IE41768B1

IE41768B1 - Edible fat compositions

Info

Publication number: IE41768B1
Application number: IE2472/74A
Authority: IE
Original assignee: Unilever Ltd
Priority date: 1973-12-04
Filing date: 1974-11-29
Publication date: 1980-03-26
Also published as: PH10826A; NL7415663A; LU71417A1; CA1048851A; GB1495254A; FR2271770B1; IN142415B; DE2456865A1; IE41768L; BE822816A; FR2271770A1; CH601471A5; IT1036104B

Abstract

1495254 Edible fat compositions UNILEVER Ltd 2 Dec 1974 [4 Dec 1973] 56166/73 Heading C5C [Also in Division A2] An edible fat composition suitable for use in confectionery, having a randomly distributed fatty acid composition of a blend of a lauric fat with a smaller weight of a stearine fraction of a non-lauric edible C 16 -C 18 fat, the composition having a maximum slip melting point of 45‹ C., a maximum dilatation at 20‹ C. of 900 and a maximum Iodine Value of 20, may be prepared by fractionating a non-lauric edible C 16 -C 18 fat to obtain a steanne fraction and randomizing a blend of a lauric fat with a smaller weight of the stearic fraction, if necessary with hydrogenation before or after blending. In the examples, palm stearine, refined coconut oil, palm kernel oleine, whole coconut oil, palm oil, fully hydrogenated coconut oil, cottonseed stearine and coconut-paring oil are blended, randomly interesterified using sodium methoxide catalyst and hydrogenated using a fresh supported nickel catalyst.

Description

This invention relates to edible fat compositions suitable for use in confectionery, especially hard butters for use in couverture formulations intended for marketing in tropical climates.

Cocoabutter is in general too expensive to be used in the manufacture of chocolate intended for couvertures and other fats, referred to as hard butters, are used in the confectionery industry. The melting requirements for these hard butters are less critical than those which must be met in the manufacture of block chocolate and high grade confectionery.

Nevertheless, couverture chocolate compositions require a fat component having a slip melting point of not more than about 42°C, so that the product will not be waxy or chewy in tho mouth. At the same time, the composition should be substantially solid at.temperatures at which it is normally handled and if possible exhibit a solids content of at least 40% at 20°C, corresponding to a dilatation at that temperature of at least 1,000. In tropical climates this latter requirement may be appreciably greater. The dilatations discussed in this specification are measured in accordance with the method described in British Patent Specification No. 859,769The present invention provides an edible fat composition suitable for use in confectionery, which is a randomly esterified and optionally hydrogenated blend of an optionally hydrogenated lauric fat with a smaller amount of an optionally hydrogenated stearine fraction of a non-lauric C^6 -Ο^θ edible fat, the composition having a maximum slip iSelting point of 45°C,a minimum dilatation at 2O°C of 1200 and a maximum Iodine Value of 12. 1 In this Specification all percentages, ratios and parts are by weight.

Preferably the stearine is a vegetable fat stearine, more preferably a palm fat stearine, i.e. a fraction of palm oil or cottonseed oil. Stearines of other vegetable fats which are wholly liquid above 1S°C may be obtained by first hardening the oil by decrease of about 20 Iodine Value units and fractionating a stearine from the hardened oil.

Stearines may also be made by low temperature directed interesterification of liquid oils from which they may be separated by conventional crystallisation fractionation methods.

The stearine fractions should preferably have an Iodine Value of from 5 to 4-0 and slip melting points from 40 to 60°C, preferably 45 to 60°C. They may be obtained by dry fractionation, solvent fractionation or by the so-called Lanza method utilising aqueous surfactant dispersions to separate fat crystals from liquid fats in the fractionation process.

For stearines of Iodine Value 15 a lauric fat to stearine ratio of 2:1 is preferred.

Suitable oils from which the stearine fractions may be obtained include sunflower, safflower, groundnut and soyabean oils. These oils may also be present in the compositions of the invention in whole, hydrogenated form.

The lauric fat component may be provided by any of the naturally occurring lauric fats, alone or in blends with one another, for example coconut oil, palm kernel oil, babassu or tucum oil, the first being preferred. The lauric component may also be provided by crystallisation fractions of these oils or their hydrogenation products- Coconut-paring oil is particularly preferred, being the oil extracted from the - 3 I inner part of the pericarp. It contains a high proportion of coconut oil but has a higher· Iodine Value, about 25, compared with about 9 for coconut oil itself. It is in plentiful supply in the Philippines and Ceylon, parts of India and Japan.

The compositions of the invention are preferably constituted by at least 15% of the stearine component, preferably 15 to 45%, particularly 25 to 4θ%· Compositions comprising at least 3θ% stearine and having Iodine Values of at least 4 are also preferred, and those comprising at most 20% stearine and having a slip melting point of 45 to 60°C. Smaller quantities exercise insufficient influence on the properties of the product, while on the other hand amounts of 50% or more result in an unduly high melting product having a chewy taste. Between these limits the proportions may be varied in accordance with the characteristics of the two components and the ambient conditions in which they are marketed and/or used. Other things being equal, a high proportion of palm fat stearine, e.g. 30 to 45%, confers a harder characteristic on the product which is valued in tropical countries. As a rough guide, an increase of 10% in the level of stearine is compensated for by a 5-u.nit increase in Iodine Value, the slip melting point remaining more or less unchanged.

The Iodine Value requirement ensures adequate hardness in the product. The particular value adopted in each case is related to the intended use of the product. For hard butters for eouvertures,, since the maximum Iodine Value is 12, a sufficiently high dilatation at 20°C of at least 1200 is assured, but it should be noted that higher amounts of - 4 41768 lauric fats may require lower Iodine Values, down to zero.

For toffee fats a range from 10 to 12 is preferred for the Iodine Value.

The products of the invention are prepared by a process comprising fractionating a non-lauric edible fat to obtain a stearine fraction and randomising a blend of a lauric fat with a smaller amount of the stearine fraction, if necessary with hydrogenation before or after blending to obtain a composition having a maximum slip melting point of 45°C, a minimum dilatation at 20°C of 1200 and a maximum Iodine Value of 12.

Hydrogenation to achieve the required Iodine Value may be applied to either of the components separately, or to the blend before or after randomisation. A final hydrogenation step may assist with decolourising the product. Hydrogenation is preferably non-selective, using fresh nickel catalyst. Strictly speaking a final hydrogenation step may marginally disturb the complete randomisation, but the change in composition is very slight and has little effect on physical properties. Preferably the process of the invention comprises fractionating a palm fat to obtain a stearine having an Iodine Value from 5 to 40, blending the lauric fat with a smaller amount of the stearine, randomising the blend and hydrogenating the randomised blend non-selectively. Alternatively a normally liquid Cl6~Cl8 edible vegetable fat may be hydrogenated to provide a decrease of 20 Iodine Value units, followed by fractionating the hardened fat obtained to produce a stearine fraction having an Iodine Value from 5 to 40 and a slip melting point from 40 to 60°C and coconut oil - 5 blended with a smaller amount of the stearine and the blend randomly interesterified and hydrogenated non-selectively. Interesterification is usually carried out in the presence of a small amount of an alkali metal catalyst, e.g. the metals themselves or lower alkali metal alkoxides containing up to 4 carbon atoms, when preferably a temperature within the range 50 ho 15O°C is adopted and temperatures of 200°C and above are not for preference used, as the triglycerides start to decompose or isomerise at these temperatures. The reaction is usually completed within a Very short time, but it is preferred to maintain the blend under reaction conditions for from -j hour to 4 hours. The catalyst is then destroyed and removed by aqueous washes from which the fat may be separated and dried. - 6 41768 The hard butters of the present invention may he formulated in couverture or other confectionery compositions in the customary manner. Usually the fat is blended with a similar quantity' of icing sugar, together with a little chocolate colouring and flavouring, preferably provided hy up to 2096 cocoa powder of reduced fat content.

EXAMPLE 1 A palm stearine having a slip melting point of 48°C and an Iodine Value of 42 was obtained by dry fractionating crude palm oil of Iodine Value 52. The oleine was discarded and the stearine residue neutralised and dried to a free fatty acid level less than 0.1# and a maximum moisture content 0,02$, A blend was prepared with 35# of the palm stearine and 65% of refined coconut oil of Iodine Value 8 and similarly low moisture and free fatty acid content.

The blend was interesterified at 110°C, using 0.3% sodium methoxide as catalyst, which was removed after i hour, when the reaction was complete. •20 The blend was washed and dried and found to have a slip melting point of 31°C. It was hydrogenated with 1% fresh supported nickel catalyst at 180°C and 20 to 30 psig, in stages to provide a series of products of varying Iodine Values and melting characteristics as shown in Table I, which includes the corresponding characteristics for the unhydrogenated sample. The combined fatty acid analysis of the final product was as follows :- 7 41768 Saturated C. 0.4 6.9 4.8 29.5 11.3 24.9 18.4 96.2 C^g unsatUrated Mono Di TABLE I 3.8 trace Product I.V. Slip M.Pt.°C Dilatations D20 D25 D30 @ °C P35 ^40 “ “ n —— 1 9.2 34.7 1275 980 555 140 20 2 7.4 36.1 1355 1100 630 200 25 3 6.1 36.6 1405 1155 695 250 25 4 5.2 37.1 1440 1170 770 285 25 5 4.4 37.9 1465 1230 785 370 35 6 3.3 38.2 1505 1255 870 355 60 Of the entries in Table I, all were suitable, but those with Iodine Values 4 to 8 were preferred , those below this range providing a less satisfactory oral response, evident from the high slip melting point . By contrast with this example, corresponding samples, both hydrogenated and unhydrogenated, were prepared, with Iodine Values above 12. These were unsatisfactory, with dilatations below 1000 at 20°C.

Satisfactory couvertures were prepared according to the formulation in Table II. - 8 41768 TABLE II Milk Formulation Dark Formulation Cocoa Powder (10-12% fat content) 5.0 21.0 Sugar 43.0 45.0 5 Skimmed Milk Powder 16.5 - Fat 35.5 34.0 100.0 100.0 Lecithin 0.45 0.45 Vanillin 0.07 0.07 10 Salt 0.05 EXAMPLE 2 A palm stearine of slip melting point 44°C and Iodine Value ca. 30 obtained by Lanza fractionation, was blended in the proportions 35:65 with coconut oil, interesterified and hydrogenated as described in Example 1, to provide a product of Iodine Value 6.3 and slip melting point 37.0°C. Its dilatation values were: 1380, 1060, DgQ 610, D3g 200 and D^o 20. The product was incorporated into couvertures as described in Example 1 and found to be satisfactory.

EXAMPLE 3 parts of a stearine fraction of Iodine Value 8, slip melting point 58 °C, obtained by fractionation (twice) of palm oil from acetone at 18 to 20°C, were blended with 90 parts qf an oleine of Iodine Value 22, obtained by Lanza fractionation of palm kernel oil and the blend interesterified and hydrogenated as described in Example 1, except that the - 9 41768 hydrogenation was substantially complete, the Iodine Value of the product being only 0.4. Its slip melting point was 38.0°C.

The product was again satisfactory, its dilatation values being: D^q 1590, DgQ 875, Dgg 320 and 35.

Satisfactory products could also be obtained by hydrogenation as described, to Iodine Values 3, 5 or 8, of interesterified blends bf 35 parts of the solvent-fractionated palm stearine, either with 65 parts whole coconut oil, or with 30 parts coconut oil and 35 parts of the palm kernel oleine.

EXAMPLE 4 Palm oil was fractionated twice from acetone, at 0°C and I9°C, and a stearine fraction recovered of Iodine Value 10 and slip melting point 58°C. parts of the stearine were blended with 65 parts coconut oil and 25 parts palm oil. The blend had an Iodine Value of 19.2 and was interesterified and hydrogenated as previously described, to give a product of Iodine Value 6.1 and slip melting point 36.9°C. The dilatation values of the product were: Dg0 1500, Dag 1220, Βθθ 805, Dgg 325 and D40 25· A further product was prepared by blending 30 parts of the same palm stearine with 10 parts coconut oil and 60 parts fully hydrogenated coconut oil. The blend had an Iodine Value 4.5 and after interesterification hut without further hydrogenation had a slip melting point 36.1°C and the following dilatation values: DgQ 1435, Dgg 1185, DgQ 765, Dgg 220 and D4Q 20.

Both products were found to be satisfactory in the couverture formulations of Table II.

EXAMPLE 5 Cottonseed oil was solvent-winterised to give a cottonseed stearine of IV 73.2 and it had the following fatty acid composition:5 Myristic acid 0.4$ Palmitic acid 49.8$ Stearic acid 1.5$ Oleic acid 11.7$ Linoleic acid 36.5$ Palm kernel oil was Lanza-fractionated to give a palm kernel oleine of IV 20.9 with the following fatty acid composition:15 Caproic 0.2$ Caprylic 4.6$ Capric 4.1$ Laurie 45$ Myristic 12.5$ Palmitic 8.6$ Stearic 2.9$ Oleic 19.7$ Linoleic 2.3$ $ Of the cottonseed stearine was interesterified with 75$ of palm kernel oleine to give an oil of IV 34. This oil was hydrogenated to give samples .of XV 8 and 3. These samples had the following properties:12 IV ^20D25P30 Slip M.Pt.°C 8 1340 1015 620 36.2 3 1520 1230 865 38.8 EXAMPLE 6 Palm oil was dry-fractionated to produce a liquid oil for frying purposes and a stearine residue of IV 43.

Q0% of coconut-paring oil was interesterified with 2096 of the stearine obtained hy dry fractionation of palm oil. The interesterified mixture had an IV of 24.5 and the following fatty acid composition:Caproic 0.4$ Caprylic 4.4$ Capric 3.8$ Lauric 28.6$ Myristic 11.1$ Palmitic 23.4$ Stearic 3.8$ Oleic 20.0$ Linoleic 4.2$ Arachidic 0.1$ The interesterified mixture was neutralised and hydrogenated to give samples with the following properties:- 13 41768 IVP20P25P30 ^35 Slip M.Pt.°C (Feedstock 24.5 675 .360 125 30 30.6) 12 1315 · 980 585 170 35.3 7.5 1510 1215 805 305 37.5 5 1610 1345 940 380 38.8 3 1680 1450 1055 480 39.9 All the hydrogenated samples from Examples 5 and 6 gave satisfactory performance in couvertures.

Claims

1. CLAIMS:1. An edible fat composition suitable for use in confectionery, which is a randomly esterified and optionally hydrogenated blend of an optionally hydrogenated lauric fat with a smaller 5 amount of an optionally hydrogenated stearine fraction of a non-lauric edible C^ g ^ at ' the composition having a maximum slip melting point of 45°C, a minimum dilatation at 2O°C of 1200 and a maximum Iodine Value of 12.

2. A composition according to Claim 1 which comprises 10 15 to 45% of the stearine fraction.

3. A composition according to Claim 2 which comprises 25 to 40% of the stearine fraction.

4. A composition according to any of the preceding claims comprising at least 30% stearine fraction and having an Iodine Value of at least 4.

5. A composition according to Claim 1 comprising at most 20% stearine fraction and having a slip melting point of 45 In fit) n [·.

6. A composition according to any of the preceding claims - υ in which the Iodine Value of the stearine is 15 and the ratio of the lauric fat to the stearine fraction is 2:1.

7. . A composition according to any of the preceding claims in which the stearine fraction comprises a hardened fat stearine

8. '. A composition according to any of the preceding Claims 1 to 7 in which the stearine fraction comprises palm stearine. 5

9. . A composition according to any of the preceding Claims 1 to 6 in which the stearine fraction comprises a stearine of sunflower or safflowereseed oil, groundnut or soyabean oil.

10. . A composition according to any of the preceding claims in which the lauric fat comprises coconut oil. 10 li . A composition according to any of the preceding Claims 1 to 9 in which the lauric fat comprises coconut-paring oil.

11. 12,. A composition according to Claim 1 substantially as described with reference to the accompanying Examples.

12. 13 . Process for the preparation of an edible fat 15 composition as claimed in any of the preceding claims comprising fractionating a non-lauric edible C l6~ C l8 fat to obtain a stearine fraction and randomising a blend of a lauric fat with a smaller amount of the stearine fraction, if necessary with hydrogenation before or after blending, to 20 obtain a composition having a maximum slip melting point of 45°C, a minimum dilatation at 20°C of 1200 and a maximum Iodine Value of 12. - 16 41768

13. 14 . Process according to Claim 13 comprising fractionating a palm fat to obtain a stearine having an Iodine Value from 5 to 40, blending the lauric fat with a smaller amount of the stearine, randomising the blend and 5 hydrogenating the randomised blend non-selectively.

14. 15 . Process according to Claim 13 comprising hydrogenating a Cj^-Cjg edible vegetable fat which is wholly liquid above 15°C to provide a decrease of 20 Iodine Value units, fractionating the hardened fat obtained to produce a stearine 10 fraction having an Iodine Value from 5 to 40 and a slip melting point from 40 to 60°C, blending coconut oil with a smaller amount of the stearine, randomly interesterifying the blend and hydrogenating the randomised blend non-selectively. 15 I 6 Process according to Claim 13 substantially as described with reference to the accompanying Examples.

15. 17 . Edible fat compositions whenever prepared by a process as claimed in any of claims 13 to 16.

16. 18. Confectionery products containing a fat composition

17. 20 as claimed in any of the preceding Claims 1 to 12 and 17.