The process or act of removing fat from something, especially in food production or industrial manufacturing.
From de- + fat + -ing (gerund/present participle). A modern technical term that crystallized in the late 19th and 20th centuries as industrial food processing developed.
Defatting is actually a chemical art form in food science—companies use solvents, heat, and pressure to extract every last fat molecule, and each method creates subtly different end products. The same ingredient can taste and perform completely differently depending on the defatting technique used.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.