Edible Oleogels: Structure and Health Implications

In an effort to provide alternatives to trans and saturated fats, scientists have been busy modifying the physical properties of oils to resemble those of fats. In this fashion, many food products requiring a specific texture and rheology can be made with these novel oil-based materials without causing significant changes to final product quality. The major approach to form these materials is to incorporate specific molecules (polymers, amphiphiles, waxes) into the oil components that will alter the physical properties of the oil so that its fluidity will decrease and the rheological properties will be similar to those of fats. These new oilbased materials are referred to as oil gels, or “oleogels,“ and this emerging technology is the focus of many scientific investigations geared toward helping decrease the incidence of obesity and cardiovascular disease.

Presents a novel strategy to eliminate trans fats from our diets and avoid excessive amounts of saturated fat by structuring oil to make it behave like crystalline fat.Reviews recent advances in the structuring of edible oils to form new mesoscale and nanoscale structures, including nanofibers, mesophases, and functionalized crystals and crystalline particles.Identifies evidence on how to develop trans fat free, low saturate functional shortenings for the food industry that could make a major impact on the health characteristics of the foods we consume.

1. An Overview of the Past, Present, and Future of Organogels
2. Novel Strategies for Nanostructuring Liquid Oils into Functional Fats
3. Edible Oil Organogels Based on Self-assembled‚ β-sitosterol and γ-oryzanol Tubules
4. Vegetable Oil-based Ricinelaidic Acid Organogels—Phase Behavior, Microstructure, and Rheology
5. Hydroxystearic Acid Oleogels
6. Candelilla Wax as an Organogelator for Vegetable Oils—An Alternative to Develop Trans-free Products for the Food Industry
7. Physical Properties of Organogels Made of Rice Bran Wax and Vegetable Oils
8. Monoglycerides in Oils
9. Physical Properties of β-fat Gel Made of Fully-hydrogenated Rapeseed Oil and Vegetable Oils
10. Ceramide Oleogels
11. Oleogels Based on Non-lamellar Lyotropic Liquid Crystalline Structures for Food Applications
12. Protein-templated Oil Gels and Powders
13. Ethylcellulose Oleogels
14. Clinical Study on 12-hydroxystearic Acid Organogel Ingestion