Sustainability in human food production has emerged as a critical global concern, garnering attention across industries, governments, and consumers. Animal-derived food products are often highlighted as having a disproportionately large carbon footprint, primarily due to the extensive greenhouse gas emissions associated with livestock farming. Though animal proteins remain highly valued for their ability to provide essential amino acids and their unique contributions to the texture, flavor, and sensory experience of food products, the environmental and health challenges they pose have driven a surge in innovation. Plant-based protein alternatives have advanced rapidly, with new products that mimic the nutritional and sensory properties of animal proteins now widely available. This shift is reflected in the increasing number of startups, new product launches, and growing consumer acceptance of plant-based alternatives, suggesting a potential path toward more sustainable food systems.
However, the conversation around sustainability lipids in food production has been largely overlooked. Lipids, which include fats and oils, play an essential role in both food science and human nutrition. In food products, lipids contribute to texture, mouthfeel, and flavor, often providing the richness and creaminess that are key to consumer enjoyment. From a nutritional standpoint, lipids are indispensable. They serve as a dense source of energy, are vital for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, and are crucial for the formation of cell membranes and hormone production. Moreover, essential fatty acids, which the body cannot produce on its own, must be obtained from the diet.
Despite their importance, lipids derived from animal sources such as butter, lard, and tallow are seldom considered when discussing their environmental footprint. Like animal proteins, animal-derived lipids contribute to the overall carbon footprint of livestock farming due to the emissions generated during animal feed production, animal rearing, and land use. Additionally, the processing and distribution of these lipids can further amplify their environmental impact. Surprisingly, animal fats have often been excluded from sustainability discussions, even though their production has similar negative effects on biodiversity, water usage, and deforestation as animal proteins. From a health perspective, there has been considerable debate around the consumption of animal-derived lipids, particularly those high in saturated fats and cholesterol. Excessive intake of these lipids has been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases and other health issues. This concern has prompted both health experts and food producers to explore alternatives, including plant-based oils such as olive, canola, and avocado oil, which contain unsaturated fats known to support heart health.
Given the dual challenge of addressing the environmental and health impacts of animal-derived lipids, it is becoming increasingly clear that sustainable alternatives are needed. Fortunately, advances in food technology have made it possible to produce plant-based lipids that can replicate the functional properties of animal fats in food production, offering the same texture, mouthfeel, and flavor without the associated environmental burden. Additionally, novel sources of fats, such as algae and lab-grown fats, are being explored as potential solutions. These innovations could reduce the reliance on animal farming, decrease greenhouse gas emissions, and mitigate biodiversity loss. Moving forward, it is essential that stakeholders in the food industry, from producers to consumers, place greater emphasis on the sustainability of lipids, particularly those derived from animals. Sustainable food systems must consider not only the role of proteins but also the significant impact of fats on both human health and the environment. By shifting toward plant-based and alternative lipid sources, we can create a more sustainable and healthier food future that benefits both people and the planet.
To address this challenge, there is a pressing need for dedicated research and development focused on plant-based lipid alternatives that can replicate the textural, sensory, and functional attributes of animal fats. Innovations in this area include the development of structured lipids and advanced lipid systems, such as oleogels, bigels, inter-esterified fats, and oleosomes. These technologies have the potential to offer viable substitutes for animal fats, providing similar mouthfeel, stability, and nutritional profiles while significantly reducing the environmental impact of food production. For instance, oleogels, formed by trapping liquid oils within a gel matrix, are expected to play a huge role in mimicking the texture of solid fats including hydrogenated fats. Inter-esterified fats, which are modified through the rearrangement of fatty acids, can offer a healthier alternative to traditional hydrogenated fats and shortenings. Recent exploration of oleosomes, naturally occurring oil bodies in plants, exhibit novel functionality for the development of alternative foods. The above-mentioned lipid systems offer a sustainable, nutritional, and functional replacement for animal-derived lipids. The proposed research topic on plant-based lipid alternatives aims to catalyze research and innovation in this critical vertical. By bringing together cutting-edge research on structured lipids and plant lipid alternatives, it will serve as a single-point source for recent data on nutritional aspects, environmental impact, and industrial applications of plant lipid alternatives.

This collection will provide a comprehensive resource for academicians, researchers, industry professionals, and policymakers. The ultimate goal is to advance the development of sustainable lipid systems, contributing to the growth of sustainable, health-conscious, and environmentally friendly food production systems, especially plant-based food products.

We welcome, original research, Systematic reviews, methods, review articles, mini-reviews, Policy and practice reviews, Hypothesis and theories, perspectives, community case studies, Conceptual analyses, Data reports, Policy briefs, General Commentary, and Opinion papers focused on the following topics and consider allied topics which add vital information for the development of a process or product related to animal lipid alternatives:

• Novel alternatives to trans-fat, ghee, butter and shortenings
With regulatory and health pressures to eliminate trans-fats, research is needed on novel alternatives to ghee, butter, and shortenings. Authors should highlight innovations like plant-based fats, structured lipids, or synthetic alternatives that maintain functionality while improving nutrition and sustainability

• Lipid-derived sustainable food additives
Submissions should focus on sustainable lipid-derived additives, such as natural emulsifiers, stabilizers, or flavor enhancers from plant-based sources. Topics may cover improvements in texture, flavor, shelf life, and nutrition while reducing environmental impact.

• Advancements in the Oleochemistry of lipids, fats, conjugated and structured lipids including Oleogels, Bigels, Inter-esterified fats, and Oleosomes
Authors are encouraged to explore recent advancements in oleochemistry, focusing on the modification of natural fats and oils to create conjugated and structured lipids with tailored functionalities. Key topics include novel synthesis methods, applications in food systems, nutritional and health impacts, contributions to sustainable lipid solutions, and recent developments in oleogels, bigels, inter-esterified fats, and oleosomes as solid fat replacements.

• Oleogelators of plant origin and their role in food formulation
Research should focus on plant-based oleogelators, their mechanisms, and their role in creating sustainable fat alternatives in food formulations like spreads and baked goods.

• Sustainable Life cycle assessment of lipids production/processing
Submissions should focus on the life cycle assessment (LCA) of lipid production, assessing environmental impacts across sourcing, processing, transport, and disposal, with strategies to improve sustainability by reducing the environmental impact and innovative oil processing technologies like cold-press, supercritical CO2 extraction, and enzymatic processes that conserve energy, water, and resources.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Community Case Study
• Conceptual Analysis
• Editorial
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Community Case Study
• Conceptual Analysis
• Editorial
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Sustainable Lipids, Animal Fat Alternatives, Structured Lipids, Oleochemistry, Oil Processing

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.