AMHERST, Mass., Feb. 8 (UPI) -- A U.S. research team is working on a way to encapsulate fat in dietary fiber to keep the fat in food from being digested.
The University of Massachusetts Amherst said the goal is create low-calorie foods that have the same taste and qualities as conventional high-fat foods.
Encapsulated fats can be used in emulsion-based foods such as beverages, sauces, desserts, yogurt and salad dressings, the university said Friday in a release. They remain stable in acidic foods and can handle large amounts of salt.
The researchers said the layers of fiber could also be used to encapsulate vitamins and antioxidants to allow them to survive a trip through the stomach and be released in the small intestine.
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