PALM FAT AS THE PARTIAL HYDROGENATED FAT REPLACEMENT IN: BAKERY AND SHORTENING
Palm Fat
What is Palm Fat?
Palm
oil (PO) is derived from the mesocarp of the fruits of the oil palm species, Elaeis guineensis. Palm oil is rich in palmitic acid ,β-carotene and Vitamin E. It is also known as red palm oil due to its high carotenoids contents. Palm oil is widely used in the food industry today because of its physicochemical properties, crystallization behaviour and nutritional values. It consists of high saturated fatty acids and become the most prevalence alternatives for partially hydrogenated fat today especially in the bakery and shortenings.
Why Palm Fat is used as the Partial Hydrogenated Fat Replacement In: Bakery and Shortening?
Partial hydrogenated fat is produced through the hydrogenation process in which the fat is heated in the presence of hydrogen and catalyst. The double bond is broken to form a single bond during hydrogenation, where the polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fatty acid is converted into the saturated fatty acids. This process hardens the oils and converts them into solid or semisolid fats. A solid texture is necessary for the manufacture of shortenings and margarine. Manufacturer generally use the partial hydrogenated fat to increase the shelf life and improve the texture of baked and fried food. During partial hydrogenation of fat, trans fat is produced and may contribute to the adverse health issues. Consumption of these
trans fat will contribute to the health risks such as Coronary Heart Disease
(CHD) because it will increase the level of low-density
lipoprotein (LDL), bad cholesterol in body. In opposite, it will lower the level
of high-density lipoproteins (HDL), a good cholesterol in blood.
In bakery and shortening, palm oil is preferred in its formulations to replace the partially hydrogenated fat which contains TFA. It is because palm oil provides the similar structural integrity as partially hydrogenated fat. Palm oil has high content of saturated fatty acids and high melting point. It also has high oxidative stability due to the presence of antioxidant such as tocotrienols and Vitamin E. Therefore, it can provide longer shelf life in the shortening and bakery. With this reasons, it is widely used in the shortenings and bakery without the need of hydrogenation. Besides, palm fat can also help to enhance the texture, firmness, spreadability, flakiness, creaminess and crispness of the products. Without the process of the hydrogenation, palm fat can provide the same functionality as partially hydrogenated fat.
In addition, palm oil is β’ tending nature and is a β’ promoter in shortenings due to its high palmitic acid content. The small β’ crystals of palm oil enable it to incorporate relatively large amounts of liquid oil in the crystal network. This phenomenon leads to the production of smooth, continuous and homogeneous products. Shortenings that containing β’ crystals appear smooth and shiny products. Palm oil can impart stability to the emulsion, smooth consistency and provide good aeration properties.
In addition, palm oil is β’ tending nature and is a β’ promoter in shortenings due to its high palmitic acid content. The small β’ crystals of palm oil enable it to incorporate relatively large amounts of liquid oil in the crystal network. This phenomenon leads to the production of smooth, continuous and homogeneous products. Shortenings that containing β’ crystals appear smooth and shiny products. Palm oil can impart stability to the emulsion, smooth consistency and provide good aeration properties.
Production of Palm Oil and Modification
Natural palm oils and fats have limited
applications in their original form, modification of palm oil and fat is
required to enlarge its application. It can be modified via:
(i) Fractionation
Fractionation is the separation process of into different of components,
which are characterized by different physical properties. The fatty acid
composition of palm fat consists 50% saturated and 50% unsaturated fatty acids.
It can be fractionated into solid high melting fraction stearin and a low
melting fraction or olein. The solid palm stearin can be incorporated into shortening
formulations to increase its plasticity as solid texture is required by the shortenings.
(ii) Blending and Interesterification
Blending of palm oil (PO) with other oil able to get the desirable
properties of the β’ containing PO. For example, the mixture of palm oil – corn
oil can be used to replace shortening that made from hydrogenated soybean and
cottonseed oil. The mixture of palm oil-palm kernel oil can be used for
substitution of shortening made of animal fat. However, sometimes the blending
of the oils do not meet the desired physical properties in making the
shortening, therefore required the interesterification of oil. Interesterification
is a reaction that involve chemically or enzymatically rearrangements of acyl
groups within or between TAG to change the physical properties of the blending
oil between palm oil with others oil. For example, chemical or enzymatic
interesterification of the blend oils (palm oil-palm kernel oil) leads to the
increase of melting point, solid fat content and harder product. This characteristics
are required in formulated the shortening.
Applications
In the bread dough application, the addition of palm oil at 4% improved the loaf volume and oven spring. The addition of palm fat allows it to coat the gluten proteins and starch granules, strengthening the gluten matrix to allow for more gas retention, resulting in the oven spring increase. This addition of palm fat also decreased the bread density and crumb porosity.
FDA Regulations
- Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has determined that partially hydrogenated fats are not generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for use in food. Partially hydrogenated fat is primary dietary source of industrially-produced trans fatty acids, or trans fat, and based on current scientific evidence, consumption of these trans fat will contribute to the health risks.
- Palm kernel oil is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) regulated by FDA for used in the food and human consumption in an articles of Code Federal Regulations when it is as the part of the food additives.
Conclusion
Palm fat is used to replace partial
hydrogenated fat in bakery and shortening in order to remove the trans fat in
the shortening or bakery products. Palm fat has the same functional properties
partial hydrogenated fat but does not consists trans fat that will cause
cardiovascular disease.
References
CFR – Code of Federal Regulations 21CFR172.861”
Accessdata.fda.gov. 01 Apr. 2016. Available from:
Final
Determination Regarding Partially Hydrogenated Oils.” Federal Register. 17 June 2015. Available
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