Epogee: It's fat, but not as we know it, Jim
EPG (brand name: Epogee) is a plant-based oil that has been restructured in such a way that virtually none of it is absorbed by the body (instead of the usual 9 calories per gram, this fat has 0.7). And it's attracting interest from formulators across the food industry, as firms see an opportunity to make significant calorie reductions without compromising on taste or texture, claims chief commercial officer Jayme Caruso.
Unlike Olestra (which had a lower melting point and messy side effects) or fat replacers made from sugars, gums, starches or fibers (which provide bulking, humectancy and mouthfeel but many firms don’t want to include on the ingredients list), EPG functions like fat in food products and in the human body because it’s made from fat, he says.
“EPG looks feels, tastes, and functions like fat because it’s made from fat, it just doesn’t deliver the calories.”
