Introduced this month by leading palm oil supplier Loders Croklaan, SansTrans RS39 T20 can be used in baked goods such as cookies and cakes, as well as fillings and dairy substitute systems.
The new shortening is based on palm oil and canola oil, and is non-hydrogenated, meaning that no trans fatty acids are produced during its manufacture. The product is naturally saturated and its solid fat crystallizes readily in the beta-prime form, said the firm.
Studies have reported that elevated levels of saturated fat, found in a wide range of common foods, including meat products, hard cheese, cream and palm oil, can increase the amount of cholesterol in the blood, which increases the chance of developing heart disease.
And while a recent focus on harmful trans fats has resulted in an industry-wide effort to reduce or eliminate these from product formulations, levels of saturated fat often remain high.
According to Loders Croklaan, its new blend, an extension to the firm's SansTrans line, is designed to meet the demand from manufacturers who want to eliminate trans fats but also reduce saturated fat.
"To meet health professionals' recommendation to lower saturated fats in select healthier foods and ingredients, we developed SansTrans RS39 T20 to offer our customers exactly what they want," said Mark Weyland, product manager at Loders Croklaan.
The product, which claims to be at a lower cost to other reduced saturate shortenings, has an oxidative stability similar to traditional bakery shortenings. It also claims improved processability compared to competitor products by avoiding problems commonly associated with other low saturated, trans-free shortenings.
Other products in the firm's SansTrans line, which is designed to address consumer concerns regarding hydrogenation, include plastic shortenings, structuring fats and fluid oils.
The palm oil used to make the products in the line is pressed from palm fruits on plantations in Malaysia. According to Loders Croklaan, solvents are not used to extract the oil, and the crude pressed oil is cleaned using non-chemical processes. The line is also blended and packaged without the use of additives.
For more information on SansTrans RS39 T20, click here.