In recent years, consumers are very much conscious about their nutrition and health and choose low fat meat products as these are perceived at least by many to be "better for you" than many traditional counterparts that contain higher amounts of fat. The qualitative composition of animal fat in the diet has been criticized for their high content of saturated fatty acids which is associated with increased risk for some types of cancer, high blood cholesterol and CHD. However, reduction of fat in restructured meat products is extremely challenging and poses difficulties in terms of quality of food products. For this reason, a number of substances (such as carbohydrate, protein and lipid based) with high water-binding capacity, able to promote the texture, mouth feel and form gels have been examined for their ability to replace fat and are called fat replacers. An overview of potential effects of animal fat on human health is included in the book. This scientific book also briefly discusses key characteristics, functions and potential effects on health status of fat replacers that are commercially available and a few that are under development.
