A new ‘butter’ formulation has been developed that is approximately one-fourth the calories of regular butter.

A low-calorie ‘butter’ spread that is made up of mostly water has been developed by a team of food scientists from Cornell University.

A tablespoon of this new spread has 2.8 grams of fat and 25.2 calories and contains no artificial stabilisers. wheras butter contains approximately 84% fat, around 16% water, has 11g of fat and almost 100 calories.

To develop this low-cal spread, the scientists discovered a new way of emulsifying a large amount of water with small drops of vegetable oil and milk fat that mimics butter.

The demand for low-fat, high-protein products has rapidly increased due to consumers’ growing health awareness, said lead author Michelle C. Lee.

“Since the HIPE technology features high water-to-oil ratios – while simultaneously delivering unique texture and functionality – it can play a role in providing healthier solutions for consumers,” she explained.

According to the scientists, food chemist can adjust for taste, preferences and health too.

“We can add milk protein or plant-based protein, and since the water acts like a carrier, we can adjust for nutrition and load it with vitamins or add flavors,” food science professor and senior author Alireza Abbaspourrad said. “Essentially, we can create something that makes it feel like butter – and instead of seeing a lot of saturated fat, this has minute amounts. It’s a completely different formulation.”

By Bethan Grylls (New Food)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Editors Note:

For any copyright disputes involving the content, 

please email: Julia.Zhang@ubmsinoexpo.com to delete.