Balancing functional and health benefits of food products formulated with palm oil as oil sources

Palm oil (PO) is widely utilised in the food industry and consumed in large quantities by humans. Owing to its bioactive components, such as fatty acids, carotenoids, vitamin E, and phenolic compounds, PO has been utilised for generations. However, public concern about their adverse effects on human health is growing. A literature search was conducted to identify fractionated palm oil processing techniques, proof of their health advantages, and potential food applications. Refined palm oil (RPO) is made from crude palm oil (CPO) and can be fractionated into palm olein (POl) and palm stearin (PS). Fractional crystallisation, dry fractionation, and solvent fractionation are the three basic fractionation procedures used in the PO industry. The composition of triacylglycerols and fatty acids in refined and fractionated palm oil and other vegetable oils is compared to elucidate the triacylglycerols and fatty acids that may be important in product development. It is well proven that RPO, POl, and PS extends the oil's shelf life in the food business. These oils have a more significant saturated fat content and antioxidant compounds than some vegetable oils, such as olive and coconut oils, making them more stable. Palm olein and stearin are also superior shortening agents and frying mediums for baking goods and meals. Furthermore, when ingested modestly daily, palm oils, especially RPO and POl, provide health benefits such as cardioprotective, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, and antithrombotic effects. Opportunities exist for fractionated palm oil to become a fat substitute; however, nutrition aspects need to be considered in further developing the market.

Utilization of zero-trans non-interesterified and interesterified shortenings in cookie production

The effects of zero-trans chemically interesterified (in-es) and non-interesterified (non-in-es) cottonseed (CO), hazelnut (HO) and olive oil (OO) and their blends (25, 50 and 75%) with palm oil (PO) were studied in the production of cookies. All the experimental shortenings had zero-trans fatty acids (TFA) while the shortening contained 14.20% TFA. Incorporation of CO in PO considerably increased the linoleic acid content whereas the raising of HO and OO ratio in the blend increased the oleic acid content. Zero-TFA and lower saturated /unsaturated fatty acid ratio (SFA/UFA) of some of the experimental shortenings indicated an important in nutritional properties of cookies produced from these experimental shortenings. Cookies with in-es shortenings showed significantly higher (p < 0.05) spread ratios and L Hunter color than their non-in-es shortenings added counterparts. It can be concluded that chemical interesterification is a promising method to produce cookie shortenings with zero-TFA.

Effect of ascorbyl palmitate on oxidative stability of chemically interesterified cottonseed and olive oils

The effects of 400 ppm ascorbyl palmitate (AP) on fatty acids composition, tocopherol, peroxide value (PV) and malonaldehyde (MAD) contents of refined cottonseed oil (CO) and virgin olive oil (OO) during chemical interesterification (CI), and storage at 60 °C for 28 days were investigated. CI significantly decreased (p < 0.05) the tocopherol contents of CO and OO. PVs and MAD contents of oil samples considerably increased up to 20 min of CI, followed by a reduction at 30 min. The unsaturated fatty acids/saturated fatty acids (UFA/SFA) ratios of the samples showed slight but significant (p < 0.05) reduction during accelerated oxidation process. Oils with added 400 ppm AP had higher tocopherol, and lower PVs and MAD contents than their counterparts without AP during CI, and storage at 60 °C. AP increased the oxidative stability of interesterified and non-interesterified CO and OO.

Use of corn oil in the production of Turkish white cheese

The use of corn oil in white cheese production instead of milk fat was investigated and its effects on the quality parameters of cheese were studied. It was demonstrated that the use of corn oil significantly affected the levels of dry matter, fat in dry matter, protein, salt in dry matter and titratable acidity and pH value of samples (p < 0.05). The water-soluble nitrogen based ripening indices of cheeses increased throughout the ripening period. However, there were not large quantitative differences among the peptide profiles of all the cheese samples. The polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), the polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acid ratios (PUFA/SFA) and total cis fatty acid contents were found to be higher whilst the saturated fatty acid and trans fatty acid content were found to be lower than those of the control cheese (p < 0.05). It was found that the use of corn oil instead of milk fat in cheese production decreased the cholesterol content of the cheese samples (p < 0.05). The sensory scores of corn oil cheese were almost similar to the control cheese. The results indicated that corn oil utilization in cheese production has commercial potential in overcoming the defects related to fat reduction.

Fatty acids, tocopherols, selenium and total carotene of pistachios (P. vera L.) from Diyarbakir (Southeastern Turkey) and walnuts (J. regia L.) from Erzincan (Eastern Turkey)

In this study, 14 well-adapted genotypes of pistachio (Pistachio vera L.) grown in Diyarbakır (Southeastern Turkey) and 15 walnut (Juglans regia L.) genotypes grown in Erzincan (Eastern Turkey) have been studied. Pistachio genotypes contained 8.16-9.33% palmitic acid, 0.54-0.68% palmitoleic acid, 2.35-4.21% stearic acid, 67.81-76.82% oleic acid, 9.42-18:32% linoleic acid, 0.27-0.38% linolenic acid and 0.19-0.33 % arachidic acid. The range of selenium, α-tocopherol, γ-tocopherol, δ-tocopherol, α-tocotrienoid, γ-tocotrienoid and total carotenoid of these promising genotypes were found to be between 11.44 and 190.71 ng/g, 1.36 and 26.93, 36.17 and 170, 0.45 and 2.61, 0.96 and 3.76, 2.33 and 37.72 and 1.01 and 4.93 mg/kg, respectively. Linoleic acid ranging from 43.19% to 53.16% was the most abundant fatty acid in 15 pomologically selected walnut genotypes, followed by oleic and linolenic acids (31.91% and 11.46%, respectively). Their selenium contents ranged between 7.25 and 57.67 ng/g. γ-Tocopherol was the predominant tocopherol in walnut genotypes. Pistachio and walnut genotypes with higher unsaturated fatty acids, tocopherols and selenium contents may be valuable for nutritional breeding efforts.

Using high intensity ultrasound as a tool to change the functional properties of interesterified soybean oil

High intensity ultrasound (HIU) was used to change the crystallization behavior, generate small crystals, and improve the texture of a low saturated shortening (interesterified soybean oil). Samples were crystallized at different temperatures (26, 28, 30, and 32 °C) without and with the application of HIU. Different acoustic power levels (110, 72, 61, 54, and 44 W) were used. Results show that higher acoustic powers had a greater effect on crystal size reduction, induced crystallization, and generated harder, more elastic and viscous materials. These effects were more significant when HIU was applied in the presence of crystals and when the sample was crystallized at 32 °C.