Specialty Fats Research Articles

Specialty Fats Enriched with Behenic and Medium Chain Fatty Acids from Palm Stearin by Lipase Acidolysis

AbstractStructured lipids containing behenic and medium chain (MC) fatty acids were prepared from palm stearin using 1,3‐specific lipase‐catalyzed acidolysis. Incorporation of MC and behenic acids was affected by proportion of substrate, type of fatty acids, reaction time, addition of water and quantity of lipase. It was found that incorporation of caproic acid was less compared to other longer chain fatty acids. Caprylic, capric and behenic acids shared similar incorporation (up to 32 %), which increased with the amount of fatty acids added and the time of reaction. The incorporation of these acids increased with addition of 1 % moisture and the increasing amount of enzyme from 5 to 10 % at the beginning of the reaction. Incorporating behenic and MC fatty acids, reduced palmitic and oleic acids considerably from palm stearin, the extent being the same as those incorporated. However, the reduction of linoleic acid was marginal. The solid fats content of the modified palm stearin containing MC and behenic acids were reduced at all temperatures due to a reduction in higher molecular weight triglycerides and an increasing proportion of lower chain triglycerides. The modified products of palm stearin with added capric and behenic acids were similar to commercial bakery shortenings and those with added capric acid were like salad or cooking oils or butter in melting characteristics.

Specialty Fats from Beef Tallow and Canola Oil: Establishment of Reaction Conditions, Characterization of Products, and Evaluation of Crystal Stability

The effect of reaction time (0–90 min), catalyst concentration (0.2–0.5% CH3ONa powder), and temperature (60–90 °C) of chemical interesterification (CIE) was studied to determine the optimal conditions for maximal change of solid fat content (SFC) in minimal time in a beef tallow (BT)/canola oil (CaO) blend (80:20, w/w, herein after referred to as BT/CaO blend 80:20). The optimal conditions were obtained as: CH3ONa 0.4%, 60 °C, 30 min. BT/CaO blends (60:40, 65:35, 70:30, 75:25, 80:20, and 85:15) were each interesterified on a laboratory scale under afore-determined optimal conditions, and the corresponding 12 samples, before and after CIE, were characterized in terms of the SFC profile and compatibility. SFC profiling showed an increase in SFC (<5%) between 5 and 21.1 °C and a slight drop (<3%) in SFC between 40 and 45 °C for the interesterified blends. Compatibility analysis showed the presence of monotectic systems in original blends, proven through isothermal solid diagrams and isosolid diagrams. The incompatibility among the fats and oils was eliminated after reaction and the solution behavior shifted to a continuous solid solution. The interesterified 85:15, 80:20/75:25, 70:30, 65:35, and 60:40 BT/CaO blends displayed characteristics suited to application, respectively, for bakery shortenings, frying fats, all-purpose bakery shortenings, and bakery and roll-in margarines. The model shortenings produced from interesterified blends had more stable crystal morphology, crystal sizes, and double-chain (2L) stacking β′ polymorphs than blended shortenings under temperature fluctuation storage. Sensory analysis also showed that the former had less graininess and better spreadability than the latter during storage.

Preparation of specialty fats from beef tallow and canola oil by chemical interesterification: physico-chemical properties and bread applications of the products

Blends of beef tallow (BT)/canola oil (CO) (85:15, 65:35, w/w) were interesterified under the following conditions: 0.4% CH3ONa, 60 °C, 30 min. Triacylglycerol (TAG) composition, polymorphic forms, crystal morphology, thermal properties, rheological properties and oxidative stability of the original and interesterified blends were evaluated. Chemical interesterification (CIE) caused a more balanced rearrangement of TAG species, reduction of trisaturated (S3), triunsaturated (U3) TAG content and increase in monosaturate-diunsaturated (SU2) TAG content. X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed that all the interesterified blends were exclusively double chain (2L) stacking β′ crystal. Thermal curves confirmed slight narrow melting and crystallization temperature ranges appearing in interesterified blends, mainly due to decreased S3 and U3 type TAGs and increased SU2 after CIE. Rheological analysis showed that CIE led to dropping in both hardness, storage modulus (G′) and loss modulus (G″) of BT/CO blends. The oxidative stability of the interesterified fats, which was reduced compared with the substrate blends, was significantly improved using 0.02% TBHQ. A shortening and a margarine, both containing low trans were prepared by interesterified BT/CO 85:15, 65:35 blends, respectively, which were crystallized in a votator and tested in bread baking. The results of instrumental and sensory analyses showed similar acceptability of the two types of breads. The present study suggests that the interesterified fats fulfill the requirements of marketable bakery shortenings and margarines, respectively.

Future prospects for palm oil refining and modifications

Palm oil is rich in minor components that impart unique nutritional properties and need to be preserved. In this context, refining technologies have been improved, with the dual temperature deodorizer, the double condensing unit and the ice condensing system. The DOBI is a good tool to assess quality of the crude palm oil and its ability to be properly refined. Specially refined oils open a market for new high quality products (golden palm oil, red palm oil, white soaps, etc.). Palm oil is a good candidate for the multi-step dry fractionation process, aiming to the production of commodity oils and specialty fats (cocoa butter replacers). New technological developments allow quality and yield improvements. Palm oil and fractions are also valuable feedstock for enzymatic interesterification in which applications are for commodity oil (low-trans margarines and shortenings) and for special products (cocoa butter equivalents, infant formulation, …).

Specialty fats – How food manufacturers can get more out of them

AbstractSpecialty fats add market value to prepared foods through the sensory attributes they produce. While specialty fats may have been known to food manufacturers for decades, many have yet to realize the full potential of what these functional fats can do for their products and businesses. To achieve this, an adequate level of working knowledge on specialty fats is vital. The application of specialty fats in chocolate, chocolate confectionery, bakery products and ice cream are surveyed, to illustrate a variety of interesting ways food manufacturers can use specialty fats.

Making Usable, Quality Opaque or Transparent Soap

First-year and organic chemistry students will learn the chemistry of soap by making some of the eleven described formulations, which produce usable, quality bars of soap. Opaque and transparent soaps are made in two and three hours, respectively. With an introduction to formulation chemistry, organic chemistry students can devise a formulation to synthesize their own opaque soap. Many of the formulations use commonly-available fats and oils, while some formulations incorporate specialty fats and oils for therapeutic purposes, for example, to relieve dry skin or itching. After one week of curing, the effectiveness of the prepared soap and commercially-available surfactants are tested in hard and soft water. The pH of the prepared soap, commercial surfactants, and the students' skin are measured and compared. In laboratory sections where students make soaps from different formulations, students can wash their hands with a bar of each and compare the quantity and quality of lather, the size of the bubbles, and the feel of the soap on the skin. Using these data, students can identify the best formulation for their skin and explain their selection.

Fractionation of Edible Oils and Fats

Fractionation has been used for the variation in the properties of edible oil and fat products along with the other processing technologies such as hydrogenation and interesterification. Fractionation is the process to get several fractions of different melting points, hardness d solid fat content from solid or semisolid oils and fats, thus makes it possible to extend the application of edible oils and fats in the related food products. Fractionation has two stages in the process. The first one is the partial crystallization of oils and fats under the controlled gradual cooling to the desired temperature in the crystallizer. The second one is the separation of solid and liquid fractions by means of filtration or centrifugation. Fractionation applied in the industrial scale can be classified into three groups, dry fractionation, detergent fractionation and solvent fractionation, depending on the procedures and separation systems. Fractionation technologies have been used to produce cooking and frying oils from palm oil, specialty fats from tropical solid fats, soft butter from anhydrous milk fat and so on. Fractionation is the reversible process of energy saving and less loss in yield, also can easily get both hardened fats without trans isomers and liquid oils of low melting point simultaneously. Therefore, the roll of fractionation in the processed oils and fats will be more important in the future.

Oleaginous Microorganisms: An Assessment of the Potential

Publisher Summary The chapter discusses the potential of oleaginous microorganisms in producing microbial lipids with an emphasis on functionally superior products such as specialty fats and oils, and important metabolites that have not yet been extensively studied. Oleaginous microorganisms are those which accumulate lipid at more than 20% of their biomass. Oil-forming organisms are found among bacteria, yeasts, molds, and algae. Accumulation of lipid in the cell is typically a biphasic process requiring an excess of carbon over other nutrients, particularly nitrogen. The first phase is characterized by rapid cell growth until the nitrogen is consumed, which is followed by the second phase, wherein the excess carbon in the medium is converted to lipid. Single cell oil (SCO) is a triacylglycerol type of oil from yeasts, analogous to plant and animal edible oils and fats. Various methods involved in the production of SCO are discussed in the chapter. The trend to construct healthy fats to meet nutritional needs has created a great interest in oils rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) because of their unique physiological activities in the human body. The study of PUFA production is discussed in more detail in the chapter. Opportunities for utilizing oleaginous microorganisms include improving PUFA production efficiency and developing methods for producing unusual lipid classes such as hydroxyalkanoates, wax esters, cerebrosides, and glycolipids.

Lipid‐based fat substitutes

Fats and oils account for 38% of the total calories in the diet of Western populations, especially in the U.S. They provide the most concentrated source of energy, 9 kcal/g of a triacylglycerol molecule compared with 4 kcal/g provided by carbohydrate and protein. In response to consumer demands for low-calorie or calorie-free fats and their reluctance to give up the taste of fat, current research efforts have been directed toward the development of lipid-like fat substitutes. These fat substitutes contain the fatty acids found in conventional fats and oils, with all the physical and organoleptic properties of fats, but provide few or no calories in the diet. Some of the fat substitutes are modified triacylglycerols (glycerol backbone) with reduced digestion and absorption; others are digestible and nondigestible carbohydrate fatty acid esters and polyesters, respectively. Sucrose polyester (Olestra), a sucrose molecule esterified with six to either fatty acids, is the most studied of the lipid-based fat substitutes containing a carbohydrate backbone. If approved by the FDA, sucrose polyester will find application in almost all fat-containing foods. Specialty fats or fat substitutes targeted to certain individuals with special needs are being developed. Among these are the medium-chain triacylglycerols and structured lipids (glycerol backbone), or ¿nutraceuticals¿ with reduced absorption and medical applications. Enzyme biotechnology is another tool available to lipid chemists to selectively modify, esterify, transform, transesterify, and interesterify fats and oils or synthesize new lipids such as structured lipids of food, nutritional, and medical importance. These designer fats may be the trend in the future to produce medical lipids that do not occur normally in nature. The different types of lipid-based fat substitutes are reviewed with respect to their synthesis, analysis, metabolism, potential applications/uses, and the future of fat substitutes.

Palm Oil Use and Compatibility in India

India is experiencing a shortage of edible oils that may increase in years to come. To meet this challenge, palm oil is being considered as a potential new source of oil owing to the high productivity of the oil palm. Besides importing palm oil for the present, indigenous production by cultivating the oil palm has been initiated as a long-term measure.When a new edible oil is introduced, people have to be assured of its safety and nutritional quality. Besides ensuring that palm oil meets essential fatty acid (EFA) requirements, concern about its atherogenic potential due to its saturated fat content has to be allayed. The habitual low-fat Indian diet based on cereals and pulses contains invisible fats amounting to 25 g per day, but it provides two-thirds of EFA requirements. Increased consumption of fat in the form of palm oil should therefore not pose a problem to the requirements since the oil contains about 10% of n-6, 18:2 linoleic acid. Although categorized as a saturated fat, palm oil does not raise blood cholesterol, unlike other fats such as coconut oil. Unrefined crude palm oil, which is rich in β-carotene, is also of special interest as it can be used to prevent vitamin A deficiency, which is widespread In India.Owing to its technical characteristics, palm oil can be used in domestic cooking as well as in the foodprocessing industry for the manufacture of vanaspati and margarine, and as a specialty fat in the bakery and confectionery industries.

An overview of the safety evaluation of the Rhizomucor miehei lipase enzyme.

The Rhizomucor miehei lipase enzyme expressed in Aspergillus oryzae, is used in the production of specialty fats, the production of existing fats from new raw materials, or new fats with improved nutritional or functional qualities. It is produced by A. oryzae containing the structural gene for the precursor of R. miehei triglyceride lipase. It was subjected to a series of toxicological tests to document the safety in use. The enzyme preparation was not found to be mutagenic either in bacterial cultures (Ames test) or in the mammalian cell cultures (mouse lymphoma assay), nor did it cause chromosomal damage (human lymphocyte assay). Dietary concentrations up to 1600 mg/kg diet for up to 13 weeks caused no adverse effect in rats. At higher concentrations there were effects upon food intake, possibly arising from some irritant property of the enzyme preparation in the diet at such high levels, with consequential effects upon bodyweight and energy metabolism. A minor effect upon renal function was indicated by increased kidney weight and changes in the urine. At 40,000 mg/kg diet the enzyme was considered to have exacerbated the onset of normally-occurring chronic myocarditis in male Sprague-Dawley rats.

Deodorization and deacidification of edible oils with dense carbon dioxide

AbstractNear‐critical carbon dioxide shows potential for extraction of free fatty acids, off‐odors or flavors from edible fats and oils. Deacidification and deodorization of a simulated, roasted peanut oil with dense CO2 was performed at various temperatures, pressures and extraction factors in a pilot‐scale, packed extraction column with an i.d. of 2.86 cm and a height of 162 cm. Pyrazine and its derivatives are major components of roasted peanut aroma. At constant temperature and pressure, the distribution coefficient (m) for pyrazine derivatives was inversely related to the degree of substitution of methyl groups (molecular weight) and boiling point, that is, the solubility was directly related to the compounds volatility. CO2 fluid‐phase density alone could not explain the equilibrium solubility behavior of either fatty acids or pyrazines. At constant fluid‐phase density, m for pyrazine derivatives decreased with increasing pressure and temperature, while that for fatty acids increased. At 20 MPa pressure, increasing the temperature from 47 to 57°C increased m for pyrazines, but decreased m for fatty acids, indicating that the system was within the retrograde region for fatty acids. Free fatty acid solubility was inversely related to chainlength and, in the supercritical region, directly related to the degree of unsaturation. Deodorization is mass‐transfer‐controlled, and deacidification is thermodynamically constrained. The efficient deodorization and deacidification of an actual crude oil pressed from roasted peanuts was accomplished by extraction with CO2 at 47°C and 20 MPa. Extraction with carbon dioxide may be particularly useful for deacidifying expensive specialty fats with high initial acidity, or where the quality and purity of the extracted components are of importance.

Lipid Nutrition

Cows in early lactation or producing more than 80 lb of milk per day need supplemental fat and can benefit from it. Fat should be added to the diet over a period of several weeks to allow the cows to become accustomed to it. Feed intake should be monitored because additional fat may decrease feed intake and offset the benefit of the fat. Supplemental fat should not exceed 4 to 5% of the dry matter intake. The first 2% of added fat should be supplied by oilseeds under most circumstances. The next 1 or 2% can come from commodity fat if availability and handling ability permits its use. If the last increment of fat is needed, it should be supplied by specialty fats that have been processed to improve ruminal inertness. Extra calcium, magnesium, and ruminally undegraded protein should be added to the diet when fat is added. Fat is a more expensive source of energy than feed grains in most of the world and should not be used beyond needs.

Finished product formulation

AbstractRules of formulation are discussed. Some characteristic properties of raw materials and finished products can be instrumentally determined, others more empirically. Such approach applies to raw material interchangeability as well. Formulation problems will differ according to the type of finished product: margarines, shortenings, salad dressings, deep frying fats, specialty fats. They will also vary depending on the user: household, catering, manufacturer or food industry. Modern methods for formulation are then described.

Development of edible tallow fractions for specialty fat uses.

AbstractEdible beef tallow was effectively fractionated by an acetone crystallization procedure to yield five fractions: two solid glyceride fractions comprising 14% (ca. 7% each) of the original tallow; two liquid fractions of 59% and 7%; and one semisolid fraction of 20%. The solid glycerides were composed of ca. 80% saturates (saturated fatty acid glyceride components), approximately an equal mixture of palmitate and stearate, with oleate as the principal unsaturate. The liquid glycerides were composed of more than 65% unsaturates (unsaturated fatty acid glyceride components), predominantly oleate, with the saturates a 3:1 mixture of palmitate and stearate. The semisolid glyceride fraction was similar to cocoa butter. It was one‐third unsaturated, mainly oleate with the saturates a mixture of palmitate and stearate. The thermal behavior of the fractions was studied by differential scanning calorimetry. The liquid fraction had a differential scanning calorimetry final melting profile similar to commercial salad oil and the profile of the semisolid fraction resembled that of cocoa butter. The semisolid fraction appeared to be compatible with cocoa butter over a wide range. Mixtures of 5 and 50% cocoa butter with the semisolid fraction had melting profiles similar to that of the original cocoa butter.

Sharp‐melting fat fractions from cottonseed oil

AbstractSolid fats of very short plastic range and melting points about equal to that of butterfat were obtained in yields up to ca. 64% by a single, fractional crystallization from hexane of byproduct stearines from the commercial winterization of cottonseed oil. One such product, consisting of approximately fourfifths 2‐linoleodipalmitin and one‐fifth 2‐oleodipalmitin, melted almost entirely between 22 and 29 C, and was harder than butterfat at equal temperatures. Use as specialty fats is indicated.