New Coating Technology Opens Door To Low Fat Deep Fried Food

In the future, it could be a real possibility that deep fried food won’t cause obesity, thanks to a novel protein coating technique developed by Proteus, writes Anthony Fletcher. The technique, which extracts protein from animal muscle tissue and applies this to the surface of a substrate just prior to deep frying, can result in a 50 to 80 percent fat reduction in the final product. The technology would contribute to the fried food development in the United States and transform the fortunes of a sector under fire from health and nutritional campaigners. Fried foods have been blamed for contributing to the rise in obesity, and growing awareness of the dangers of trans fats has resulted in a clear trend towards healthier products. The coating technology is relatively straight forward. Separation technology isolates soluble proteins, which are then concentrated in an ultrafiltration membrane. This concentrate can then be sprayed right over, say, fish sticks, blocking fat from entering the product when it is deep-fried. Alternatively, products such as fried shrimp can be dipped after breading has been put on. And the concentrate can also be incorporated into batter mix. Labeling issues for this technology have been taken into account. Kelleher said that licenses were now available for this technology. US consumers may not necessarily know what an acidulant or a trans fat is, but they are increasingly aware of what is good and what is bad for them. The Proteus’ coating technology is believed to enable food manufacturers to significantly reduce the fat content of their products, then consumers, who are growing ever-more aware of issues relating to health and obesity, are likely to positively respond to the new labeling laws, which come into force on January 1, 2006. http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/news