Confectionery fat palm oil. Palm oil

Information about milk fat substitutes, palm oil, margarine is now very contradictory: most sources claiming that milk fat substitutes are harmful do not have an evidence base, and the websites of the manufacturers of these substitutes offer one-sided biased studies that claim that there is no danger in them . So who should we believe? It's worth looking into this issue.

Special purpose fats (milk fat substitutes (MFS), confectionery fat, margarine)- this is a mixture of various vegetable fats converted into a solid phase, now mainly palm kernel and soybean oil. ZMZH have been used for quite a long time in the dairy and confectionery industries to reduce the cost of production by reducing the rather expensive milk fat in the product.

Margarine and butterfat substitutes became widely used in food production and directly in the diet in place of butter after World War II. This was due to the post-war food shortage and the need for high-calorie and filling food for the population. In addition, at that time no research was carried out on the fractions and composition of fat, and polyunsaturated fatty acids had not yet been discovered.

Dairy products use special milk fat substitutes, which replace butter and cream in many cream and oil-containing products, such as sour cream, cheese, yoghurts, curd masses, glazed cheese curds. . Moreover, the substitute does not necessarily consist only of palm oil, as is commonly believed. It is usually a mixture of various fats, such as palm and soybean oil, or palm stearin (solid fraction of palm oil), peanut and cottonseed oil. Also, in recent decades, large enterprises producing sweets, chocolate, and confectionery products have begun to replace expensive cocoa butter with palm kernel oil and special confectionery fats, the composition of which is hidden under a brand name. These substitutes significantly reduce the cost of dairy production, the confectionery industry, and the cost of sweets and glazed curds. After all, special fats produced from “penny” vegetable oils, using the achievements of the chemical industry, are much cheaper than natural butter, the production of which requires more than 20 liters of milk per 1 kg.

The only studies until the end of the twentieth century concerning the influence of margarine and substitutes on human health consisted only of studying their energy value. It was believed that fats should provide sufficient calorie intake for the working population. And margarine and butter substitutes did a great job with this.

Since the beginning of the twentieth century, margarine began to be produced using the technology of hydrogenation of unsaturated vegetable oils. This was quite profitable, since oils remained in the main production - for example, after cotton production. That is why the first substitutes were made based on cottonseed oil. Nowadays, special fats based on soybean, rapeseed, cottonseed, peanut oil, as well as tropical ones - palm kernel and coconut - are widespread throughout the world. These oils are quite cheap, participate in other production cycles, and tropical palm oils have good physical properties.

So how are margarine and ZMZ produced?

Nowadays, fats and confectionery fats (including margarine) are produced by three main chemical methods:

Hydrogenation

The process of fat hydrogenation is the conversion of liquid fats into solid fats using hydrogen. The essence of the process is as follows: liquid vegetable oils have at least one double bond in their chemical formula; when the double bond in a triglyceride is destroyed using a hydrogenation reaction (addition of hydrogen), saturated fats (fats that do not contain a double bond) are formed, which have a solid structure, higher melting point, plasticity, and most importantly they are cheap, thanks to cheap raw materials. However, special fats and substitutes produced in this way cause great harm to the human body.

• In production, reaction catalysts are used: inorganic acids (sulfuric acid and others), nickel, metal salts. These are toxic substances, the use of which is strictly regulated and must be limited. The reaction takes place at critically high temperatures from 200 to 1000 degrees Celsius with a nickel catalyst.
• Crude oils that are used for hydrogenation contain admixtures of agricultural pesticides and pesticides, which are not technically removed during the production of the substitute.
• The hydrogen that goes into the reaction often contains admixtures of ammonia and vapors of other gases.
• Intermediate stages of the reaction produce harmful ketone compounds, which are considered carcinogenic.
• As a result of a chemical reaction under the influence of high temperature and pressure, the terminal sections of the molecule to which hydrogen is attached are transferred from the natural cis forms(when hydrogen is located on one side - at the bottom or at the top of the molecule) in trans form, when the terminal hydrogen ions are located on different sides of the molecule (“trans” translated from Latin - “on different sides”).

Transesterification

Transesterification is a chemical reaction of the interaction of two fat molecules (triglycerides) at low pressure, in which a “castling” of fatty acids occurs from one molecule to another in a random order. In this case, the “tail” (fatty acid attached to a glycerol base) of one fat changes to the “tail” of another and the physical properties of fats change - liquid ones become solid. All this happens in the presence of catalysts - sodium ethylates and sodium methoxides. Reaction temperature is lower than hydrogenation . However, this technology is also far from safe..

• After esterification, semi-finished lard is subjected to chemical deodorization and bleaching using reagents. At the same time, the temperature of the processes is quite high - 250-350 degrees Celsius. This process leads to the formation of trans isomers, although it removes harmful chemical impurities and foreign odors (for example, the specific bitter taste of soybean oil).
• No correct studies were presented on the safety of the catalysts used.

It is officially stated that the level of trans isomers in the production of special fats from soybean oil by transesterification is reduced from 30% to 2-2.5% (which is also higher than the norm recommended by WHO), due to lower gentle temperatures (120 degrees Celsius) of the reaction. This is why transesterification is considered a safer method of producing solid fat substitutes than hydrogenation.

Fractionation of fats.

The most technically simple and gentle process for obtaining fats for special purposes. The idea is to separate the solid and liquid fractions of the oil from each other using organic solvents, which are subsequently removed by extraction.

Palm oil, which is widely used as a substitute for milk fat and for the confectionery industry, consists of a liquid - oleic fraction and a solid - stearic fraction. These fractions are separated to produce liquid olein for frying, and superolein- purified liquid fraction of palm oil, which contains a large amount of healthy unsaturated fatty acids, has a high temperature of carcinogen formation (and therefore is safe when frying). It is used for salads as a dietary product. However, superolein is a more expensive product compared to refined oil.

Stearin, a solid fraction of palm oil, is used as a substitute for cocoa butter and butter in the dairy industry. However, pure extractable palm oil is significantly more expensive than common milk fat substitutes, and the dairy industry often uses fractionated milk fat with partial esterification and hydrogenation, again to reduce the cost of production. The same is done with soybean oil.

It is worth noting that refined palm oil and salad superolein are not common in our country due to the high cost of these products. And, the purified palm stearin used is low in trans isomers - most often found only in imported products. It can be used in high-quality and expensive confectionery products and also in the production of dietary and organic products for special and functional purposes (infant formula).

The product obtained by these three main methods is called salomas. From it, milk fat substitute (MFS), margarine, and confectionery fats are subsequently obtained by adding various special additives. In the case of margarine, this may include vitamin supplements (vitamins E and A), for the dairy industry - dyes, sugar, butter flavorings.

Over the past 10 years (according to statistical studies from 1970 to 2010), the percentage of animal fat production has decreased from 500 thousand tons to 230 thousand, and the production of margarine and vegetable special fats has increased 3.5 times. This is due to the large growing scale of production and the focus on reducing the cost of the finished product.

Research on the dangers of dairy products, confectionery fats and margarine

Only in the late 70s of the twentieth century did the first publications begin to appear on the effects of hydrogenated fats and trans fats on human health. At that time, the number of patients with atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases, especially in the United States, became catastrophic. It is enough to mention just one, but global study that lasted several decades. The National Health & Nutrition Examination Survey conducted a large-scale study between 1976 and 2010. Subjects in different US cities were assessed for cholesterol levels, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels - indicators that are associated with the risk of cardiovascular disease, as well as the level of consumption of saturated fats and trans fats in the diet. It turned out that Americans consumed too much saturated fat compared to unsaturated fat. HDL and cholesterol levels were increased significantly. Following this discovery, health policy was directed toward reducing saturated fat in the diet. As a result of the experiment, the number of people who followed a diet low in saturated (solid) fats increased from 25% to 42%, and HDL levels decreased from 59% to 27%. These data show a direct connection between heart and vascular diseases and saturated fats in the diet (including breast milk, confectionery fats, margarine, butter). And they directly affect the cardiovascular system, causing hypertension, heart attacks, heart attacks, etc.

But the main reason why WMF is so harmful to human health and functioning is the presence of trans fats, or trans isomers of fatty acids, which are formed as a result of the high-temperature reaction of the production of these fats. Trans fats increase the density of red blood cells, causing them to concentrate not in the center of the artery, but near the walls. Microinflammations on the walls of blood vessels, which appear when consuming trans fats, are “patched” with cholesterol, which is then strengthened on the walls with calcium. These growths reduce the lumen of blood vessels and impair the transport of oxygen and other nutrients. These are the main causes of atherosclerosis.

A French study published in 1995 (Willet W.C) states that among patients who consumed margarine quite often, the incidence of myocardial infarction was on average 1.5 times higher. These are the results of a 10-year study in clinics in France.

Research by Roach C. in 2004 showed that trans isomers affect the permeability of the cell membrane, transmembrane proteins, cell signaling and the functioning of membrane receptors. As a result, the transport of substances into cells and all molecular mechanisms, including gene expression, deteriorate. Trans fats also reduce the sensitivity of pancreatic cells to insulin, increasing the risk of developing diabetes.

Despite the fact that it is now common to talk about abandoning the “old” hydrogenation technology and switching to interesterified fats, the problem of trans isomers has not gone away. It was in vegetable interesterified fats that were subjected to further deodorization that the most harmful trans-isomers of oleic acid were found. This was discovered relatively recently, with the development of gas-liquid chromatographic analyzes (data from Fox.P.F. Advanced dairy chemistry. 2006)

In Russia, according to statistics for 2007, the level of consumption of margarine and special fats has increased sharply since 1970, and amounts to 15 g per day (about 7% of the calorie intake). This is due to the widespread introduction of fat substitutes into dairy products (cheese, sour cream, butter, cottage cheese, curd masses, ice cream), fast food, confectionery and candy industries. Fat substitutes are also widely used in baked goods. The mortality rate from coronary heart disease increased several times from 1970 to 2010. From this we can conclude that trans fats, which the population began to consume in very high quantities, directly affect the epidemiological situation regarding cardiovascular diseases in Russia.

All these data relate to margarines and milk fat substitutes, which are produced using traditional hydrogenation technology and high-temperature transesterification. The level of trans fats in them exceeds WHO recommendations.

This is why it is so important to reduce the amount of products containing low-quality and low-price MMZ, as well as confectionery and special fats and margarines.

Alternative safe transesterification technology

In 2003, WHO, in view of the wide evidence base associated with the negative impact of trans fats on human health, recommended that manufacturers limit their concentration in products to 1% (residual). Denmark and some Scandinavian countries have completely banned trans fats in food products and introduced widespread checks on the content and quality of fats.

In developed European countries, such as Norway and Finland, safe transesterification technology using immobilized enzymes (lipases) began to be practiced, which makes it possible to control the “castling” of the ends of molecules, control the process and carry it out at lower temperatures (no more than 70 degrees). In this case, you can get fats in the desired useful configuration. This technology, indeed, allows us to obtain a pure and least harmful product, with a minimum amount of trans-isomers (less than 1%), and also without other harmful impurities . But this process is quite expensive, requiring special equipment, and accordingly, oil substitutes produced in this way are quite expensive.

To produce functional and truly healthy margarines, which are common in European countries, refined vegetable oils are used, including palm oil, which in itself is not harmful to the body. The production of such margarines is aimed at reducing the content of saturated fats and trans fats in the diet, replacing them with polyunsaturated fatty acids. In addition, various vitamin supplements are added to these special oils and the fatty acid composition is adjusted to increase Omega-3 fatty acids. This reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and obesity. The results of consuming such animal fat substitutes have significantly improved health and quality of life in developed European countries. Thus, in Finland and Denmark, the number of cardiovascular diseases in older people decreased several times after the start of propaganda and production of special dietary margarines.

The problem with ZMZH in Russia

in our country, health care is associated with the process of reducing the cost of production, and not with improving human health. Therefore, such useful and expensive substitutes are not produced in Russia. The percentage of trans fat content in Russia is from 2% to 8%, which is much higher than in Europe, in addition, there is no precise regulation on labeling on products. That is why we do not yet label most dairy products that contain dairy products with trans fats.

Since 2013, a new regulation of the Customs Union was supposed to come into force, requiring the level of trans fats to be indicated on some products. It will have to be no more than 0.9% of the total fat content in the product. Soft margarines, infant formula, and cocoa butter substitutes were supposed to fall under this regulation. However, there are still no new trans fat labels in sight, meaning the regulation has not come into force.

This regulation does not apply to other products at all, which means that in most dairy products, low-quality dairy products with a high concentration of trans fats and chemical impurities can be used. This means that the consumer will continue to receive harmful impurities from common food products. This list includes:

• Margarine
• Confectionery fats
• Pastry creams
• Milk fat substitutes

According to Kulakova (S.N. 2008), the content of trans fats from the total fat in the product ranges from 5% to 30% or more in margarines, chips, and confectionery fats.

It is worth mentioning that only by 2018, the regulations of the Customs Union promised to reduce the percentage of trans fats to 2% in all food products.

How to distinguish ZMZh and palm oil from a natural product?

Unfortunately, it is really impossible to 100% distinguish ZMZh from natural oil in products. The presence of trans isomers can only be determined in special analytical chemical laboratories. This is especially not possible in confectionery and bakery products. Only gross fakes can be identified in dairy products. Fat replacers containing trans isomers may be labeled as follows on the packaging:

• Vegetable fat
• Milk fat substitute
• Margarine
• Cocoa substitute is small
• Cocoa butter equivalent
• Confectionery fat
• Vegetable cream
• Interesterified fat
• Modified fat

Dairy products use hydrogenated and interesterified palm kernel, coconut, soybean and cottonseed oils.

There are a number of signs that can partially identify a counterfeit:

• If at room temperature the butter releases droplets of liquid on the surface, then a vegetable substitute is present.
• If cottage cheese, left for several days at room temperature, changes color to yellowish and emits an unpleasant chemical (not fermented milk) odor, it is counterfeit.
• Real butter dissolves uniformly in water and does not separate into separate elements.
• Frozen butter is crumbled, milk fat substitute is cut plastically.
• Butter oxidizes in air and darkens a little.
• Butter may burn and bubble when frying, but the substitute will melt gently on the surface.
• When adulterated sour cream is dissolved in warm water, a flaky sediment falls to the bottom.
• Ice cream made from milk fat and cream melts slowly and loses its shape, unlike ice cream made from vegetable cream, which immediately loses its shape at room temperature.

When choosing dairy products you need to look at:

• Shelf life (the shorter the better)
• Oil fat content (the higher, the lower the percentage of adulteration)
• Uniformity of color of butter and dairy products.
• Composition and name of milk fat substitute. There are ZMZh brands (Soyuz, SDS) that are produced using a more gentle transesterification technology; the choice of these products is preferable.
• It is preferable to choose dairy products that, instead of a milk fat substitute, specifically indicate the type of fat - palm oil, for example. For confectionery products - palm oil, sunflower, soybean (not modified, not hydrogenated).

In conclusion, it is worth saying that in Russia there is still no clearly defined legislation regarding fat substitutes; most substitutes are made using cheap, and therefore harmful, technology and contain a large percentage of trans isomers. This is beneficial for large producers, but public health issues are so far relegated to the background. This means that the consumer can only rely on his knowledge in this matter.

• Additional information about palm oil and discussion of its impact on human health in this thread of our forum

Broadcasts about palm oil

A nutritionist talks about palm oil in the program “Palm oil is killing Russians”	Food. Film by Arkady Mamontov.	Palm oil is a harmful additive	Around the world - Benin: Palm oil. The presenter learns how to make palm oil. It goes through all stages of oil production	Palm oil. Harm or benefit?

Confectionery fat is a product made primarily from vegetable raw materials. But often, in addition to vegetable fats, it may contain beef or pork fat, as well as whale oil. Palm or coconut oil is also often the main ingredient in shortening. In appearance, the product is a fairly solid white substance with a slight yellowish tint.

The consumer and taste characteristics of a product primarily depend on its composition, which is determined by the recipe and the use of certain ingredients. For example, the composition of confectionery fat used for bakery products includes a mixture of whale and vegetable fat (up to 65%) and vegetable oils (up to 22%). Recently, palm oil has been used to produce confectionery fat, which adds some specific properties to the product.

When producing one or another type of confectionery product, a separate type of product is used. Varieties of confectionery fat differ from each other primarily in the percentage of fat content of vegetable and animal origin. But in any case, the product must contain vegetable oil, animal fat and various food additives.

Confectionery fat is a special food additive that can bind all components together. In addition, the use of confectionery fat can significantly improve the nutritional characteristics of the finished confectionery product.

Calorie content

As already noted, the calorie content of the product is very high and amounts to about 897 kcal per 100 g.

Harm and contraindications

It is worth noting that it is the composition of confectionery fat that causes the main harm to human health. In addition, the product has a fairly high calorie content. However, modern confectionery manufacturing technologies absolutely cannot do without confectionery fat. After all, it is one of the important components in a variety of pastries, cakes, pies, sweet desserts, bakery and other products.

Nutritionists tend to believe that frequent consumption of products based on confectionery fat can lead to various problems with the digestive system, rapid weight gain and even obesity.

The largest amount of cooking fat is found in everyone's favorite chocolates, chocolate bars and icing. The main harm caused by confectionery fat lies in its chemical composition. The fact is that it contains very few active compounds that are beneficial to the body, but such products are absorbed extremely quickly. That is, the body receives a mousse of calories that do not provide any benefit, which as a result only leads to a set of extra pounds.

Cooking and confectionery fats is an anhydrous mixture of lard (vegetable or animal) and natural fats (vegetable oils, rendered animal fats) with the addition of additives.

These fats are used to prepare culinary and confectionery products. In addition, they are expanding the use of vegetable oils and rendered animal fats.

Chemical composition and energy value. Cooking and confectionery fats contain at least 99.7% fat and no more than 0.3% water. The energy value of 100 g of fat is 897 kcal.

Due to the low melting point (28...36°C) and due to the liquid vegetable oils in their composition, cooking and confectionery fats have high digestibility (96.5%). The nutritional value of these fats is increased by adding vitamins A, D, and phosphatides, which contribute to the formation of a golden crust when frying and baking products.

Raw materials for the production of culinary and confectionery fats. To produce these fats, food fats (vegetable and animal) are used; liquid refined and deodorized vegetable oils (sunflower, cottonseed, soybean, etc.); solid vegetable oils (palm kernel, coconut); rendered animal fats (pork, beef, lamb). Depending on the ratio of these fats, a wide range of cooking and confectionery fats are obtained.

As additives to these fats, vitamins A, D, antioxidants, flavors, dyes (carotene, annatto), preservatives (benzoic, sorbic acid), phosphatide concentrate are used, which promotes the rise of dough, the formation of a golden brown crust on the surface of flour products, and the reduction of staling of finished products. .

Production of cooking and confectionery fats. The technology for the production of culinary and confectionery fats includes the following operations: preparation of raw materials: refining, deodorization of lard and vegetable fats and their filtration; preparing a fat mixture according to a recipe; melting and mixing the fat base and additives; cooling and crystallization (thickening) of fat; packaging and packing of fat.

Assortment of fats. Depending on the purpose and composition, the following fats are produced.

Cooking fats. Frying fat is pure vegetable lard. Melting point 18... 25 °C. Used for deep-frying dough products.

Vegetable lard is a mixture of vegetable lard with refined vegetable oil (15...25%). Melting point 28... 34 °C. Recommended for frying meat, fish, seasoning main courses, baking pancakes, frying donuts.

“Ukrainian fat” - a mixture of vegetable and animal fats (marine mammals), vegetable oil (20...25%), rendered pork fat (30%). The melting point of fat is 28...36 °C. Used for meat dishes, frying pies, donuts.

“Belarusian fat” is a mixture of vegetable and animal lard, vegetable oil (20...25%), rendered beef fat (30%). Melting point 28...36°C. Recommended for frying cutlets, schnitzels and other meat dishes.

“Eastern fat” is a mixture of vegetable and animal fats, vegetable oil (20...25%), rendered lamb fat (15%). The melting point of fat is 28... 36 °C. Used for cooking pilaf, frying chebureks and other oriental dishes. Prima is a mixture of interesterified lard, vegetable oil, and rendered animal fat.

New - a mixture of lard (vegetable and animal), interesterified fats (45...50%) and vegetable oil (10...15%).

Margaguselin is a mixture of vegetable and animal fats, vegetable oil (10... 30%), rendered pork fat (20%), and onion oil extract. The fat has a characteristic smell of onions fried in oil. Used for sautéing vegetables for first courses, frying meat and fish.

Confectionery fats. Cookie fat is a mixture of vegetable lard, rendered pork fat (12%), rendered beef fat (12%) and phosphatide concentrate (3%). Melting point 34...36 "C.

Fat for waffles and cooling fillings is a mixture of vegetable lard, coconut or palm kernel oil (20...40%). Melting point 26... 30 "C.

Fat for cakes is a mixture of cottonseed oil and vegetable oil (80%).

Requirements for the quality of fats. Cooking and confectionery fats must meet the following requirements according to organoleptic indicators.

The taste and smell of fats must be pure, characteristic of the given fat. Foreign tastes and odors are not allowed.

The color, depending on the type of fat, ranges from white (cooking fats) to light yellow (confectionery fats), uniform throughout the mass.

The consistency of fats at 20 °C is homogeneous, solid or pasty, plastic. When melted, fats are transparent.

Fats that contain mold, have a greasy, rancid taste, or are contaminated are not allowed for production.

Packaging and storage of fats. Culinary and confectionery fats are supplied to public catering establishments in plywood boxes weighing up to 30 kg or in wooden barrels with a capacity of 100 kg, lined with parchment or polymer films.

Packaged fats come in bars weighing from 200 to 500 g, wrapped in parchment or laminated foil, placed in boxes with a capacity of 10... 25 kg.

Fats are stored at a temperature of 1 ... 4 ° C and a relative humidity of 80% for up to 4 months, with antioxidants - up to 6 months, in catering establishments - up to 10 days.

CONTROL QUESTIONS

1. Why do vegetable oils have a liquid consistency at room temperature?

2. Determine the type of sunflower oil according to the cleaning method according to the following organoleptic indicators:

3. How are vegetable oils protected from oxidation during storage?

4. What determines the solid consistency and high melting point of rendered animal fats?

5. Using the following organoleptic indicators, determine the type and grade of rendered animal fat:

6. Why do rendered animal fats last longer than vegetable oils?

7. What is the structure of butter?

8. Which grade should be assigned to butter with a total score of 14 points, including 5 points for taste and smell?

9. Why does ghee last longer than butter under the same storage conditions?

10. Which oil will you choose for frying donuts: butter or melted cow's oil, why?

11. What is lard, where is it obtained from and why is it used in the production of margarine, cooking and confectionery fats?

12. What are margarine and spread, how do they differ from each other?

13. Give an explanation of the following brands of margarine and what is their use: MT, MTK, MM, MZHK.

14. What is the composition of cooking fats and why are they recommended for all types of frying various foods?

15. What fats are called rendered mixtures and what are the features of these fats?

They are virtually anhydrous mixtures of various types of natural and processed fats. Fats with desired properties are obtained by selecting recipes. The main raw materials are lard with a melting point of 31-34 ° C (about 60%), vegetable oils (about 25%), rendered animal fats are added to some types - pork, beef, lamb (15-35%). To improve plasticity, interesterified fats are introduced. In the production of cooking fats, preservatives, dyes and antioxidants are also used (the same as in the production of margarine).

Cooking fats are produced in the following names: “Fryer” - ideal for preparing deep-fried dishes, as it can be used 6-7 times; “Vegetable lard” - recommended for frying various foods; “Prima”, “Belorusskiy” and “Ukrainskiy” (with the addition of beef fat) are highly purified cooking fats that have neither taste nor odor of their own.

Confectionery fats are divided into the following types: for cookies; for waffle and refreshing fillings; for chocolate products, candies and food concentrates, solid on a palm kernel basis. Fat for waffle and cooling fillings consists of a mixture of lard (60-80%) and coconut or palm kernel oil (20-40%). Our country produces confectionery fat, which is high-quality cotton or peanut fat.

Bakery liquid fat contains about 80% liquid vegetable oil and 12-14% solid vegetable lard, phosphatides are added to it, and an emulsifier is used (the same as in the production of margarine).

The quality of culinary, baking and confectionery fats is assessed by organoleptic indicators : taste, smell, consistency (at 18 °C), color and transparency (at a temperature of 55-60 °C in transmitted and reflected light against a white screen).

Taste and smell These fats must be pure, characteristic of anonymized fat, without foreign tastes and odors (in margaguseline - the characteristic smell of fried onions), in fat with phosphatides for bakery products - the characteristic taste of phosphatides.

Color culinary and confectionery fats should be from white to light yellow, fat with phosphatides for bakery products - from yellow to gray.

By consistency culinary fats must be homogeneous, solid or paste-like, confectionery fats must be prickly.

From physical and chemical parameters culinary, confectionery and baking fats determine the mass fraction of fat (at least 99.7%); melting point (26-36 °C).

Cooking fats are packaged in the same way as rendered animal fats.

Cooking fats are stored at temperatures from -20 to +20 °C, with constant air circulation and at a relative humidity of no more than 80%. It is not allowed to store fats in general warehouses along with products that have a strong taste. Shelf life depends on storage temperature, packaging and the presence of antioxidants.

Margarines intended for preparing food products of various categories are cooking fats. They are used for baking, frying and other recipes. Cooking fat is a main ingredient in both homemade baked goods and open food chain bakery and confectionery products.

What is special about cooking oil?

There are three main types of cooking oil:

• combined cooking fat;
• frying fat;
• Margoguselin.

The combined fat includes animal fats, lard, vitamins, and a concentrate of phosphatides - esters of polyhydric alcohols, which help increase the shelf life of products and improve the culinary properties of fat. When fried, they are the ones to thank for the presence of a beautiful golden brown crust.

Margoguselin includes a mixture of vegetable lard, pork fat, as well as geese and duck fat, vegetable oil, and onion extract. Salomas is a solid fat obtained from the hydrogenation of liquid fats (oils).

Fortification of fats is carried out at the rate of 50 units of vitamin A per 1 g of fat.

Melting point - 28 to 34 degrees. A high-quality product has a density of 160-280 g/cm, the presence of phosphatides, PUFAs and vitamins.

Characteristics of confectionery fats

According to GOST standards, confectionery fat is a combination of a group of edible fats with different purposes:

• for thin wafer sheets and cold fillings with the inclusion of 40% palm kernel or coconut oil;
• for the production of candy and chocolate brands;
• for the preparation of bakery products.

According to regulatory requirements, the shelf life of confectionery fats at temperatures below 0 degrees is 1 year, at 4 degrees - six months, up to 10 degrees - 60 days, from 10 to 18 degrees - 1 month, up to 25 degrees - three weeks.

What is margarine

Fat-water emulsion used for making baked goods, confectionery and bread products is margarine. It is a high-calorie product (more than 3100 kJ per 100 g) with good, highly digestible characteristics. It contains PUFAs, which are almost 10 times more than in butter. There are dietary margarines that are enriched with vitamin components.

Classic margarine is obtained from lard, refined oils and milk. The process involves cooling the margarine emulsion, which is subjected to mechanical filtration and further processing. Margarine emulsion is a product that is prepared by combining milk with fat and then adding emulsifiers. The introduction of the required amount of fat is determined by the purpose of giving the final product the desired consistency and structure.

Taste, color and aroma are the result of adding fermented milk, and giving the product the color of butter is the result of food coloring. The preservatives added to margarine are ascorbic and benzoic acids.

There are three types of margarine:

1. Sandwich - fat content 62 and 82%. It is used to prepare sandwiches and cream at home and in food service chains.
2. Table - 72, 75 and 82% fat. Culinary products, rich and lean pastries are prepared from it.
3. Margarines, which are a product of industrial processing.

The main types of margarine by purpose:

• liquid form - for bread and baking production;
• milky liquid form - for confectionery products;
• without the use of milk - for industrial processing.

Some groups of table and dairy-free margarines are sold in two varieties. Highest and 1st grade - contains 62-83% fat, the smell of sour milk, pure milky color, melting point - 34 degrees. In grade 1, a smearing consistency and uneven color may be observed.

The main disadvantage of the product is the sour taste and crumbling when cut. Store in a cool room or in a refrigerator from -20 to +15 degrees with good access to oxygen. Depending on the variety, type, margarine has a shelf life of 2 days to 3 months.

If mold appears on the surface, and a bitter and metallic taste and cheesy consistency are felt, the product indicates that it is unsuitable for food. It can cause significant harm to intestinal function.

The leaders in margarine production are Belarusian and Ukrainian companies.

Recipe for the piggy bank

Cooking deep-fried golden donuts.

Compound

• flour – 250 g;
• cottage cheese - 250 g;
• semolina - 2 tbsp. l;
• egg – 1 pc.;
• sugar – 1–2 tbsp. l.;
• yeast (dry) - 6 g;
• salt - 1 tsp;
• vanillin;
• frying fat - 1 package.

Preparation

1. Grind the cottage cheese with yeast, salt, vanilla and egg.
2. Add semolina, 1/2 part of the flour.
3. Mix everything and form small donuts. Breaded in flour.
4. Fry in deep frying fat or combine 15 fat and 1 liter of vegetable oil. Heat. Place the donuts into the boiling mixture. Fry until golden brown.
5. Remove, let the fat drain off, cool slightly and sprinkle with powdered sugar using a sieve.

We also suggest making delicious cookies using fat.

Compound

• 1 kg flour (sifted 2 times);
• 100 g margarine;
• 300 grams of sugar;
• 3 eggs;
• 300 grams of lard;
• baking soda - 0.5 tsp;
• lemon juice - 1 tsp;
• lemon zest - 1 tbsp. l.

Preparation

1. Melt the lard.
2. Soften margarine at room temperature. Add sugar (1 part), beat.
3. Separate the eggs from the yolks and beat the whites with sugar separately, and the yolks without sugar.
4. Add, quickly stirring the egg mixture into the margarine and sugar. Add lemon zest.
5. Add lard, stir until smooth.
6. Quench the soda with lemon juice. Add to composition.
7. Gradually stirring, add flour. You should get a strong dough.
8. Roll out the dough, cut out cookie shapes.
9. Bake at 190 degrees for 30 minutes until the surfaces are golden brown.

When deep-frying, cooks advise completely immersing the product in fat or oil.

You need to keep the product deep-fried from a few seconds to no more than 2 minutes.

To prepare such products, it is better to use a special mesh for immersion.

Deep fryer can be used several times. To do this, it is cleaned by filtering to remove sediment and placed in the refrigerator (shelf life up to 2 weeks).