Iconic British dish could be changed forever as scientists wage healthy eating war on pastries

An iconic British dish could see its recipe permanently changed as part of a tax-funded science push to make pastries healthier.

Researchers at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh are developing a method to create healthier sausage roll pastry - without sacrificing its beloved flaky texture.

Britain consumes between 10 and 15 million sausage rolls every week, and just one can contain over 60 per cent of an adult's recommended daily saturated fat intake.

Now, researchers think their new approach could "significantly" cut saturated fat levels in the pastry - and could see tastier fats swapped for "healthier" seed-oil products.

Should the sausage roll experiment prove successful, scientists could turn their gaze to all sorts of pastries and baked goods.

Professor Stephen Euston, from Heriot-Watt's School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, said: "We want to lower the level of saturated fat while keeping the taste and texture that people love."

He added: "We're focused on sausage rolls, but this also applies to other baked goods that contain laminated pastry such as croissants, Danish pastries and sweet or savoury turnovers."

Prof Euston said: "Reducing the saturated fat content of these ubiquitous snacks could have a very positive impact on the nation's health and waistlines."

The puff pastry in sausage rolls and similar products depends on fat to achieve its characteristic flaky layers.

"The fat is not just there for flavour; it plays a crucial structural role in the pastry," Prof Euston explained.

"You need the fat sitting between the layers of dough so that when the pastry bakes, steam forces those layers apart and gives you that flaky texture people expect."

The researchers aim to swap solid fats for healthier liquid oils such as sunflower or rapeseed, which have lower saturated fat content.

A technique called oleogelation transforms these oils into a "solid-like fat" that behaves like traditional fats.

Prof Euston explained: "Simply replacing the fat with a healthier oil doesn't work, because liquid oils lack the structure needed to separate the pastry layers."

The team is prioritising oils from crops grown in Britain to reduce the environmental impact of the tests.

The research could also benefit manufacturers by eliminating the need for repeated chilling during production.

Prof Euston said: "We are hoping our oleogels will stay stable at higher temperatures, which means manufacturers may not have to chill the pastry as much.

The 10-month project involves collaboration between Heriot-Watt researchers and industry partners New Food Innovation and AB Mauri.

Funding comes from the UK Research and Innovation Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

The goal is to move the modified pastry from laboratory testing to real-world kitchen trials with consumers.

Dr Andrew Bourne, UKRI EPSRC's executive director for innovation and partnerships, said: "UKRI EPSRC's Impact Acceleration Awards use public funding to turn promising research into practical solutions, and this project does exactly that.

"By taking innovative food science out of the lab into the kitchen and testing it with everyday consumers, it has the potential to make the nation's favourite snacks healthier and make a genuine difference to our health and wellbeing."

The team is also investigating whether oleogelation could reduce saturated fat in vegan cheese alternatives.