Book excerpt: Technology is only beginning to catch up with the public demand for foods that are low in fat and taste good. An extensive number of ingredients are under development for the sole purpose of fat replacement, using a variety of approaches and base materials. The Handbook of Fat Replacers describes in detail, for the first time in a single volume, the science and application of fat replacers in food products, including the multiplicity of technological, legislative, sensory, nutritional, and marketing issues involved. Part I of the Handbook is an overview of fundamental issues, including historical analyses and critical assessments of technological strategies, in the development of low-fat foods and the ingredients used as fat replacers. Part II discusses individual fat replacers and their properties in detail. The compounds are organized by their composition-starch-derived, fiber-based, protein-based, gums, emulsifiers, bulking agents, combination systems comprised of interactive blends, low-calorie fats, and synthetic fat substitutes, are all examined in detail.