Qualitative Characteristics of Household Margarine for Cooking Purpose

Abstract

The qualitative characteristics of household margarine for cooking purpose, recently noted as a new field of household margarine by manufacturers, were clarified on the basis of various chemical and physical parameters of 12 brands of margarine (vegetable fat type 6; milkfat blend type 2 and vegetable-animal mixed fat type 4).1) Analytical results for sterols and fatty acid composition showed the vegetable-animal mixed fat type to contain hardened fish oil as animal fat, and the other types, hardened vegetable oils. Six brands among the tested margarine contained low erucic rapeseed oil.2) The content of total tocopherols in the household margarine was 16.840.8 mg/100 g (x27.6 mg/100 g), this being less than that for margarine for spreading previously as reported elsewhere. Tocopherol, labelled on the packages of eight brands, including all vegetable-animal mixed fat type, might be added as an antioxidant, since the γ-form is present in a much greater amount than the α-form in all the brands.3) In an oven test at 60°C, the oxidative stability of the milkfat blend type was relatively quite good, but peroxide value of the margarine, whose percentage of 18 : 2 fatty acid exceeded 15%, rose more rapidly than that of any other type. Prooxidant metals, such as iron, copper or nickel were present in only trace amounts, this being not related to increase in peroxide values.4) From the curves of hardness index and solid fat content, different types of the tested margarines were shown to be harder in the order of vegetable fat type<vegetable-animal mixed fat type<milkfat blend type, particularly in the lower temperature region. The margarine for cooking purpose oiled-off with relative difficulty even at room temperature (about 20°C).