Structural fat and method for making same

• US 4,447,462 A
• Filed: 07/18/1983
• Issued: 05/08/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/1981
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Tafuri, Michael W., Tao, Bernard Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yoncoskie, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US06/514,364
• Time in Patent Office: 295 Days
• Field of Search: 426/601, 426/606, 426/607, 426/417, 260/428
• US Class Current: 426/601
• CPC Class Codes: A23D 7/001 Spread compositions characterised by ingredients other than fatty acid triglycerides A23D7/0056
• CPC Class Codes: A23D 7/02 characterised by the production or working-up kneading, forming A01J21/00
• CPC Class Codes: C11B 7/0075 by differences of melting or solidifying points

Abstract

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.

Claims

1. A structural fat consisting essentially of:

(i) from about 3 to about 9% by weight SSS triglycerides;

(ii) from about 35 to about 46% by weight SOS triglycerides;

(iii) from about 6 to about 12% by weight SSO triglycerides; and

(iv) from about 23 to about 29.5% by weight SOO/SLS triglycerides;

wherein

S=saturated C₁₆ or C₁₈ fatty acid residue,

O=oleic acid residue and L=linoleic acid residue;

said fat having a weight ratio of P;

St acid residues attached to the glycerides of about 8.5 or more and a weight ratio of O;

L acid residues of about 3.5 or more, wherein P=palmitic, St=stearic, O=oleic and L=linoleic;

said fat having;

(a) a Solid Fat Content of;

(i) from about 67 to about 80% at 50°

F.;

(ii) from about 31 to about 58% at 70°

F.;

(iii) from about 12 to about 39% at 80°

F.;

(iv) from about 4 to about 18% at 92°

F.; and

(v) about 7% or less at 105°

F.; and

(b) a Carbon Number Profile of;

(i) from about 5 to about 12% by weight C48 triglycerides;

(ii) from about 40 to about 55% by weight C50 triglycerides;

(iii) from about 23 to about 35% by weight C52 triglycerides; and

(iv) from about 5 to about 10% by weight C54 triglycerides.

2. A fat according to claim 1 having a Carbon Number Profile of:

(i) from about 7.5 to about 9.5% by weight of C48 triglycerides;

(ii) from about 43 to about 50% by weight C50 triglycerides;

(iii) from about 26 to about 33% by weight C52 triglycerides;

(iv) from about 7 to about 9% by weight C54 triglycerides.

3. A fat according to claim 1 having a Solid Fat Content of:

(i) from about 71 to about 77% at 50°

F.;

(ii) from about 33 to about 48% at 70°

F.;

(iii) from about 18 to about 28% at 80°

F.;

(iv) from about 6 to about 13% at 92°

F.; and

(v) about 3% or less at 105°

F.

4. A fat according to claim 3 having a positional isomer triglyceride composition of:

(i) from about 4 to about 7% by weight SSS triglycerides;

(ii) from about 35 to about 46% by weight SOS triglycerides;

(iii) from about 7.7 to about 10.2% by weight SSO triglycerides; and

(iv) from about 23 to about 29.5% by weight SOO/SLS triglycerides.

5. A fat according to claim 4 wherein the ratio of P:

St is from about 9 to about 10 and the ratio of O;

L is from about 4 to about 5.

6. A fat according to claim 5 having a Fatty Acid Content of:

(i) from about 47.5 to about 54% by weight palmitic acid residues;

(ii) from about 4.5 to about 5.5% by weight stearic acid residues;

(iii) from about 34 to about 38% by weight oleic acid residues; and

(iv) from about 6.5 to about 9.5% by weight linoleic acid residues.

7. A fat according to claim 4 having an iodine value (IV) of from about 39 to about 47.

8. A fat according to claim 7 having an IV of from about 42 to about 47.

9. A fat according to claim 1 having a Fatty Acid Content of:

(i) from about 44 to about 55% by weight palmitic acid residues;

(ii) from about 4.5 to about 5.5% by weight stearic acid residues;

(iii) from about 31 to about 40% by weight oleic acid residues; and

(iv) from about 6 to about 9.5% by weight linoleic acid residues.

10. A solventless method for fractionating palm oil to obtain a structural fat, which comprises the steps of:

(1) heating whole palm oil having an iodine value of from about 50 to about 55 to a temperature of from about 140°

F. to about 170°

F. until essentially crystal free;

(2) slowly cooling the heated palm oil to a temperature of from about 75°

to about 95°

F.;

(3) maintaining the palm oil at a temperature of from about 75°

to about 95°

F. for at least 10 hours to permit crystallization of a first solid fraction having an iodine value of from about 42 to about 47;

(4) separating the first solid fraction from a first liquid fraction having an iodine value of from about 56 to about 61;

(5) heating the first liquid fraction to a temperature of from about 140°

F. to about 170°

F. until essentially crystal free;

(6) slowly cooling the heated first liquid fraction to a temperature of from about 60°

to about 75°

F.;

(7) maintaining the first liquid fraction at a temperature of from about 60°

to about 75°

F. for at least 12 hours to permit crystallization of a second solid fraction having an iodine value of from about 39 to about 47; and

(8) separating the second solid fraction from a second liquid fraction to yield a separated second solid fraction as the structural fat.

11. A method according to claim 10 wherein the whole palm oil of step (1) and the first liquid fraction of step (5) are heated to a temperature of at least 140°

F. for at least about 0.5 hours.

12. A method according to claim 11 wherein the temperature during steps (1) and (5) is from about 150°

to about 170°

F.

13. A method according to claim 11 wherein the heated palm oil of step (2) and the heated first liquid fraction of step (6) are cooled at a rate of about 20°

F./hr. or less.

14. A method according to claim 13 wherein the cooling rate of steps (2) and (6) is about 10°

F./hr. or less.

15. A method according to claim 11 wherein step (3) comprises maintaining the cooled palm oil at a temperature of from about 75°

to about 95°

F. for at least about 48 hours.

16. A method according to claim 15 wherein the temperature of step (2) is from about 80°

to about 85°

F.

17. A method according to claim 11 wherein step (7) comprises maintaining the cooled first liquid fraction at a temperature of from about 60°

to about 75°

F. for at least about 24 hours.

18. A method according to claim 17 wherein the maintenance time in step (7) is at least about 48 hours.

19. A method according to claim 11 wherein step (7) comprises:

(a) holding the cooled first liquid fraction at a temperature of from about 70°

to about 75°

F. for at least about 5 hours;

(b) cooling the held fraction to a temperature of from about 60°

to about 65°

F. for at least about 5 hours; and

(c) slowly heating the held and cooled fraction to a temperature of from about 70°

to about 75°

F. for at least about 5 hours.

20. A method according to claim 19 wherein step (3) comprises holding the cooled palm oil at a temperature of from about 75°

to about 95°

F. for at least about 48 hours and wherein the holding time for each of substeps (a) to (c) of step (7) is at least about 24 hours.

21. A method according to claim 10 wherein the second solid fraction has an iodine value of from about 39 to about 47.

22. A method according to claim 21 wherein the second liquid fraction has an iodine value of from about 58 to about 63.