Light foods are food products that provide less calories than traditional equivalents. The substances that are reduced are:
1. Fats
2. simple sugars
3. alcohol
4. cholesterol
To maintain the organoleptic qualities (taste and consistency), however, additives must be added: flavorings, emulsifiers, gelling agents, sweeteners and preservatives (the latter being necessary due to the higher water content of the light food, hence its easier deterioration from a microbiological point of view ).
To fill the void due to the reduction of the nutrient content it is possible to substitute fats with vegetable proteins, modified starches or other, and sucrose with acaloral sweeteners. The reduction of fats can be considered an advantage from an energy point of view, but it must be remembered that they constitute the vehicle through which the fat-soluble vitamins are absorbed, and that linoleic acid and linolenic acid are essential fatty acids (see also the functions of fats).
Sometimes the concept of LIGHT food can confuse the consumer. Light beer, for example, is a non-alcoholic or light beer (volumetric alcohol content below 3.5%). With reference to cheeses, then, the terms lean and light are used improperly; these food products are in fact fat concentrates. Eventually, we could consider a light product ricotta, because it is low in lactose (suitable for those who are intolerant to this sugar) and produced with whey (residue from milk processing, with a low fat content). In any case, by definition of law, low-fat cheese must have less than 20% fat; hence the concept of light food is regulated by standards imposed by law. Similarly, low-fat yoghurt must have a lipid content of 1% or less, while in low-fat light margarines this percentage must be around 40 - 42 percentage points. Similarly, the legal provision allows the production of light butter with a reduced fat content, with 39-41% of lipids. These examples make us understand how the concept of light is always relative to the product considered (in light butter we find particularly significant amounts of fat, consequently also the caloric power - albeit halved compared to the traditional - remains high).
