GB425981A - Improvements in or relating to plastic shortenings - Google Patents

Abstract

A process for the production of plastic shortening comprises hydrogenating an unsaturated fatty oil until it has an iodine value of about 40 or lower, reacting the hydrogenated oil with glycerine in sufficient proportion to yield a hard fat containing at least 19 per cent, preferably about 22 per cent, combined glycerine but insufficient to form solely the monoglyceride. The product is then intimately mixed with a softer fat or fatty oil of the triglyceride type, the proportion of the hard fat being not less than about 2 per cent and preferably between 2-6 per cent. A small quantity of a soap and/or a free fatty acid, as described in Specification 414,916, [Group VI], may be added to the shortening. The following fatty oils are specified as the source of the hard fat or for the triglyceride portion of the shortening viz.: cottonseed, peanut, sesame, corn and soyabean oils; coco-nut oil, palm kernel oil and similar oils derived mainly from lauric acid may be used if blended with an unsaturated oil of lower congealing point to ensure proper plasticity. The shortening may be used in the production of sweet baked goods as described in Specification 425,982. Specification 425,980 also is referred to. The Specification as open to inspection under Sect. 91 also describes plastic shortening comprising a mixture of any hard fat containing not less than 19 per cent combined glycerine, including monoglycerides, together with a softer fat or fatty oil of the triglyceride type, and refers to oleo-stearin, animal fats such as lard or tallow, and marine-animal oils such as whale or pilchard oil, as the source of the hard fat. Numerous examples are given e.g. a shortening is made by mixing 85 per cent cottonseed oil, 9 per cent hydrogenated cottonseed oil of 15 iodine value and 6 per cent of the monoglyceride of this hydrogenated oil. This subject-matter does not appear in the Specification as accepted.