FAT-fighting ready-meals and snacks containing appetite suppressants could soon be appearing in supermarkets.
Scientists are developing natural food additives that interfere with digestion to curb hunger. In two years' time, they could be finding their way into a variety of convenience foods.
At the Institute of Food Research in Norwich, experts are expe
rimenting with certain kinds of natural fatty molecules called lipids, found in plant leaves and cereals.
The molecules block the breakdown of fat in the gut, triggering a hormonal response, which sends a message to the brain that the body has eaten enough.
Researchers hope the lipids will be incorporated into a wide range of foods, including 'moreish' products such as cakes and biscuits.
Manufacturers may have to be persuaded to make foods people want to eat less of, but could be convinced by the marketing potential of satisfying snacks that help slimming.
Dr Peter Wilde, one of the experts involved, said: "It will be a stealth thing. You've got to get the industry to buy into it and incorporate these ingredients. It's going to be a tricky one to sell, but there are already certain health claims in this area being made for some products."
The lipids were difficult to obtain naturally from most diets, said Wilde but could be found at relatively high levels in oats, possibly accounting for the 'filling' reputation of traditional Scottish foods such as porridge, oatcakes and haggis.
One existing product that was said to affect the same satiety mechanism was Fabuless, a Dutch dairy supplement made from a combination of palm and oat oils.
A clinical trial published in the International Journal of Obesity showed that a Fabuless yoghurt made overweight women feel less hungry four hours after it was consumed.
Addressing science journalists in London, Wilde said his team was developing the principle further and applying it to many different foods. Other experts at the same meeting challenged the demonisation of 'convenience' food.
Dr Becky Laing, from the Medical Research Council's Human Nutrition Unit, said it was wrong to categorise all convenience food as 'junk'.
"There are foods that fit this portrayal, but there are many others that don't," she said. "The perfect example is frozen fruits and vegetables – quick from the freezer, readily available and often higher in nutrients than fresh produce. Likewise, the smoothie, or a packet of quick cook rice or pasta.
"For many, convenience foods help plug the gap in cooking skills and provide a reliable meal to meet the tastes of fussy children. Insisting that only cooking from scratch can provide a healthy diet simply adds more pressure to stressed families."
