UK fats and ingredients supplier AAK is helping manufacturers reduce the saturated fat content of products.

The company is offering its Akoblend range to replace butter, enabling businesses to commit to the Responsibility Deal Saturated Fat Reduction Pledge.

The pledge was launched in October last year to reduce the UK’s intake of saturated fats.

AAK has been working with customers to reformulate recipes by using alternative ingredients like Akoblend.

The company has claimed this product will move customers’ goods from the red traffic light to the amber traffic light, indicating a medium level of saturated fat.

John McAughtrie, customer innovation director at AAK, said: “One of the key ways we can help is to replace butter in our customers’ recipes. This can be achieved by including less fat, or by using different types of fat. However, this has to be done without compromising on taste or texture and we support our customers by finding bespoke solutions for their recipes.

“One of the key ways we can help is to replace butter in our customers’ recipes; butter is very high in saturated fat, but we have products, such as our pumpable shortenings that can be used across a range of products.”

Risk of saturated fat

It has been suggested that high levels of saturated fat are associated with cardiovascular disease and strokes. According to the recent National Diet and Nutrition Survey, undertaken by the Food Standards Agency, the mean intake of saturated fat exceeded the DRV (no more than 11% of food energy) in all age/sex groups.

AAK (UK), based in Hull, specialises in the production of edible oils and fats for food manufacturing and baking industries, as well as for foodservice and retail.

The company sells products throughout the UK, as well as in more than 35 countries.