Amelioration of Nutritional Properties of Bakery Fat Using Omega‐3 Fatty Acid Rich Edible Oils‐ A Review

Abstract

Bakery products have gained prominence in modern diets due to their convenience and accessibility, often serving as staple meals across diverse regions. However, the fats used in these products are rich in saturated fatty acids and often comprise of trans‐fatty acids, which are considered as a major biomarker for non‐communicable diseases like cardiovascular disorders, obesity and diabetes. Additionally, these fats lack in the essential omega‐3 fatty acids, which are widely known for their therapeutic benefits. They play a major role in lowering the risk of cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes. Thus, there is need of incorporating these essential fatty acids into the bakery fats. Nevertheless, fortifying food products with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) poses several challenges due to their high susceptibility to oxidation. This oxidative deterioration not only leads to the formation of undesirable flavours but also, a loss of nutritional value in the final products. This review focuses on the development of healthier trans‐fat free bakery fat enriched with omega‐3 fatty acids and its effect on the physicochemical, functional, sensory and nutritional properties of the bakery fats and its products. Further, the role of various technologies like, physical blending, enzymatic interesterification, and encapsulation to improve the stability of PUFA rich bakery fat have been discussed, where, microencapsulation emerged as a novel and effective technology to enhance its stability and shelf life. By preventing deteriorative changes, microencapsulation ensures that the nutritional, physicochemical, and sensory properties of food products remain intact. Novel modifications methods like interesterification and microencapsulation, used for developing PUFA rich bakery fats have a potential to address the health risks occurring due to consumption of bakery fat having higher amount of saturated and trans fatty acids.

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