Research promises new dawn for low-fat food
Tromp will combine his university work with his role as a project leader and senior scientist in the flavour and texture group of Nizo food research. A major part of his research will be into fat- and oil-based foods such as mayonnaise, sauces, deserts, or ice cream, which are emulsions of oil and water.
He explains: "We will mix aqueous solutions of proteins and polysaccharides to make an emulsion that has a similar mouthfeel to food that is structured by oil and water, but contains less fat. In some specific cases the emulsions could be used to replace starches with low-calorie polysaccharides or fibres."
Ultimately, the research aims to create ways of using the water-water interface for a variety of food-based applications.
"By linking understanding of the water/water interface with functional properties in foods, we can develop low- or zero-fat foods that have the same creaminess as their full-fat equivalents or prepare much better particles for applications in drying, encapsulation, and texturising foods," says Tromp.
Tromp hopes that products made with this science will hit the market "within two years".
