GB2349155A - A process for the production of a protected fat - Google Patents

Abstract

A process for the production of a protected fat comprises reacting a fatty acid distillate with at least two metal oxides such that the metal oxides react with the free fatty acids present in the distillate to form a mixture of metallic soaps and removing any water from the resultant mixture of metallic soaps. Preferably, a palm fatty acid distillate is used and the metal oxides are magnesium oxide, calcium oxide or zinc oxide. The metal oxides are preferably reacted with at least 66% of the free fatty acids, the reaction is preferably performed at 70 {C and the water can be removed by heating the resultant mixture of metallic soaps to over 100 {C. The process produces an alkaline protected fat that is liquid at normal handling temperatures and can be used in the dairy feed industry to boost milk and/or butterfat yields.

Description

A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF A FAT The present invention relates to a process for the production of a fat.

More particularly, the present invention relates to a process for the production of a protected fat for use in the dairy feed industry to boost milk and/or butterfat yields.

Protected fats currently utilised in the dairy feed industry to boost milk and butterfat yields are either high melting point fats, for example, of the hardened palm fatty acid distillate type, or calcium soaps, which not only have a very high melting point, but, are also alkaline, and consequently, do not react when passing through the alkaline rumen.

Both the aforementioned products are solid, and are customarily handled in bags of up to 1 tonne. As will be appreciated by those in the industry, the flaking and bagging process is costly and additionally, subsequent product handling is labour-intensive.

According to the present invention there is provided a process of producing a protected fat for use in the dairy feed industry to boost milk and/or butterfat yields comprising the steps of: reacting a fatty acid distillate with at least two metal oxides such that the metal oxides react with the free fatty acids present in the distillate to form a mixture of metallic soaps; and removing any water from the resultant mixture of metallic soaps.

It is believed that the process for producing a protected fat in accordance with the present invention overcomes the disadvantages associated with known protected fats in that the resultant protected fat is liquid at normal handling temperatures, can be sprayed and yet, is also protected when it passes through the alkaline rumen. Additionally, as the majority of unprotected fats that are handled by the animal feed sector are in liquid form, it will be appreciated that a protected fat produced in accordance with the process of the present application, unlike known protected fats, can be handled by most mills in the animal feed sector, which are set up to handle liquids. Furthermore, it is believed that the process of the present invention, which uses commercially sensible ingredients, offers considerable savings over current practice.

Our research has established that by producing a protected fat that inclues a mixture of metallic soaps utilising the process of the present application, it is possible to take advantage of the"eutectic"effect to reduce the resulting protected fat's melting point. Furthermore, and by only partially reacting the metal oxides with the high free fatty acid (FFA) source, for example, a palm fatty acid distillate, it was observed that the resultant mixture of soaps/fatty acids/triglycerides behaved as though it had a much lower melting point than the initial fat. In this connection, the particular mixture of metallic soaps that we investigated did not have a narrow setting point, but merely, became more and more viscous until it finally set at below 34 C. It is our belief that this is as a result of a kinetic, rather than a thermodynamic, effect in which the large and differing soap molecules cannot quickly orientate to form a solid crystal. On melting, the mixture is only totally liquid at temperatures in excess of 60 C. It is our belief that it is the reduction in melting point of the parent fat and the slowness to solidify that will allow it to be sprayed onto compound feed, and it is the high melting point and the alkalinity of the soaps that will afford protection to the resulting fats.

In a preferred embodiment, the fatty acid distillate is a palm fatty acid distillate.

Preferably, the fatty acid distillate and the metal oxides are reacted by heating same at 70 C.

Further preferably, the resulting product is heated to over 100 C to drive off or remove any water.

Preferably, the two metal oxides utilised include a mixture of calcium and magnesium oxides mixed roughly 50: 50 on a stoichiometric basis (56: 40 by weight). However, it is to be understood that other metal oxides can be used. In particular, zinc oxide could be used as well as, or instead of, calcium oxide. The advantage of using magnesium oxide is that same is a normal ingredient of most dairy feed rations.

In a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a protected fat which, in use, is used to boost milk and/or butterfat yields, the protected fat including a mixture of metallic soaps.

One, non-limiting, embodiment of a process in accordance with the present invention utilise to produce a protected fat in the form of a mixture of metallic soaps will now be exemplified below : Example : A palm fatty acid distillate and a mixture of calcium and magnesium oxides, mixed roughly 50: 50 on a stoichiometric basis to react with about, or at least, 66% of the free fatty acids present in the palm fatty acid distillate, were reacted together by heating same to 70 C. It was observed that the reaction was fairly rapid and completed within about 5 minutes.

The resulting mixture of metallic soaps, which were in the form of an mulsion, was then heated to over 100 C to drive off or remove any water therefrom. It was observed that water removal only took a couple of minutes.

Claims (11)

1. CLAIMS 1. A process of producing a protected fat for use in the dairy feed industry to boost milk and/or butterfat yields comprising the steps of: reacting a fatty acid distillate with at least two metal oxides such that the metal oxides react with the free fatty acids present in the distillate to form a mixture of metallic soaps; and removing any water from the resultant mixture of metallic soaps.
2. 2. The process of claim 1, wherein the metal oxides are reacted with at least 66% of the free fatty acids present in the distillate.
3. 3. The process of claim 1 or 2, wherein the fatty acid distillate that is reacted with the metal oxides is a palm fatty acid distillate.
4. 4. The process of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fatty acid distillate and the metal oxides are reacted by heating same at approximately 70 C.
5. 5. The process of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the water is removed from the resultant mixture of metallic soaps by heating the resultant mixture of metallic salts to over 100 C.
6. 6. The process of any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the metal oxides that is reacted with the fatty acid distillate is magnesium oxide.
7. 7. The process of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fatty acid distillate is reacted with a mixture of calcium oxide and magnesium oxide.
8. 8. The process of claim 7, wherein the ratio of calcium oxide to magnesium oxide is approximately 50: 50 on a stoichiometric basis.
9. 9. The process of claim 7, wherein zinc oxide is used as well as, or instead of, calcium oxide.
10. 10. A process of producing a protected fat substantially as hereinbefore described and exemplified.
11. 11. A protected fat which, in use, is used to boost milk and/or butterfat yields, the protected fat including a mixture of metallic soaps.