Grant: Canada Research Chairs

Recently, consumer concerns about the presence of trans fatty acids in their diet have prompted industry to try to remove hydrogenated fats from food products. However, most efforts have been centered on replacing hydrogenated fats with excessive amounts of saturated fats, particularly palm oil, making this strategy questionable. It is the aim of this work to seek new and novel strategies for structuring oils. Some of these strategies include the use of compounds that self-assemble in oil, causing the oil to form a clear gel (such as hydroxystearic acid), structuring oils with fats that have a neutral effect on cardiovascular health (high in stearic and oleic acids), ethylcellulose polymer oleogels, edible waxes, as well as exploiting the properties of lyotropic liquid crystals to create nanostructures that can trap oil and water efficiently (crystallized monoglyceride mesophases). From a practical perspective, these efforts will lead to the design the functional fats of the future, particularly from whole, virgin oils, with obvious health benefits to society.