Danish scientists concoct fat-free whipped cream out of lactic acid bacteria - Ars Technica

Nov 22, 2022

But whipped cream also contains 38 percent saturated fat.

They successfully created a fat-free prototype based on bacteria, according to a recent paper published in the journal Food Hydrocolloids.

"We usually associate bacteria with something to keep away from food," said co-author Jens Risbo, a food scientist at the University of Copenhagen.

Whipped cream is a type of liquid foam, a category that also includes hair styling mousse and shaving cream.

Cream, with its high-fat content, serves as the surfactant in whipped cream.

"The most difficult aspect of developing an alternative food is getting the texture right," said Risbo.

"Whipped cream undergoes a unique transformation that occurs in a complex system where a high saturated fat content makes it possible to whip the cream stiff.

The Danish team made both soft and stiffer versions of their prototype whipped cream using two different varieties of bacteria: Lactobacillus delbrueckii subs.

But the experiments provided valuable insight into how best to create a non-dairy whipped cream alternative with a similar food structure.

"We’ve shown that bacteria can be used to create the right structure," said Risbo.