| Crop | Soybean |
|---|---|
| Start Date | 2012 |
| End Date | 2014 |
| Principal Investigator | Rempel, Curtis , Richardson Centre for Functional Foods & Nutraceuticals |
| MPSG Financial Support | $41,000 |
| Total Project Funding | $41,000 |
| Report |
Research Objectives
Evaluate producing soy based diacylglycerol (DAG) oil as a partial or complete replacement for palm oil in par-baked frozen dough (i.e. pizza crust, doughnut). Specifically,
- Demonstrate and then optimize enzymatic catalysis of soybean TAG oil to DAG oil in a supercritical carbon dioxide reactor. This research needs to be repeated and then optimized for commercial adoption.
- Determine optimal inclusion rates of soy-based DAG oil (to replace Palm oil) in par-baked frozen dough formulations.
- Evaluate the stability and functionality of the various blends as well as the finished products utilizing the blends. This includes evaluation of the soy-based DAG oil blends with respect to freeze/thaw applications, etc.
- Shelf life analysis of the soy-based DAG blends and the finished products (doughs, pizza crusts, doughnuts).
- Sensory profiling of the soy-based DAG blends on fresh and stored oil blends and fresh finished and stored doughs, pizza crusts and doughnuts.
Project Description
Consumer & regulatory rejection of trans fats has caused the food industry numerous problems in formulating replacement products with identical functionalities. Palm oil is the replacement fat of choice in numerous commercial products because of its high solid fat content that provides good functionality. However, palm oil is high in saturated fat that is also a potential health concern for consumers. Furthermore, consumers are increasingly aware of the environmental and social concerns of palm production including loss of habitat for endangered species, erosion of waterways, etc. Structured lipids, especially diglyceride (DAG) oils, are a potential solution to replace palm oils but they are produced using costly and environmentally unfriendly “enzyme in solvent” systems are have also had shortcomings when used in certain food applications. Additionally, the health benefits of DAG oils may offer significant improvement over palm oil. This research will determine the feasibility of a novel method of DAG oil manufacture – enzymatic catalysis in supercritical carbon dioxide – using soybean oil, which we propose will be a cost effective and “green” solution to current solvent systems and will allow for improved health and food product formulation attributes compared to current options in the marketplace. Deliverables include a soy-based DAG oil product, produced in a scaleable, optimized manufacturing process with demonstrated environmental and health benefit and equivalent or superior performance in frozen dough applications, which are available to food, companies in key markets. These are complete with performance evaluation specifications for manufacturing and validated consumer appeal. Demonstrated pilot-scale processing data will remove risk and speed adoption across a broad segment of the food industry.