Fat-based Products Research Articles

Capillary flow-MRI of micronized fat crystal dispersions: Effect of shear history on microstructure and flow

Micronized fat crystal (MFC) dispersions are a novel food ingredient enabling more efficient manufacturing of fat-based products as compared to established melt-cool processing. Yet, predicting rheological properties of MFC dispersions, remains a challenge. Here, we demonstrate how a capillary-flow Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) platform provides quantitative measurements of local flow of MFC dispersions, inaccessible by global rheology. The measured 2D 1H MRI velocity maps unveiled a 5-fold velocity enhancement, and corresponding increase in wall slip, upon increasing the pre-shear time within 0–5 h, due to the 14 % increase in thickness of the crystalline nanoplatelets via recrystallization and aggregation of nanoplatelets. In the absence of pre-shearing, MFC dispersions exhibit an unsheared band at the walls of the capillary, likely arising from fouling and migration of thin nanoplatelets. In contrast to FCDs, flow cooperativity could not be observed for MFC dispersions due to the non-fractality of the fat crystal network. These results demonstrate that, by varying the pre-shear duration, the flow-microstructure properties of the MFC dispersions can be altered in a controlled manner. The approach presented here will allow for rapid assessment of shear-history dependence of flow properties of MFC dispersions under industrially relevant flow conditions.

Consumer Acceptance Studies of Margarine to Guide Product Development in the Food Industry.

Margarine exhibits significant variations in composition, allowing it to cater to diverse consumer segments. This study aimed to characterize the physical and sensory attributes of margarine samples available in the Brazilian market. Twelve commercial samples from six different brands, encompassing 30% to 80% of lipid contents, were subjected to instrumental texture analysis and affective assessment. A total of 112 consumers participated in acceptance tests and Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) evaluations, while another group of 62 subjects performed Projective Mapping. Samples with lipid percentages exceeding 70% achieved the highest average acceptance scores for taste and overall impression. The brand with the lowest lipid content (30%) exhibited a stronger association with negative attributes, including rancid flavor and aroma, bitterness, and metallic flavor, resulting in lower average scores for aroma, flavor, texture, and overall impression. However, these scores were not statistically different from samples with 50% and 60% lipid content. Reducing lipid levels in fat-based products such as margarine poses a challenge to food manufacturers, as consumers generally perceive higher lipid percentages as indicative of superior flavor quality.

Combining colloid milling and twin screw pressing for oleosome extraction

Oleosomes are oil droplets abundant in oilseeds that can be extracted together with proteins for use in emulsion-like foods and can be used as natural, ready emulsions as alternatives to dairy and fat-based products. To make optimal use of the raw material, we look at simultaneous extraction of oleosomes and proteins from rapeseed. The combined approach of colloid milling and twin screw pressing resulted in a higher yield of oleosomes (70 % w/w) when compared to twin screw press alone (54 % w/w), which may be due to extensive cell wall disruption caused by colloid mill processing, as evidenced by SEM imaging. The protein yield remained constant irrespective of the degree of cell wall disruption (50 % w/w). In conclusion, combining the colloid mill and twin screw press is a straightforward way for the extraction of oleosome and proteins from rapeseeds for food application.

A study on the effectiveness of HRD process and climate in milk processing industries with special reference to Coimbatore district

Milk processing allows the preservation of milk for days, weeks or months and helps to reduce food-borne illness. The usable life of milk can be extended for several days through procedures like fermentation or refrigeration, which is the factor most likely to affect the quality of raw milk. The following procedures are carried out at a typical milk plant: receiving the raw milk and filtering/clarifying it. the complete or partial separation of the milk fat (for standardisation of market milk, production of cream and butter and other fat-based products, and production of milk powders). HR processes refer to the fundamental strategies necessary to support the employee lifecycle and a positive employee experience. Each HR process follows an intricate pathway that demands strategic planning according to specific parameters and objectives. While every process involves its own procedures, all processes are interdependent. HRD climate is the perception that the employees have about the policies, procedures, practices, and conditions which exist in the working environment. The study reveals the HR Process and Climate in the Milk Processing Industry, where all the segment of workers are involved in production, processing, marketing and sales.

Phenolipids as new food additives: from synthesis to cell-based biological activities

Increasing interest has been shown in phenolic compounds for enhancing food quality, but their hydrophilicity restricts application in lipophilic systems. Therefore, in this study, twelve hydroxycinnamates derivatives (alkyl and steryl esters of sinapic acid (SA), caffeic acid (CA), and ferulic acid [FA]) were synthesised and evaluated for antioxidant and cytotoxic characteristics. CA esters had the highest radical scavenging activity (RSA) analysed by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) assays. Values of inhibitory concentration (IC50) of synthesised compounds were related to their structure and lipophilicity. The effect of these hydroxycinnamic acid esters on the antioxidant potential of real samples (rapeseed oil, margarine and mayonnaise) was estimated. None of the investigated derivatives significantly affected the viability of the model intestinal cells Caco2, while the octyl esters demonstrated a toxic effect at low concentrations. The synthesised esters exerted cytotoxic and anti-proliferative effects against transformed cell lines (HeLa and A549). Octyl esters were potent anticancer compounds on two human cancer cell lines. The synthesised phenolipids, as valuable and safe antioxidant additives, can find broader applications in the production of fat-based products to prevent oxidation processes, extend their shelf life and improve quality.

Modeling the solid-liquid equilibrium of binary mixtures of triacylglycerols using UNIFAC and predictive UNIQUAC models

The modeling of solid-liquid equilibrium is often performed assuming a series of theoretical simplifications, such as the compounds’ immiscibility in the solid phase. Unfortunately, this is not true for several systems, including food compounds. For example, triacylglycerol (TAG) molecules are the main components of fats and oils. Because of their characteristic solid transition phenomena such as polymorphism and solid solution formation, the quality of oil- and fat-based products is essentially dependent on TAG mixtures’ phase behavior. This work aimed to evaluate the use of a predictive approach based on UNIFAC and a predictive version of UNIQUAC to describe the solid-liquid equilibrium (SLE) behavior of binary mixtures containing TAG species. We put forth a validation test for the modeling approach, using experimental data of TAG mixtures solid-liquid phase diagrams taken from literature. Compared to the adjustable Margules equation and traditional UNIFAC structural parameters approaches, results showed that the predictive modeling approach is quite helpful in representing the experimental data despite limitations in calculating the nonideal behavior of the systems. It is noticeable that using models for calculating the activity coefficients in both phases was essential to the systems’ best description. The SLE theory-based predictive modeling approach used here can be further evaluated for designing mixtures with desired phase behavior, being an interesting tool for describing phase diagrams of TAG mixtures when no experimental data is available.

A Review on Extraction, Characterization, and Applications of Bioactive Peptides From Pressed Black Cumin Seed Cake.

Plenty of black cumin cake was generated as a natural waste material after pressing the oil. Nigella sativa (black cumin) seeds and cakes are of precious nutritional value as they contain proteins, phenolics, essential amino acids, and bioactive compounds. Owing to their antioxidant properties, scientists and food manufacturers have extensively developed them. Notably, global awareness among consumers about the benefits of innovative food ingredients has been increased. Meanwhile, it has to be noted that vast amounts of cake by-products are not effectively utilized, which might cause economic loss and environmental consequences. This review aimed to highlight the antioxidant abilities, extraction, characterization, functional characteristics, and utilization of active peptides acquired from black seed oil cake. This overview would critically evaluate black seed cake proteins, plentiful in bioactive peptides that might be utilized as valuable additives in feed, food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. The addition of bioactive peptides to restrain the oxidation of fat-based products and preserve food safety is also addressed.

Rheological and physical analysis of oil-water emulsion based on enzymatic structured fat

Structured triacylglycerols play an important role in determining the functional properties of fat-based emulsion products. The aim of the study was to evaluate the physical properties of the emulsion systems manufactured on the basis of enzymatically modified rabbit fat with pumpkin seed oil in the presence of sn-1,3 regioselective lipase. Emulsions containing variable contents of thickener and variable fat ratios were analyzed for rheological behavior and particle size changes during storage, and their stability was assessed using the Turbiscan test. The results showed that the emulsion containing the majority of rabbit fat and 1 wt% of carboxymethylcellulose was characterized by the highest stability. On the other hand, the emulsions containing higher amounts of pumpkin seed oil in a fatty base characterized the lowest resistance to destabilization processes. The research confirmed the possibility of producing structured fat which can be the basis for new emulsion systems proposed as a food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical product.

Fat crystallization of blends of palm oil and anhydrous milk fat: A comparison between static and dynamic-crystallization

The application of dynamic-crystallization (a combination of shear with rapid cooling) often plays an important role in the production of industrial fat-based products such as shortenings/margarines but has been rarely reported. In this study, three blends of palm oil (PO) with anhydrous milk fat (AMF) (0, 25 and 50% AMF, w/w) were rapidly crystallized under static (using freezer) and dynamic conditions (using a benchtop scraped surface heat exchanger). Various techniques including differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), polarized light microscopy (PLM), rheology and texture analysis were applied to investigate physicochemical properties of fat blends as well as their crystal morphology upon the long-term storage (4 weeks) at 5 °C and 15 °C. The results revealed that high cooling rate of dynamic-crystallization not only affected melting behavior of fat blends but also prevented the polymorphic transformation from β’ to β crystals. Besides, the application of shear during fat crystallization helped to improve significantly the gel strength of produced shortenings. Although post-crystallization of low melting triacylglycerols (TAGs) occurred for all produced shortenings during storage at 5 °C which was accompanying with a firmness increase, it was more considerable for samples owning higher AMF content. Moreover, this phenomenon promoted the sintering as well as Ostwald ripening between fat crystals of dynamic-crystallized fat blends resulting in the formation of unwanted large aggregates (or granular crystals) with the size ranging from 100 to 500 μm.

Monoacylglycerols and diacylglycerols for fat-based food products: a review

The flexibility of monoacylglycerol (MAG) and diacylglycerol (DAG) attracted the attention of researchers to learn more about MAG and DAG in food science and technology. The objective of this paper is to serve a review or summarize the production (especially enzymatic glycerolysis), characteristics, and application of MAG and DAG, especially for fat-based products. The characteristic of MAG and DAG related to melting and crystallization properties, polymorphism, microstructure, and rheology are presented and discussed. The applications of MAG and DAG include their use as fats/oils rich in MAG and DAG, margarine/shortening, surfactant/emulsifier, and organogels are also provided. Various studies have shown that MAG and DAG can improve the characteristics of various fat-based food products.

Production and characterization of promising β-stable seed crystals to modulate the crystallization of fat-based industrial products.

Spray cooling or spray chilling is a technique for obtaining solid lipid microparticles (SLMs) within the diameter range in micrometers using low temperatures and no organic solvents. It is a low-cost technique and is easy to scale-up. The production of SLMs into β-form represents a technological challenge due to the fast crystallization given by the spray cooling system, which generally results in SLMs crystallized into the metastable polymorphic form α. This study focuses on the production and characterization of SLMs by spray cooling using hard fat soybean oil (HS) added of D-limonene or canola oil, aiming to their application as β-seed crystals into lipid systems. The β-seed crystals could turn into an alternative lipid material to be used in fat-based products that present the preferential β' crystallization, like palm oil, increasing its compatibility with cocoa butter (CB) and allowing for the development of substitutes. The obtained SLMs showed spherical geometry and no agglomeration during storage at 25°C for up to 30days, verified by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The mean diameters (D50) were between 150 and 200μm and the β' and β-form, determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), appeared immediately after the crystallization process by spray cooling using HS added of 5% D-limonene (the HS control sample presented only the α-form). The SLMs of this study demonstrated their potential use as β-seed crystals into lipid systems.

Non-aqueous foams formed by whipping diacylglycerol stabilized oleogel

Formation of foams is critical for tailoring the texture and mouthfeel of fat-based products. Diacylglycerol (DAG) is regarded as a preferable alternative structurant to hydrogenated lipid. Effect of DAG concentration (2–10 wt%) on the characteristics of oleogels and foams including crystal polymorphisms, size and distribution, rheological and thermodynamic properties was investigated. Oleogel prepared with 10 wt% DAG had comparable whipping and foaming stability to that of 6 wt% fully hydrogenated palm oil (FHPO). DAG formed small plate-crystals which tend to occur at the bubble surface, whereas FHPO showed needle-like crystals that were formed mainly in the continuous phase. For the 2 wt% FHPO-8 wt% DAG-based oil foams, interfacial templating crystallization effect contributed to the smaller bubble size and improved rheological properties whereby less oil drainage and foam breakdown occurred. Hence, the non-aqueous foam formed by DAG has broad application prospect because of the thermoresponsive properties and the desirable health benefits.

Addition of glyceryl monostearate affects the crystallization behavior and polymorphism of palm stearin.

Low crystallization-rate and formation of crystalline clusters makes palm stearin unpopular in fat-based products especially in their post-processing stage. Addition of emulsifiers is commonly used to overcome these drawbacks, since they are believed to induce or stabilize specific polymorphs of palm stearin. Glyceryl monostearate (GMS) was applied in palm stearin (1%, 2%, and 4% w/w) in this study, and the mechanisms on crystallization of palm stearin were investigated by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and polarized light microscopic (PLM) method. Data showed that GMS prompted the isothermal crystallization (15-30°C) in a dose-dependent manner. Crystallization turned to low super-cooling sporadic nucleation at 30°C. Besides, GMS led to an earlier onset of crystallization during cooling. GMS-palm stearin blends crystallized to form α polymorphs at first and subsequently underwent polymorphic transition to become β' polymorphs. Addition of 4% w/w GMS in palm stearin significantly decreased the size of crystals, which is helpful to reduce the grainy mouth feel of fat products in practice.

Extrusion-based 3D printing of food pastes: Correlating rheological properties with printing behaviour

Abstract Development of 3D food printing applications requires in-depth knowledge on printing behaviour of food materials. In extrusion-based 3D printing, rheological properties of a recipe are critical to achieve successful printing. The objective of this research is to investigate potential correlations between printability of formulations and simple rheological properties. We used tomato paste as a model system to investigate the correlation between printing stability, dispensability and rheological properties. The results show a linear correlation between ingredient's flow stress, zero shear viscosity and corresponding printing stability. The extrusion pressure necessary to extrude tomato paste increased linearly with increasing flow stress. More experiments with other aqueous-based food formulations indicated that their printability aligned reasonably well with the correlation of tomato paste; however, for fat-based products different printing behaviour was observed. Finally, we propose a rational guideline for developing aqueous food recipes with desired printability based on flow stress measured by shear rheology.

Phase transitions in polymorphic materials probed using space-resolved diffusing wave spectroscopy.

We use space-resolved dynamic light scattering in the highly multiple scattering regime (Photon Correlation Imaging Diffusing Wave Spectroscopy, PCI-DWS) to investigate temperature-induced phase transitions in polymorphic materials. We study paraffin wax as a simple model system and chocolate, a prototypical example of fat-based products exhibiting complex, history-dependent phase transitions. We find that microscopic dynamics measured using PCI-DWS show remarkable, non-monotonic behavior upon heating: they transiently accelerate when crossing phase transition and slow down above the transition temperature. Sub-micron resolution measurements of the local drift of the sample surface reveal that the speed-up of the dynamics is due to the strain field induced by the change in density at transition temperature. The transition temperatures obtained from PCI-DWS are found to be in excellent agreement with those inferred from complementary differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray scattering experiments, thereby validating PCI-DWS as a new, powerful tool for the characterization of phase transitions in complex soft matter. Finally, we demonstrate the unique possibilities afforded by space-resolved DWS by investigating the spatially heterogeneous response of poorly manufactured or composite chocolate samples.

Thermal stability of plant sterols and formation of their oxidation products in vegetable oils and margarines upon controlled heating

Fat-based products like vegetable oils and margarines are commonly used for cooking, which may enhance oxidation of plant sterols (PS) present therein, leading to the formation of PS oxidation products (POP). The present study aims to assess the kinetics of POP formation in six different fat-based products. Vegetable oils and margarines without and with added PS (7.5–7.6% w/w) in esterified form were heated in a Petri-dish at temperatures of 150, 180 and 210°C for 8, 12 and 16min. PS and POP were analysed using GC-FID and GC–MS-SIM, respectively. Increasing PS content, temperature and heating time led to higher POP formation in all tested fat-based products. PS (either naturally occurring or added) in margarines were less susceptible to oxidation as compared to PS in vegetable oils. The susceptibility of sitosterol to oxidation was about 20% lower than that of campesterol under all the applied experimental conditions. During heating, the relative abundance of 7-keto-PS (expressed as% of total POP) decreased in all the fat-based products regardless of their PS contents, which was accompanied by an increase in the relative abundance of 7-OH-PS and 5,6-epoxy-PS, while PS-triols were fairly unchanged. In conclusion, heating time, temperature, initial PS content and the matrix of the fat-based products (vegetable oil vs. margarine) showed distinct effects on POP formation and composition of individual POP formed.

Phytosterol oxidation products (POP) in foods with added phytosterols and estimation of their daily intake: A literature review.

1To evaluate the content of phytosterol oxidation products (POP) of foods with added phytosterols, in total 14 studies measuring POP contents of foods with added phytosterols were systematically reviewed. In non‐heated or stored foods, POP contents were low, ranging from (medians) 0.03–3.6 mg/100 g with corresponding oxidation rates of phytosterols (ORP) of 0.03–0.06%. In fat‐based foods with 8% of added free plant sterols (FPS), plant sterol esters (PSE) or plant stanol esters (PAE) pan‐fried at 160–200°C for 5–10 min, median POP contents were 72.0, 38.1, and 4.9 mg/100 g, respectively, with a median ORP of 0.90, 0.48, and 0.06%. Hence resistance to thermal oxidation was in the order of PAE > PSE > FPS. POP formation was highest in enriched butter followed by margarine and rapeseed oil. In margarines with 7.5–10.5% added PSE oven‐heated at 140–200°C for 5–30 min, median POP content was 0.3 mg/100 g. Further heating under same temperature conditions but for 60–120 min markedly increased POP formation to 384.3 mg/100 g. Estimated daily upper POP intake was 47.7 mg/d (equivalent to 0.69 mg/kg BW/d) for foods with added PSE and 78.3 mg/d (equivalent to 1.12 mg/kg BW/d) for foods with added FPS as calculated by multiplying the advised upper daily phytosterol intake of 3 g/d with the 90% quantile values of ORP. In conclusion, heating temperature and time, chemical form of phytosterols added and the food matrix are determinants of POP formation in foods with added phytosterols, leading to an increase in POP contents. Practical applications: Phytosterol oxidation products (POP) are formed in foods containing phytosterols especially when exposed to heat treatment. This review summarising POP contents in foods with added phytosterols in their free and esterified forms reveals that heating temperature and time, the chemical form of phytosterols added and the food matrix itself are determinants of POP formation with heating temperature and time having the biggest impact. The estimated upper daily intakes of POP is 78.3 mg/d for fat‐based products with added free plant sterols and 47.7 mg/d for fat‐based products with added plant sterol esters. Phytosterols in foods are susceptible to oxidation to form phytosterol oxidation products (POP). This review summarizes literature data regarding POP contents of foods with added phytosterols that were exposed to storage and heat treatments.

Triacylglycerol composition, physico-chemical characteristics and oxidative stability of interesterified canola oil and fully hydrogenated cottonseed oil blends.

BackgroundPartial hydrogenation process is used worldwide to produce shortening, baking, and pastry margarines for food applications. However, demand for such products is decreased during last decade due to their possible links to consumer health and disease. This has raised the need to replace hydrogenation with alternative acceptable interesterification process which has advantage in context of modifying the physico-chemical properties of edible fat-based products. Therefore, the main mandate of research was the development of functional fat through chemical interesterification of canola oil (CaO) and fully hydrogenated cottonseed oil (FHCSO) mixtures.MethodsBlends were prepared in the proportions of 75:25 (T1), 50:50 (T2) and 25:75 (T3) of CaO:FHCSO (w/w). Interesterification was performed using sodium methoxide (0.2 %) as catalyst at 120 °C, under reduced pressure and constant agitation for 60 minutes. The non-interesterified and interesterified CaO:FHCSO blends were evaluated for triacylglycerol (TAG) composition, physico-chemical characteristics, oxidative stability and consumer acceptability at 0, 30 and 60 days of storage interval.ResultsThe oleic acid (58.3 ± 0.6 %) was predominantly present in CaO while the contents of stearic acid (72 ± 0.8 %) were significantly higher in FHCSO. Maximum trisaturated (S3) contents (63.9 ± 0.5 %) were found in T3 while monounsaturated (S2U), diunsaturated (U2S) and triunsaturated (U3) contents were quite low in T2 and T3 before interesterification. A marked reduction in S3 and U3 contents with concomitant increase in S2U and U2S contents was observed for all CaO:FHCSO blends on interesterification. During storage, the changes in S3, S2U and U2S contents were not found significant (p ≥ 0.05). However, maximum decrease 13 %, 7.5 and 5.6 % in U3 contents for T1, T2 and T3 was noted after 60-days of interesterification, respectively. The Lovibond color R, melting point, refractive index, specific gravity, peroxide and free fatty acids values of CaO:FHCSO blends decreased after interesterification and increased within the permissible limits during storage (p ≥ 0.05). The CaO:FHCSO blends maintained their sensory acceptability before and after interesterification which decreased significantly as storage length increased from days 30 to 60-days. Most important was the 50 % CaO:50 % FHCSO blend (T2) which possessed the desirable TAG profile, physico-chemical and sensory characteristics coming from T1 and T3.ConclusionsThe present study concludes that functional lipids with desirable characteristics can be developed through interesterification of 50 % CaO:50 % FHCSO blend and should be explored as ingredient for the production of various healthier products for discerning consumers.

Hard fats improve technological properties of palm oil for applications in fat-based products

Palm oil is widely used in food industry. In many applications, palm oil is hindered by its slow crystallization rate and post-processing formation of large clusters of crystals. In order to overcome these drawbacks, addition of fully hydrogenated vegetable oils, known as hard fats, to palm oil is here proposed. Hard fats can behave as modifiers in the crystallization process due to their homogeneous triacylglycerol profiles. Hard fats from five different vegetable oils were added to palm oil, at the concentration of 1, 3, and 5 g/100 g of blend: palm kernel (PKO), palm (PO), cottonseed (CO), soybean (SO), and crambe (CR). An increase in the solid fat content and critical microstructure alterations affected positively the consistency and could be related to the small changes in the triacylglycerol composition, more precisely to the concentration of acyl groups present and their solubility in the liquid oil. Blends with PKO showed no appreciable improvements. Otherwise, addition of PO, CO, SO, and CR resulted in a significant effect on the rate of crystallization, and leading to a higher hardness and increase of the thermal resistance of palm oil intended for applications in fat-based products.

Hard fats as additives in palm oil and its relationships to crystallization process and polymorphism

The application of palm oil in fat-based product can be inappropriate due to its low crystallization rates and formation of crystalline clusters in post-processing stages. The adjustment of these properties can be achieved with the addition of hard fats, which are low-cost industrial products resulting from the process of total catalytic hydrogenation of liquid oils. During the crystallization of palm oil, these components can act as preferential nuclei in a crystalline ordering process, and may induce or stabilize specific polymorphic habits. The present work evaluated the addition of hard fats from palm kernel (PKO), palm (PO), soybean (SO), cottonseed (CO) and crambe oils (CR), at concentrations of 1 g, 3 g, and 5 g/100 g of oil blend, on the crystallization behavior of palm oil. The study involves the crystallization kinetics, thermal behavior and polymorphism. The addition of hard fats provided a significant decrease of the induction time for nucleation in all blends, except with PKO. All blends showed a preference for crystallization in the polymorphic habit β′, but blends with SO and CR, however, formed a miscellany of β′ + β crystals. Adding hard fats to palm oil increase its compatibility for uses in formulations of cocoa butter alternatives and fat-based products.