Effect of Limonene on Modulation of Palm Stearin Crystallization

Due to its hard consistency and low plasticity, palm stearin (PS) has limited industrial applications. As described in the literature, the addition of limonene to lipid systems has been shown to influence their crystallization pattern, such as by softening consistency and accelerating polymorphic transition. The objective of this study was to evaluate different concentrations of limonene (1–10%) added to PS, regarding its crystallization behavior. This study reports that limonene addition was able to reduce solid fat content (SFC) and consistency, and delayed crystallization, with more evidenced effects when the highest concentration of limonene was applied (10%). Microstructure and polymorphism were significantly affected by the highest concentrations (7.5% and 10%), tending to the formation of small crystals and their agglomeration, with acceleration of polymorphism. Blending this fat with limonene may broaden its application, considering softer options of PSs.