Research on obtaining oleogel systems as fat substitutes in foods

Project manager: Lecturer PhD. Eng. Sorina ROPCIUC

Senior researchers: Professor PhD.Eng. Mircea OROIAN

Senior researchers: Professor PhD.Eng. Georgiana Gabriela CODINA

Senior researchers: Professor PhD.Eng. Adriana Dabija

Researcher: Associate Professor PhD.Eng.Ana LEAHU

Researcher: Lecturer PhD. Eng. Ancuta Elena PRISACARU

Researcher: Lecturer PhD. Eng. Florina DRANCA

Consumption of foods high in saturated and trans fatty acids increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. The first regulatory measure to guarantee consumers healthier fat products was to exclude partially hydrogenated fats. This direction was originally launched by the World Health Organization and was carried out by regulators in various countries around the world. In fact, the elimination of trans-industrial fats from food worldwide has been identified as one of the priority objectives of the World Health Organization’s strategic plan 2019-2023. , replacing industrially produced trans fats with healthier fats and oils. Thus, fatty mimetics are being developed as healthy alternatives to replace conventional fats. These fats can be obtained in the form of polymers, polysaccharides, proteins or lipids.

Oleogels are examples of mimetic fats, defined as viscoelastic materials that contain a nonpolar liquid phase (oil) and structuring agents or gelators that immobilize the lipid phase by forming a three-dimensional network, resulting in systems of varying consistencies. Oleogels are usually produced by dissolving gelators (waxes, fatty acids, fatty alcohols, monoacylglycerols, phytosterols, among others), in low concentration, in vegetable oil, by heating (above the melting point), followed by cooling for gelation.

The aim of the project is the development of oleogels based on natural polymers and their introduction as an ingredient in food products as fat substitutes. The food products in which the oleogels will be introduced to replace the fat are: buns (leavened dough); muffins (fluid dough), biscuits  and frozen desserts (vegetable ice cream) based on oat milk, millet milk and skimmed wheat milk. The oils used as substitutes for solid fat bakery products and frozen desserts are: extra virgin olive oil, grape seed oil, walnut oil, sunflower oil and hemp oil.

The main objective of the project is to obtain oleogels and replace saturated fats with oleogels in bakery products, pastries and frozen desserts.

The specific objectives of the projects are as follows:

O1: obtaining the necessary oleogels for bakery products, pastries and frozen desserts;

O2: analysis of the physico-chemical, rheological and textural characteristics of oleogels;

O3: optimization of oleogels according to quality characteristics;

O4: obtaining and characterizing bakery and pastry doughs with oleogels;

O5: obtaining and characterizing mixes for frozen dessert with oleogels;

O6: obtaining and characterizing finished bakery products (buns) and pastries (muffins and biscuits) with oleogels;

O7: obtaining and characterizing the texture of the frozen dessert with oleogels.

A. Articles

A.1. ISI articles

1. Ana LEAHU, Cristina GHINEA, Sorina ROPCIUC, 2022. Rheological, textural and sensorial characterization of walnut butter,   Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(21), 10976-Q2 journal

https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/21/10976

B. Conferences

1. Sorina ROPCIUC, Ancuța Elena PRISACARU, Mircea OROIAN, Georgiana Gabriela CODINA, Ana LEAHU, 2022. Oleogels: an alternative to solid fats when making buns from yeasted dough, European Biotechnology Congress 5-7 october Praga, Cehia. Book of Abstract, http://eurobiotech2022.eu/

2. Otilia FORTUNA, Loredana HUȚUȚUI, Sorina ROPCIUC, 2022. Research on methods of structuring oils into edible oleogels, 10th Edition of the International Conference Student in Bucovina Stefan cel Mare University of Suceava, November, 17th, 2022, Suceava, Romania.

http://fiajournal.usv.ro/sib2022