Caprenin
Encyclopedia
Caprenin is a fat substitute
designed for lowering the caloric content of food. Structurally, it resembles normal food fat
, being made up of glycerol
and fatty acid
s (behenic
, capric, and caprylic acid
s). Caprenin contains about 4 kcal
per gram, or about half the energy in traditional fats and oils. Caloric reduction results, in part, from incomplete absorption of the unusual fatty acids.
Caprenin was launched by Procter & Gamble
as a cocoa butter
replacement, however it proved difficult to use and appeared to increase serum cholesterol slightly, resulting in its withdrawal from the market in the mid nineties.
Used as reduced calorie substitue in soft candies and confectionary coatings.
Fat substitute
A fat substitute is a food product with the same functions, stability, physical, and chemical characteristics as regular fat, with fewer kilocalories per gram than fat. They are utilized in the production of low fat and low calorie foods. -Background:...
designed for lowering the caloric content of food. Structurally, it resembles normal food fat
Fat
Fats consist of a wide group of compounds that are generally soluble in organic solvents and generally insoluble in water. Chemically, fats are triglycerides, triesters of glycerol and any of several fatty acids. Fats may be either solid or liquid at room temperature, depending on their structure...
, being made up of glycerol
Glycerol
Glycerol is a simple polyol compound. It is a colorless, odorless, viscous liquid that is widely used in pharmaceutical formulations. Glycerol has three hydroxyl groups that are responsible for its solubility in water and its hygroscopic nature. The glycerol backbone is central to all lipids...
and fatty acid
Fatty acid
In chemistry, especially biochemistry, a fatty acid is a carboxylic acid with a long unbranched aliphatic tail , which is either saturated or unsaturated. Most naturally occurring fatty acids have a chain of an even number of carbon atoms, from 4 to 28. Fatty acids are usually derived from...
s (behenic
Behenic acid
Behenic acid is a normal carboxylic acid, the saturated fatty acid with formula C21H43COOH. In appearance, it consists of white to cream color crystals or powder with a melting point of 80°C and boiling point of 306°C.-Sources:...
, capric, and caprylic acid
Caprylic acid
Caprylic acid is the common name for the eight-carbon saturated fatty acid known by the systematic name octanoic acid. It is found naturally in the milk of various mammals, and it is a minor constituent of coconut oil and palm kernel oil...
s). Caprenin contains about 4 kcal
Calorie
The calorie is a pre-SI metric unit of energy. It was first defined by Nicolas Clément in 1824 as a unit of heat, entering French and English dictionaries between 1841 and 1867. In most fields its use is archaic, having been replaced by the SI unit of energy, the joule...
per gram, or about half the energy in traditional fats and oils. Caloric reduction results, in part, from incomplete absorption of the unusual fatty acids.
Caprenin was launched by Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble is a Fortune 500 American multinational corporation headquartered in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio and manufactures a wide range of consumer goods....
as a cocoa butter
Cocoa butter
Cocoa butter, also called theobroma oil, is a pale-yellow, pure edible vegetable fat extracted from the cocoa bean. It is used to make chocolate, biscuits, and baked goods, as well as some pharmaceuticals, ointments, and toiletries...
replacement, however it proved difficult to use and appeared to increase serum cholesterol slightly, resulting in its withdrawal from the market in the mid nineties.
Used as reduced calorie substitue in soft candies and confectionary coatings.