Bacteria-based, fat-free whipped cream could be a food of the future

It's no secret that whipped cream is composed of 38% saturated fat, making it a not so fluffy caloric and climate issue as well. Therefore, a group of researchers at the University of Copenhagen's Department of Food Science set out to develop a low-fat, more sustainable alternative.

For a number of years, Jens Risbo and a group of researchers have been working on using lactic acid bacteria as tiny building blocks for creating food. They have now succeeded in illustrating their knowledge by creating a whipped cream in both fluffy and stiff versions.

"We usually associate bacteria with something to keep away from food. But here, we base a beloved food product on good bacteria found in nature. This has never been seen before. This is advantageous, both because it is a renewable resource grown in a tank, and because it creates a healthier, less energy dense, fat-free product," states Jens Risbo, who is the lead author of the study, now published in the journal Food Hydrocolloids.

Lactic acid bacteria are ubiquitous. Some live on plants, while others are found naturally on human and animal mucous membranes, as well as in their digestive tracts. In the food industry, these bacteria are used to culture yogurt and as a preservative for cold cuts. Here, they are put to work in an entirely new way – to serve as the building blocks of a food product, where they play the leading role.

Image source: Jiang et al. (2022), Food Hydrocolloids.