Overview of SALATRIM: A family of low-calorie fats

SALATRIM is a family of structured triacylglycerols developed by Nabisco Foods Group, which provides the physical properties of fat but with approximately half of the calories of a normal edible oil. The SALATRIM (short and long acyltriglyceride molecule) triglycerides are composed of mixtures of long-chain saturated fatty acids (predominantly stearic) and short-chain fatty acids (acetic, propionic, and/or butyric) esterified to the glycerol backbone. Thus, the SALATRIM family members can include an infinite number of low-calorie fat products resulting from these mixtures of long-chain saturated fatty acids and the short-chain fatty acids. The papers following this overview describe the chemical characterization, the safety studies, and the clinical evaluation for the SALATRIM family of low-calorie fats, all with a view of demonstrating the versatility and efficacy of SALATRIM fats.