Artificial fats are food additives that are created to simulate the flavor of fats without providing the same level of calories. They also have the added benefit of reducing excessive fat consumption which has been linked to both coronary heart diseases and obesity. These fats have been produced from three different types of compounds including proteins, carbohydrates, and non-digestible fats. During the 1990s the popularity of artificial fat products increased significantly and they were consumed regularly by 172 million Americans.

While many consumers want to reduce the amount of fat in their diets, it has been difficult because fat containing products have a unique taste, texture, mouth-feel, and viscosity. Low fat foods have had to sacrifice many of these characteristics to reduce fat. Artificial fats have been developed to solve the problems associated with low fat foods. In the United States three primary artificial fats have been...