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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Functional Foods Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #314563
Title: Utilization of agricultural by-products in healthful food products: Organogelators, antioxidants, and spreadable products

Author
item Hwang, Hong-Sik
item Moser, Jill
item Bakota, Erica
item Liu, Sean

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/16/2015
Publication Date: 8/20/2015
Citation: Hwang, H., Moser, J.K., Bakota, E.L., Liu, S.X. 2015. Utilization of agricultural by-products in healthful food products: Organogelators, antioxidants, and spreadable products [abstract]. Americal Chemical Society National Meeting and Exposition.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: It was found that several agricultural by-products could be utilized for healthful food products. Three major applications that our research group has been focusing on will be discussed: 1) plant waxes for trans-fat free, low saturated fat-containing margarine and spread products, 2) extracts of corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) as antioxidants for frying oil, and 3) rice bran oil extracts as spreads and antioxidants. Plant waxes are obtained as by-products during the oil refining process of vegetable oils such as rice bran oil and sunflower oil. They showed strong gelation ability towards edible oils. They can be added into healthful vegetable oils to form organogels, which are incorporated in margarine and spread products. In these products, solid fats containing high contents of saturated fats and occasionally trans-fats, too are replaced with a small amount of a plant wax and therefore, the major ingredient in the product is the healthy vegetable oil. Corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) are co-products of dry-milled ethanol production. We have found that corn steryl ferulates extracted from DDGS showed strong antioxidant activity in frying oil and, therefore, they could be utilized as antioxidants. We also found that fractions separated from crude rice bran oil at low temperatures could create a series of spreads showing promise as functional ingredients and as alternatives to peanut butter. A rice bran oil derived spread can also extend the lifetime of frying oil and can also be incorporated into baked goods such as bread and granola as a trans-fat free alternative to butter or shortening.