Roles and impacts of lipids in foods
| Characteristic | Role |
|---|---|
| Chemical | Potential source of rancidity and off-flavours due to oxidation |
| Physical | Structure |
| Bulk | |
| By interacting with other molecules, additional structural elements (e.g., complexing with carbohydrates) | |
| Carrier (with release control) of dissolved moieties (e.g., vitamins, colour, sweetness, flavour, and aroma) | |
| Coatings | |
| Emulsions (oil in water and water in oil) | |
| Cooking matrix (frying etc.) | |
| Responsive to thermal environment | |
| Sensorial | Mouthfeel |
| Flavour | |
| Encourage food consumption (perhaps excess) | |
| Physiological | Essential fatty acids critical for human tissues |
| Plant oils contain vitamin E | |
| Satiety | |
| Energy | |
| Animal fats associated with cholesterol content and impact on cardiovascular disease | |
| Contributes to obesity in excess |