The Use of Oleogel as a Fat Replacer in Bakery Products: A Mini Review

Nowadays, fat is a very important ingredient to produce many industrialized foods. However, because
it contains high amounts of saturated and trans fatty acids in its composition, its consumption has
been related to negative effects on human health, what has led the industries to think about
alternatives for the replacement of fat in industrialized products. The use of oleogel as an alternative
to fat replacement has been one of the most studied methods today in the formulation of food
products. Different organogels can provide the characteristics that the solid fats are capable of
providing in bakery products, but with less saturated and trans fatty acids. This review focuses on
application of organogels in bakery foods and discusses if the use of this fat replacer provides the
same characteristics of the dough and the quality of the final bakery products. Researchers found
acceptable formulation of food products using these organogels like those produced with solid fat
when analyzing the functional characteristics of the dough and the general acceptance of the final
product. Although there are other strategies for reducing the use of solid fats, and consequently, the
level of saturated and trans fatty acids in bakery products, oleogelation can be a great ally for
industries for application as a fat replacer in the production of bakery products due to its similar
characteristics to solid fat.