AN OVERVIEW OF THE ROLE OF FAT IN NUTRITION AND FORMULATION AND ITS MEASUREMENT IN THE LIVE ANIMAL, MEAT CARCASS AND PROCESSED MEAT-PRODUCTS

The role of fat in nutrition and health is complex but one about which consumers have only recently become aware. As a consequence of changing consumer attitudes and because fat affects many physical attributes in food, raw material suppliers and food manufacturers have attempted to improve the range and nutritional composition of available foodstuffs. However, with a substantial price difference between fat and lean, and ever-increasing demands for improved throughputs and operational cost performance, producer and manufacturing sectors require rapid, accurate methods of fat measurement suitable for commercial application. These are only just beginning to become available but should ultimately result in more consistent product quality. This paper provides an overview of the role of fat in nutrition and formulation and the technological advances made in providing for its measurement in both raw materials and finished products.