Study of vegetable fat crystallization using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)

• Grant number: 07/00829-4
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): May 01, 2007
• Effective date (End): April 30, 2008
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Technology
• Principal researcher: Renato Grimaldi
• Grantee: Fernanda Campos Brito Nuno
• Home Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia de Alimentos (FEA). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The usage of vegetable fats and oils in food products has great importance, considering both technological and sensorial aspects, essential for consumer acceptance. The new labeling legislation, obliging the declaration of trans fat content on labels, has led to a rush trying to eliminate trans fat acids, related to human health. In this sense the replacement of partially hydrogenated fats, specially with soybean and cottonseed basis, with products with low trans products, where palm and palm kernel oil outstand. Aspects not well known by processors have resulted many technological problems especially in the crystallization, for the majority of fats is plasticized before packaging. This way, this work proposes a study of the crystallization of some raw materials commercially available, besides evaluate the effect of some commercial additives as crystallization agents.