Scottish Researchers Develop Healthier Pastry Fat Alternative

Scientists at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, have developed a plant-based fat alternative that could make popular baked goods like sausage rolls and flaky pastries healthier. The research team has moved their experiments from the lab to a food industry partner's kitchen, marking a significant step toward commercialization.

"By taking innovative food science out of the lab into the kitchen and testing it with everyday consumers, it has the potential to make the nation's favorite snacks healthier and make a genuine difference to our health and wellbeing," said Professor Stephen Euston, a researcher involved in the project.

Sausage rolls, a staple in the UK, are typically made with seasoned sausage meat baked in puff pastry. According to Euston, the most popular versions contain between 11 and 12.4 grams of saturated fat, which exceeds 60% of the recommended daily limit for adults. The goal of the research is to create a pastry with the same texture and flavor while significantly reducing saturated fat content.

This innovation extends beyond sausage rolls and could be applied to other laminated pastries such as croissants, Danish pastries, and turnovers. The traditional method for creating flaky pastry involves layering solid fats like butter or lard between dough. During baking, steam generated from these layers causes them to separate, producing the characteristic flakiness.

"Simply replacing the fat with a healthier oil doesn't work, because liquid oils lack the structure needed to separate the pastry layers," Euston explained. His team is employing a process called oleogelation to convert plant-derived oils, such as sunflower and rapeseed oil, into solid fats that mimic the structure of traditional fats.

The researchers are prioritizing oils from crops that can be sustainably grown in the UK to minimize environmental impact. A potential benefit for manufacturers is that these oleogels may remain stable at higher temperatures, potentially reducing the need for extensive chilling of pastry dough during production.

While the findings are promising, dietitian Kelly Springer, who was not involved in the research, noted that more studies are needed to confirm the health benefits of the final product. "There is not quite enough research behind this product to either say if it's good or better for you," Springer said. "It seems promising; however, we would need to have more research to support the claims."

The research emerges amid ongoing debate in the United States regarding seed oils. Some groups, associated with the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, have raised concerns that refined seed oils, common in processed foods, may contribute to inflammation and other health issues. They advocate for a return to animal fats like tallow and butter.

Conversely, other health professionals argue that scientific evidence supporting these claims is limited and that seed oils are healthier due to their lower saturated fat content.

The Heriot-Watt University team acknowledges these concerns but maintains that their oleogelation technology utilizes cold-pressed seed oil, which undergoes mechanical pressing and filtration without chemical processing. Euston stated, "We are aware of the concerns on social media of the supposed health risks from consuming seed oil. We do not agree with these concerns and would refer you to the reports by highly respected, scientifically credible institutions such as the British Heart Foundation and Johns Hopkins University."