers were developed by Dow Chemical discontinued Nabisco and are exclusively li work on its fat substitute, a polycensed by Cultor. Thefamilyof fat Shellfish glycerol ester. "We determined substitute substitutes was launched onto the that it did notfitwith our business 8% Other U.S. market about 18 months ago. strategy," says a Dow spokesman. 17% "Products containing Benefat However, Arco Chemical's esEstimated 1997 U.S. demand = $1.5 billion taste as good as their traditional terified propoxylated glycerols counterparts," says Julian D. (EPGs) could soon be ready to chal Source: Freedonia Group Stowell, Cultor's business manag lenge olestra. Arco says it has com er for Benefat. Because Benefat is pleted the majority of preclinical animal trials and is conducting clinical tri more units of propylene glycol are insert not stable at very high temperatures, it als for an FDA food additive petition. "We ed between the glycerol and each fatty cannot be used in normal frying, but it are encouraged by the human tolerance acid segment of the triglyceride molecule. works in many of the types of foods that Depending on the formulation, the large Nabisco makes, such as chocolate and results," says a spokeswoman. Arco discovered and patented EPGs in EPG fats are metabolized less than a regu candy, cookies and crackers, and baked the 1980s. like olestra, EPGs are fats and lar lipid or not metabolized at all to yield goods. Benefat's generic name is salatrim, from so can be used in fried foods. EPGs are few or zero calories. Arco says versions of EPGs also work "short- and long-chain acid triglyceride molbased on naturally occurring fats. One or 22 APRIL 21. 1997 C&EN
ecules." A vegetable oil is hydrolyzed then recombined with other ingredients to yield triglycerides with short-chain acids—acetic, propionic, or butyric—and long-chain fatty acids, mainly stearic acid. The fat can be tai lored by choosing, for example, the ratio of short- to long-chain acids. Salatrim has five-ninths the calories of traditional fats. The short-chain acids are inherently low in calories, the long chain—by virtue of the structure—are not fully absorbed. Tests show that salatrim does not deplete vitamins because it's par tially absorbed. Cultor also offers products from among carbohydrate-based and protein-based fat mimetics. "We see it as important to be able to offer a range of ingredients, suited to specific requirements," either individually or in a system, says Stowell. "Consumers are only interested in low-fat and fat-free prod ucts if they taste good." Dairy-Lo, a whey protein concentrate, "has achieved considerable success," says Stowell. One of Cultors flagship products, Iitesse, a 1-calorie-per-g bulk ing agent, can replace sugars as well as fats. Already on the market, Stepan's Neobee brand alternative fats are a rela tively high-calorie contribution. Mediumchain triacylglycerols (MCT), with C6 to C12 fatty acids, deliver 8.3 calories per g, only 8% less than regular fat. But MCTs have a potential health benefit because they are rapidly metabolized and shunted to the liver through the portal vein. Nor mal fats are hydrolyzed, reesterified, and combined with protein and phospholipids to form chylomicrons that enter the lym phatic transport system and can be divert ed into fat stores. MCTs are made from processed coco nut and palm kernel oils. The oils are hy drolyzed to split off the fatty acids, which are then separated into C6, C8, C10, and C12 fractions. In the next step, the C8 and C10 acids are esterified back onto glycerine in selected ratios. Then, the mix is distilled to remove odor and flavor components and residual fatty ac ids to yield an odorless, colorless oil. MCTs have been commercially avail able since 1955 to treat patients who have difficulty absorbing lipids. In the early 1990s, the sports nutrition craze gave Neobee products an opening in concentrated energy foods, says Jeffrey E. Grahn, director of functional products at Stepan. And nutritional drinks for old er people, some containing MCTs, have become more mainstream. But Stepan has been stymied in getting
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Antioxidants have long been added to foods to prevent spoilage, but they could also preserve the person who eats them. Free radicals formed in the body may interfere with normal gene regulation, a step implicated in the progression of cancer, heart disease, and stroke, explains Maret G. Traber, an associate research biochemist at the University of California, Berkeley. "If these genes are turned on by oxidants, perhaps they can be turned off by antioxidants." "Vitamins and minerals enrich much of the food supply already," says Laszk) P. Somogyi, senior consultant at SRI Consulting, Menlo Park, Calif. He anticipates that antioxidants such as vitamins C and Ε and the less understood phytochemicals such as β-carotene will someday join them. 'There are a lot of antioxidant sup plement pills around already, but [antiox idants] will move into food applications." The field had a major setback when β-carotene, which had appeared prom ising, did not reduce incidence of lung cancer in smokers in a long-term study. Researchers and food technologists are MCTs onto more supermarket shelves. Even though some reports put MCTs at only 7 calories per g, they are still fat calo ries and won't fulfill requirements for the coveted low-fat, low-calorie labels. "It's still a fat," says Grahn. "The problem is major food manufacturers' struggle with claims." And with what claims can be made to entice consumers. "We have yet to break through to a huge market." Carbohydrate- and protein-based fat replacers are also vying for a place in su permarket products. Although they lack some of the fat-based products' features, they work in many foods. "Most of them are innocuous," says CSPFs Jacobson. In deed, they can even have additional health benefits. In 1992, Rhône-Poulenc licensed its oat-based fat replacement product, Oatrim, from the Department of Agriculture. "We just relaunched the product in September" with improved flavor, says Mark Freeland, Rhône-Poulenc's director of innovation and development. Derived from oats, Oatrim's β-glucan content gives the lubricity of a fat. The maltodextrin and nonstarch polysaccha ride content provide viscosity and aid mouthfeel. But because of its origin, the original Oatrim had an "oatyflavorcharacter com ing through," says Freeland. "Delicate types of food products were definite prob
looking at how they can understand, sta bilize, or incorporate food ingredients that prevent disease. For example, J. Bruce German, an associate professor of food science and technology at the Uni versity of California, Davis, is looking for biomarkers that can link antioxidants found naturally in foods such as fruits and vegetables, chocolate, red wine, and even coffee, with disease prevention. An accepted biomarker is serum cho lesterol level, which is correlated to coro nary disease. Products such as oatmeal can claim to lower serum cholesterol, and hence, heart disease. The lack of markers for antioxidants is "slowing the whole field down," says German. "You can't show that they do work, you can't show that they don't" "You cannot make a claim right now, so people are being discouraged," says German, "but this is an indication of where food products are going." Henkel, a major international producer of antioxidants, confirms this trend An ex ecutive says thefirmis expanding capaci ty to catch up with burgeoning demand. lems. In ice cream, where there are large opportunities for fat replacement, we were locked out of the market. We need ed to do something." Hence, Beta-Trim. "We changed the process, and we have significantly im proved theflavorcarry-through in finished food products. We identified where the oat flavor was coming from—a lot from the fat and the protein—and worked out a process to significantly reduce those two components." Fat content was cut from 3% to 0.5%, and protein content—which ranged from 3 to 5%—has been reduced to 1.5%.
"This month, we should have our first customer with Beta-Trim in ice cream," says Freeland. "Next month, we will probably have our first customer with it in skim milk." The inventor of Oatrim, USDA chemist George E. Inglett, last August introduced another fat replacer. Z-Trim, which adds fiber but zero calories to the diet, is made from agricultural by-products—hulls of oats, soybeans, peas, and rice and bran from corn and wheat. They are processed into microscopic fragments, purified, dried, and milled. When mixed with water, the powdered fibers gel to provide a smooth mouthfeel, says USDA, which made low-fat chocolate bars, brownies, and beef patties with the product. Also in August, USDA introduced another replacement based on a cooked blend of starch, fats, and water. Chemists Kenneth Eskins and George F. Fanta dubbed their invention Fantesk and foresee possible uses as a flavored coating for diet popcorn, personal care products, and microencapsulating pharmaceuticals as well as in industrial applications. An eariy player, National Starch & Chem-
ical has refined its line of starch-based fat mimetics introduced in 1992, says Jeffrey P. Laurent, director of marketing and technical service for the firm's food products division. The company modifies starches and may combine them with other ingredients, such as gums and dry milk, to create systems for particular end products. ' 'We have continued the N-Iite line campaign and have added products, such as NIite CL for dairy items, and developed NTack, a starch-based coating used on baked chips so that seasonings will adhere." Normally, Laurent says, seasonings adhere to the oil left on potato or tortilla chips after frying, butflavoringsdon't stick well to lowfat baked versions of chips. "In addition, the pregelatinized starches provide texture, crispiness, and strength in the crunch." Two products were cut from the NLite roster a few years ago. N-Lite F, a mixture of modified food starch, nonfat dry milk, emulsifiers, and guar gum, had been aimed at the low-fat icing and filling market. N-Lite B, a specialty maltodextrin to retain moisture and a cakelike structure, was used in baked goods. "They weren't filling a need," says Laurent.
Starch-based replacers "do better in liquid-based systems," explains Laurent. The best markets for National Starch's fat mimics have been in salad dressings, and dairy products, he says. Continuing products include N-Lite D, a modified food starch used in dairy foods. For sauces and puddings, N-Lite L is a modified food starch that gels when heated. N-Iite LP is similar, but is pregelled for instant-food applications. N-Oil, a maltodextrin for salad dressings, is derived from tapioca. Because National Starch has developed such a "systems approach," Laurent is sanguine about the new fat-based replacers. "We see olestra not so much as competitive, but as a necessary complement. Frying oils are something that you cannot replace with carbohydrates. [Fat-based fat replacers] fill a need." Based on the market growth, that need is sizeable. Food additives, particularly fat and sugar replacements, are expected to see good growth as the U.S. population turns to healthier foods. The baby boomer demographic will also help sales of the products as the aging process kicks in, slowing metabolism and creating love handles.^
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