PHASE-BEHAVIOR AND MECHANICAL-PROPERTIES OF TRIPALMITIN/BUTTERFAT MIXTURES

The functionality of butterfat can be improved by fractionation, a process that can be considered as enrichment of butterfat with long-chain saturated fatty acids. Model hard fractions were produced by adding tripalmitin to butterfat, in ratios from 0.9:0.1 through 0.1:0.9. The model system had very similar thermal behavior and mechanical properties to true fractions. The phase behavior of tripalmitin/butterfat mixtures was determined. Such butterfat fractions have potential as a moisture barrier in edible films and coatings. Tripalmitin-enriched butterfat is an alternative to hard butterfat fractions in some applications.