Although saturated fats are always part of the nutrition conversation, they took a back seat among formulators who have been busy exploring everything from plant proteins to clean label initiatives. But they are back in the spotlight because of pending regulations, and bakers are revisiting their fat and oil ingredients as they consider modifying formulas for labels that are more appealing to consumers.

On Jan. 14, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed a mandatory, front-of-package nutrition label for most packaged foods. The proposal gives consumers readily visible information about a food’s saturated fat, sodium and added sugar content, three nutrients directly linked with chronic diseases when consumed in excess. The simple format includes identifying the amount of these nutrients as low, medium or high.

If finalized, food manufacturers would be required to add a nutrition information box to the front of most packaged food products three years after the final rule’s effective date for businesses with $10 million or more in annual food sales. For businesses with less than $10 million in sales, it’s four years.

The FDA also recently released a final rule updating the definition of the voluntary claim of “healthy.” The new definition is consistent with the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which are set to be updated by the end of this year. There are various qualifiers to make a healthy claim. One of them is to meet set limits for sodium, added sugar and saturated fat. 

Fats and oils 101

Before attempting to reduce the saturated fat content of baked goods, formulators need to understand fat chemistry and functionality. They also should remember that fats, even saturated fats, are a necessary macronutrient in the human diet in limited amounts.

The physical and rheological properties of fat, along with nutritional value, are determined by the distribution and composition of three fatty acids that make up the fat. Most consumers do not understand that all fats contain a mixture of fatty acids: saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Liquid oils are mostly unsaturated fatty acids, and solids like butter are mostly saturated.

“When reducing saturated fatty acids, bakers should look to a blend of solid and liquid fats to provide texture and shelf stability as well as preferred nutritional value and on-pack claims,” said Michelle Peitz, technical solutions and marketing, refined oils, ADM.

The Nutrition Facts Label quantifies the amount of the varied fatty acids in the product but not the specific fat ingredient. Further, those fatty acids can come from ingredients other than fats and oils. For example, eggs, nuts and seeds are common sources of fatty acids in baked goods. Bakers must look at all sources when trying to improve a product’s fat profile.

“A bakery professional must balance functionality, nutrition and product appeal,” said Roger Daniels, vice president, research, development and innovation, Stratas Foods. “While reducing saturated fats in baked goods can improve the Nutrition Facts Label and align with consumer health trends, it often comes at the cost of texture, mouthfeel and overall sensory experience. Consumers may appreciate the perception of ‘nutrition permission’ in products with lower saturated fat, but baked goods must still deliver the expected eating experience.”

Working with a knowledgeable supplier of shortenings, margarines and oils allows bakers to make informed ingredient choices, Daniels added. 

“Solutions range from using liquid oils with emulsifiers to maintain functionality while lowering saturated fat content to more traditional shortenings with a carefully balanced oil-to-fat ratio that preserves tenderness and texture in proprietary bakery formulations,” he said.

In the world of baking, however, the fat ingredient format — solid or liquid — is important for functionality.

“Saturated fats are key to adding structure, optimizing texture, acting as a heat transfer medium, like frying, and providing sensory enhancements in bakery applications such as icings, donuts, cookies, croissants and Danish,” said Aliess Bedford, research and development director, applications and product development, Bunge. “Using donuts as an example, the use of saturated fats improves eating quality, extends shelf life, and significantly enhances powdered sugar and glaze adhesion in finishing applications.”

Bunge offers several vegetable oils, such as palm, soy, canola, coconut, sunflower and palm kernel. Its blending technologies provide bakers with ingredients that maintain functionality.

Some bakery applications require fat ingredients that contain a relatively high amount of saturated fat, between 50% and 70%, said Andrea Weis, scientist II, AAK USA. 

“Fat ingredients with this level of saturated fat are solid and process tolerant at room temperature, both of which are critical aspects for the production of many bakery products,” she said.

Saturated fats aerate cake batters and cookie doughs, contributing to an open crumb structure and a light texture, Weis added. 

“Cookies made with fats that are low in saturated fats will lack aeration and will spread excessively during baking, yielding a flatter and denser cookie with a crispy texture,” she explained. “Saturated fats are required for short pastries and laminated dough applications because they maintain their physical integrity throughout the cutting and lamination process, only melting upon baking to create flaky layers.”

AAK offers fat flakes to provide pockets of solid fat that impart flaky layers while easing the production process.

This article is an excerpt from the April 2025 issue of Baking & Snack. To read the entire feature on Fats & Oils, click here.