Branched chain fatty acids in different distribution pattern in palm oil based fat mixture give various effects on application properties as shortening

Branched chain fatty acids are functional fatty acids that have recently attracted attention. Due to their branched chain characteristics, their oils and fats can have special solid crystalline characteristics and are of particular values for shortenings for example. The aim of this study was to assess how branched-chain fatty acid triacylglycerols (BCFA-TAG) as well as products after chemical interesterification with a palm oil-based blend PO-PS affect the crystallization and other related performance. The addition of BCFA-TAG significantly affected the crystallization of PO-PS by accelerating the onset of PO-PS crystallization through promoting the nucleation of PO-PS crystals while delaying the growth of the crystals as a whole. The reduction in t_1/2 provided good evidence of the delay, with the effect of high concentrations being the most pronounced. Adding BCFA-TAG to PO-PS reduced its solid fat content (SFC), with a more significant effect at higher concentrations. The PO-PS+10% BCFA-TAG sample maintained the β' crystalline form throughout the 30 days of storage without conversion to the β crystalline form, thus showing a positive effect of BCFA-TAG in alleviating the post-hardness of the palm oil. After chemical interesterification between BCFA-TAG and PO-PS, the hardness of the products increased with the decrease in enthalpy change due to the increased content of trisaturated triglycerides. The distribution of BCFA in the blend triglycerides shows difference in terms of product properties.