There is provided use of a conversion agent to prepare from a food material a foodstuff comprising at least one functional ingredient, wherein the at least one functional ingredient has been generated from at least one constituent of the food material by the conversion agent.
1. A process for preparing a foodstuff which is an edible oil or fat suitable for consumption, wherein the foodstuff comprises a first functional ingredient which is an emulsifier and a second functional ingredient, the process comprising:
(i) providing a food material containing a triglyceride and a second constituent, wherein the second constituent is glycerol or ascorbic acid;
(ii) contacting the food material with a lipase, such that an emulsifier is generated by the lipase from the triglyceride and a second functional ingredient is generated from the second constituent;
(iii) inactivating or denaturing the lipase to provide the foodstuff comprising the emulsifier, the triglyceride, the second functional ingredient and the lipase in an inactive form or a denatured form.
2. A process according to claim 1 wherein the lipase is isolated from a plant, an animal or a micro-organism.
3. A process according to claim 2 wherein the micro-organism is selected from Aspergillus niger, Rhizopus delemar, Rhizopus arrhizus, Mucor miehei, Pseudomonas sp., Candida rugosa, Pencilium roqueforti, Pencilium cyclopium, Aspergillus tubingensis, Candida cylindracea, Thermomyces lanuginosus, Mucor javanicus, Candida antarctica, Chromobacterium viscosum, Pseudomanas fluorescens, Pseudomonas nitroreducans, Chromobacterium viscosum, Bacillus subtilis, mutants and combinations thereof.
4. A process according to claim 1 wherein the second constituent is glycerol.
5. A process according to claim 1 wherein the foodstuff is selected from w/o emulsions, o/w emulsions, margarine and shortening.
6. A process according to claim 1 wherein the second constituent is ascorbic acid.
7. A process according to claim 1 wherein the emulsifier is selected from monoglycerides, diglycerides, and mixtures thereof.
8. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the foodstuff comprises greater than 30 wt % fat.