Christ, that article was hard to read, with 90% of it dedicated to the importance of palm oil, and random ads making you believe the article is finished. So, here’s the part that matters:
Food experts at Queen Margaret University (QMU) in Edinburgh say their new 100% plant-based ingredient is 70% better for the environment.
And with 80% less saturated fat and 30% fewer calories, they are also hailing PALM-ALT as a significantly healthier option.
Catriona Liddle, one of the lead developers on the QMU team, said: “It’s the holy grail to replace it and still have exactly the same end result in product – to taste the same and have the texture the same – and we’ve done that.
“We’ve put it through some special sensory testing to see if a panel can tell the difference between our product and traditional palm shortening, and they can’t.”
The new PALM-ALT product is described as having a mayonnaise-style consistency.
It is made from a by-product from the linseed industry, plus natural fibre and rapeseed oil.
The applications of this type of product wouldn’t care about any of that. If anything the improved macro nutrients (decreased calories and saturated fat) would be seen as an improvement. If this is truly a 1:1 replacement like the article is suggesting, it could be huge.
Maybe it wouldn’t be harmful for cosmetics (I don’t know) but it would for food. A true replacement would need to approximate the fatty acid profile, not just throw a bunch of inflammatory industrial waste in for cheap filler.
And funny they state its healthier when rapeseed is some of the worst foods you can consume… and with lint seed… i mean those things arent even food to begin with.
I wish the article had more context or comment from other experts in the food industry. It’s good to interview the article’s authors, but it’s not clear if the hype is warranted.
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