Chemical Composition and Crystallization Behavior of Oil and Fat Blends for Spreadable Fat Applications

• Published in: Foods Vol. 13; no. 20; p. 3305
• Main Authors: Gerlei, Maureen, Pierson, Hugo, Ponçot, Marc, Kahn, Cyril J F, Linder, Michel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 18.10.2024; MDPI
• Subjects: anhydrous milk fat; Chemical composition; Chemical properties; Chromatography; Coexistence; Composition; Consumption; Cooling rate; Crystal structure; Crystallization; Crystals; diglycerides; Environmental factors; Fats; Fatty acids; Glycerol; Lamellar structure; lipid mixture; Lipids; Milk; monoglycerides; Multiscale analysis; Observations; Oils & fats; Oils and fats, Edible; polymorphism transition; Polyunsaturated fatty acids; Rapeseed; Rapeseed oil; Sensors; Spherulites; Temperature; thermal behavior; Vegetable oils; X-ray diffraction; France; St Louis Missouri; Belgium; United States > US; Europe; Japan; Germany; thermal behavior; X-ray diffraction; monoglycerides; lipid mixture; Raman spectroscopy; polymorphism transition; stop-and-return DSC; anhydrous milk fat; diglycerides
• ISSN: 2304-8158; 2304-8158
• DOI: 10.3390/foods13203305

To meet the expectations of European consumers, who prioritize agro-environmental factors and local resources, the substitution of fats (palm, coconut, shea) and achieving a balanced fatty acid profile in spreadable fats are gaining more attention. The crystallization at 4 °C of a lipid blend composed of rapeseed oil, anhydrous dairy fats, and emulsifiers was studied using a multi-scale approach (DSC and X-ray diffraction techniques) to understand the emergence of polymorphic structures. Although the addition of PUFA from rapeseed oil reduces the atherogenicity and thrombogenicity indices in the blend, controlling the cooling kinetics influences the shapes (needles and spherulites) and sizes of the crystalline structures (small crystals form at a cooling rate of 1 °C min , while larger crystals form at higher rates of 5 and 10 °C min ). The crystallization behavior revealed differences in polymorphic forms at 4 °C in the blend, with a transition to different forms occurring more rapidly compared to dairy fat (stop-and-return method). The study shows crystalline coexistence (α, β', and β) in a 2L lamellar structure, with the β' form being predominant. This structure is ideal for formulating a spreadable product, offering good spreadability (SFC < 32% at 10 °C), mouthfeel, and nutritional benefits compared to butter.