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Simplesse


Simplesse is a multi-functional dairy ingredient made from whey protein concentrate used as a fat substitute in low-calorie foods. Originally brought to market in 1988, the manufacturer, CP Kelco (a former NutraSweet subsidiary), sells Simplesse to food processors as a "microparticulated whey protein concentrate" in dry powder form, and recommends that it be labelled as dairy protein on food labels.

The protein is partially coagulated by heat, creating a micro dispersion, in a process known as microparticulation. It is due to the small particle size of the protein that we perceive the dispersion as a fluid with similar creaminess and richness of fat.

Simplesse began in 1979 as "a substance that gelled like egg white but crumbled like Styrofoam." At that time, Shoji Yamamoto, an associate of Norman S. Singer at Canadian beer company John Labatt Ltd. in London, Ontario, brought Singer the whey protein substance. After sensing that it gave the taste texture of cream cheese, another scientist put a sample under a powerful microscope and saw "tiny spheres of protein rolling over each other" about a tenth the size of particles of powdered sugar. It was this particle rolling action that gave a smooth creaminess sensation. Another associate of Singer, scientist Nina Davis, worked for three years with Simplesse (then called microcurd) to adapt it to and incorporate it into many different food products. After Singer's boss observed that the product tasted like cheesecake, Singer filed for and received a United States patent for his efforts with the product. Labatt licensed the product to NutraSweet, a subsidiary of Creve Coeur, Missouri, United States chemical conglomerate Monsanto, in 1984. The product was given the trademark "Simplesse" in January 1988. An initial version of the product, approved for use in frozen desserts like low-fat ice cream substitutes by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), was introduced to the public about that same time as being "the first completely natural fat substitute." The FDA approved a second version of the product in 1991 for use in salad dressings, butter, and baked goods.


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