Application of different hydrocolloids as fat replacer in low-fat dairy products: Ice cream, yogurt and cheese

It is becoming increasingly obvious that low-fat dairy product is gaining its popularity due to the perception of health benefits. However, fat plays a significant influence on the structure stability, texture, sensory attributes and appearance. So low-fat dairy products present texture and flavor issues due to the removal of fat, which reduced consumer acceptability. To overcome these shortcomings, hydrocolloid-based fat replacer has been investigated and used in low-fat dairy products. Many proteins, polysaccharides and their blends have been successfully applied to mimic some of the organoleptic and physical characteristics of fat molecules in ice cream, yogurt and cheese. Consequently, in this review, we firstly introduce the roles of fat in dairy products, and the associated defects because of the reduction of fat. After that different types of hydrocolloid-based fat replacers and their influences on the texture and sensory attributes of low-fat dairy products are discussed and compared for a comprehensive understanding.