Chemical interesterification of milkfat and milkfat-corn oil blends

Blending and chemical interesterification of fats have been used to modify physical and chemical properties of natural fats. The objective of this study was to produce binary mixtures of butterfat and corn oil that serve as a base for a tablespread, keeping the desirable organoleptic qualities of butter, yet with higher contents of omega-6 fatty acids. Chemical interesterification was performed to improve butter's physical properties, such as better spreadability. Liquefied butterfat and corn oil were mixed in different proportions and then chemically interesterified. Butterfat consisted of 66.5% saturated fatty acids, with palmitic acid being predominant. Corn oil had more than 50% of linoleic acid in its composition. Interesterification significantly reduced trisaturated and triunsaturated triacylglycerol contents and increased softening points in all blends. The negative coefficients of the blends from multiple regression of the solid fat content revealed a monotectic interaction between butterfat and corn oil in temperatures ranging from 10 to 35 degreesC, before and after interesterification. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.