Prof. Alejandro Marangoni headshotProf. Alejandro Marangoni, Department of Food Science and a Canada Research Chair in Food, Health and Aging, was featured on CBC Television’s The National  and on CBC Radio’s The World At Six on Feb. 20 to discuss the fats and oils he’s working on to replace artificial trans fats.

Last fall, Health Canada’s ban on partially hydrogenated oils — a key source of trans fats — came into effect. Marangoni has been studying the physical properties of fats and oils to develop new products, such as “structured emulsions” and “oleogels.” He’s focused on finding alternatives to palm oil — a fat now commonly used in baked goods that is trans fat-free but is high in saturated fat.

Marangoni said he has developed a process to solidify any unsaturated fat, such as olive oil, using only water and a natural emulsifier.

“The consumer is ready for more sustainable, more nutritious — albeit, a little more expensive — food,” he said.

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