Margarine fats suitable for use in the preparation of plastic emulsion food spreads such as margarine, contain a randomised palmitic acid as the principal saturated fatty acid, together with at least 3% trans acid and comprise an interesterified palmitic fat of vegetable or animal origin, which is preferably corandomised with a vegetable oil to provide a maximum saturated fatty acid content in the margarine fat of 35% and a dilation value of at most 90 at 35.degree.C and at least 275 at 20.degree.C. A wide variety of margarine can be prepared according to the invention having favourable melting characteristics and particularly a soft tub margarine which can be spread directly at domestic refrigerator temperatures. High proportions of palmitic fat, especially palm oil and cottonseed oil, may be incorporated into the margarine fat formulations of the invention.
The fat content of shortenings, margarine and other plastic emulsion fat products containing substantial amounts of combined polyunsaturated fatty acids, also meets specified melting profile requirements and contains limited amounts of combined saturated and trans fatty acids including palmitic acid.
The present invention is of a food spread containing a mixture of an edible oil of natural origin and a monoglyceride. The oil is preferably one or more of the oils from the group of olive oil, avocado oil, canola oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil, coconut oil, rice bran oil, mustardseed oil, camelina oil, chia oil, flaxseed oil, perilla oil, fish oil or corn oil. More preferably an oil such as avocado oil or olive oil is used and most preferably the oil is olive oil. The monoglycerides used are preferably derivatives of oleic, or palmitic acid. The ratio of oil to monoglyceride is preferably from about 9 to about 1 to from about 49 to about 1 and most preferably from about 15 to about 1 to from about 24 to about 1. The more monoglyceride used, the greater the degree of solidity of the food spread at room temperature. It is therefore possible to produce a desired degree of solidity, by changing the proportion of monoglyceride.
The present invention is of a food spread containing a mixture of at least one edible oil of natural or synthetic origin and a monoglyceride. The oil is preferably one or more of the oils from the group of olive oil, avocado oil, canola oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, nut oils, walnut oil, peanut oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil, coconut oil, rice bran oil, mustardseed oil, camelina oil, chia oil, flaxseed oil, perilla oil, fish oil, palm oil, sesame oil, wheatgerm oil, jojoba oil or corn oil. More preferably an oil such as avocado oil, fish oil, palm oil or olive oil is used and most preferably the oil is olive oil and fish oil. The monoglycerides used are preferably derivatives of oleic, or palmitic acid. The oil is present preferably in an amount of from about 85 to about 98 percent and most preferably in an amount of from about 93 to about 96 percent. The more monoglyceride used, the greater the degree of solidity of the food spread at room temperature. It is therefore possible to produce a desired degree of solidity, by changing the proportion of monoglyceride.
A structural fat particularly suitable for margarines and other emulsified spreads, especially stick-type products is disclosed. This fat has a unique triglyceride composition. The important positional isomers are the SSS, SOS, SSO and SOO/SLS triglycerides, wherein S=saturated fatty acid residue, O=oleic acid residue and L=linoleic acid residue. The weight ratios of palmitic to stearic acid and oleic to linoleic acid residues attached to the glycerides are important. The fat can be obtained from a solventless two-step thermal fractionation of palm oil.
A margarine or other emulsified spread and methods for making these are disclosed. A water-in-oil emulsion is formed by mixing an aqueous base with an oil phase containing a margarine fat which comprises a soft oil and a structural fat having a unique melting profile and triglyceride composition. The emulsion is chilled to a temperature of from about 15.degree. F. (-9.degree. C.) to about 45.degree. F. (7.degree. C.) over a time period of at least about 0.5 minutes. The chilled emulsion is then crystallized over a time period of at least about 3 minutes. Due to heat generated during crystallization, the crystallized emulsion is preferably chilled further to a temperature of from about 15.degree. F. (-9.degree. C.) to about 40.degree. F. (4.degree. C.) over a time period of at least about 0.2 minutes. For stick-type products, the combination of chilling the emulsion to cooler temperatures together with longer residence times for crystallization provides spreads having sufficient viscosity to form stick-type products with conventional margarine equipment. This emulsified spread is characterized by a slump grade of at least 8 after one hour at 80.degree. F. and a Hot Probe value of at least about 11.3 (.degree.F./6 sec.).
