Tag: Fat modification

In the food industry, the shift away from harmful trans fats has spurred the adoption of alternative fat modification techniques like interesterification. What does interesterification mean? It refers to a process that rearranges the fatty acid components within and between triglyceride molecules in fats and oils. This crucial technique is used to alter the physical properties of fats for various food applications, such as improving the texture of baked goods and producing trans fat-free margarine.

For over a century, food scientists have worked to modify fats and oils for better function and shelf life. Two key processes, interesterification and hydrogenation, achieve this, but their methods and outcomes, especially concerning the formation of harmful trans fats, are fundamentally different.

Globally, the food industry uses several advanced methods to transform liquid vegetable oils into semi-solid or solid fats, increasing their shelf life and stability. This modification of physical properties is crucial for manufacturing many processed food products like margarine and shortening. Discover how oil can be converted into fat using various chemical and physical techniques.

Over 75% of industrial enzymes are hydrolytic, and lipase is one of the most versatile, performing a critical function in breaking down fats. So, what is lipase in food ingredients? It is a biological catalyst that splits lipids, or fats, into smaller components like fatty acids and glycerol.

An estimated 90% of all food products contain some form of processed fat, and many use hydrogenation to achieve a desired texture and stability. The process of converting liquid oil into solid or semi-solid fat is formally called hydrogenation, a chemical reaction that increases the oil's saturation. This process is crucial for producing a wide range of food products and altering their physical properties for culinary applications.

Over 278,000 global deaths annually are attributed to the intake of industrially produced trans fats, which are a byproduct of the hydrogenation process. Hydrogenation in lipids is a chemical reaction that converts liquid unsaturated fats into solid or semi-solid fats by adding hydrogen atoms. This process has been used for over a century to alter the physical properties of oils for commercial use.