FATS AND OILS

• Triglycerides

  Compound of fatty acids and glycerol; belong to a group of organic compounds called lipids
• Fats

  All edible lipids that are solid at room temperature
• Oils


  All edible lipids that remain liquid at room temperature
• Fats and oils


  • They are triglycerides esters of fatty acids
• Chains of Fats


  • Short Chain Fatty Acids (CAs) = <6 carbons
  • Medium CFAs= 6-12 carbons
  • Long CAs= >12 carbons
• Short Chain Fatty Acids

  • Butyric & caprylic acid in butter and tropical fats
• Butyric acid


  Feeds healthy bacteria & keeps colon health
• Caprylic acid


  Inhibits growth of yeast & candida in intestines
• Medium Chain Fatty Acids

  • Lauric & capric acid in Coconut oil and breast milk
• Medium Chain Fatty Acids

  Used for energy & microbial properties- anti viral, bacteria and fungal
• Long Chain Fatty Acids

  • Palmitic, oleic & stearic acid in animals, fish, cocoa, seeds, nuts, vegetable oils
• Long Chain Fatty Acids

  • Build cell membranes and fluidity
  • Omega oils are long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids
• Animal Fats

  • Beef tallow
  • Suet
  • Neutral lard
  • Leaf lard
  • Lard compound
  • Butter
  • Butter compound
  • Low fat dairy spread
  • Oleo stock tallow
  • Oleo oil
  • Oleo stearin
• Vegetable Fats

  • Hydrogenated fats or vegetables
  • Lard substitute
  • Margarine
  • Vegetable oils
  • Salad oil
• Hydrogenated fats or vegetables

  Refine vegetable oil, bleached and made saturated
• Hydrogenated fats or vegetables

  • All-purpose shortening (General cooking)
  • Superglycerinated: with 4.5% emulsifier
• Classification According to Culinary use

  • Table fats - Spreads such as butter and margarine
  • Cooking oil- for frying, coconut oil, peanut oil, corn oil
  • Shortening - Plastic fats; baked flour products
  • Salad oil - Corn oil, soybean oils
• Melting point


  Temperature at which fat becomes oil; determined by the strength of bonding forces between fatty acids within crystal
• Melting Point Types

  • High Melting Point - Remains crystalline or solid at room temperature, requires high temperature to melt
  • Low Melting Point - Requires less heat to melt, liquid at room temperature
• Factors Influencing Melting Point

  • Degree of Saturation (High saturation, High Melting point & Vice Versa
  • Size of Crystals (Large, low melting point; Small, high melting point)
  • Winterized: Pure fat chilled to remove solid portions; remain liquids even refrigerated, thus low melting point
  • Hydrogenation - Addition of H+ at unsaturated points - high melting point
• Plasticity

  Ability to retain shape, a property of solid fats
• Fats with wide plastic range

  Desirable for creaming e.g. Hydrogenated fats
• Fats with narrow plastic range

  Used as table fat e.g butter
• Fats with wide plastic range

  Contains fatty acids with low melting point
• Fats with smaller crystals

  More plastic
• Smoke Point


  The temperature at which fat becomes overheated; depends on free glycerol content
• When fats overheated

  Dehydration and decomposition of glycerol to acrolein occurs which is irritating to mucus membrane and impart an undesirable flavor
• Fats with high smoke point

  Desirable, especially for frying
• Factors which lower smoke point

  • Repeated heating of fats
  • Using wide diameter of pan
  • Presence of food particle in the fat
• Rancidity


  Spoilage of fats
• Types of Rancidity


  • Hydrolytic - due to hydrolysis of triglycerides which liberates free fatty acids (Saturated fatty acids) and glycerol
  • Oxidative - due to oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids in fats by peroxides which in turn results in the formation of other molecules like ketones, aldehydes etc. producing the rancid odor and flavor
• Prevention of Hydrolytic rancidity

  Destroy lipase or store in cold temp to inactivate enzyme
• Prevention of Oxidative rancidity

  Addition of antioxidant, dark room, avoid metal contact
• Frying

  Fats are good conductor of heat and are able to brown foods
• Deep Frying

  • High smoke point
  • Shorten cooking time to less fat absorption
  • Amount is enough to cover food
  • Absorbent paper
  • Narrow diameter pan
• Shortening


  Ability to produce tenderness in flour mixture by water proofing flour particles thus preventing coalescing of gluten particles