Book excerpt: Functional Dietary Lipids: Food Formulation, Consumer Issues and Innovation for Health discusses this important component of the human diet and the ways it plays an essential functional role in many foods. The book covers the functionality and nutritional benefits of dietary fat in food in terms of formulation, manufacturing, and innovation for health. After an introduction by the editor reviewing the role of fats in the human diet, the book discusses the chemistry of edible fats, manufacturing issues, including the replacement of trans-fatty acids in food, fat reformulation for calorie reduction, thermal stability of fats, and the flavor and functional texture and melting characteristics of fats in food. Subsequent chapters address the effect of dietary lipid intake on various health issues and the potential health benefits of bioactive compounds in dietary lipids, with final sections discussing issues that affect the consumer relationship with fat, such as regulation, marketing, and health claims. - Comprehensively examines the functionality and nutritional benefits of dietary fat in food - Discusses the chemistry of edible fats, manufacturing issues, including the replacement of trans fatty acids in food, fat reformulation for calorie reduction, thermal stability of fats, and more - Considers manufacturing issues of dietary fat in foods - Addresses issues affecting the consumer relationship with fat, such as regulation, marketing, and health claims