USE OF CARBOHYDRATE-BASED FAT SUBSTITUTES AND EMULSIFYING AGENTS IN REDUCED-FAT SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Low-fat shortbread cookies were prepared using combinations of carbohy drate-based fat substitutes (Litesse, N-Flate, RiceTrin, Stellar, or Trim-choice) and emulsifiers (diacetyl-tartaric esters of monoglycerid es [DATEM], glycerol monostearate [GMS], or sodium stearoyl-2-lactylat e [SSL]). The experimental design was an incomplete randomized design with two factors: fat substitute (at 35, 45, or 55% of shortening weig ht) and emulsifier (at 0.125, 0.25, or 0.5% of flour weight). Response surface methodology and analysis of variance were the statistical tec hniques used to analyze the experimental results. Processing modificat ions were necessary to make low-fat shortbread cookies. The principal effects of fat substitutes on shortbread cookie attributes were higher moisture content, greater toughness, and lower specific volume. Fat s ubstitution of 35% had the least negative effects on the physical attr ibutes. The combinations N-Flate/SSL and Litesse/DATEM showed minimal differences in cookie breaking strength in comparison with the traditi onal shortbread cookie at the three levels of fat substitution and 0.5 % emulsifier.