Palm Olein In Shortening Processing
Palm olein can partially replace or be mixed with other oils to make shortening, but using 100% palm olein alone is difficult to achieve the ideal effect of traditional shortening. The following is a specific analysis:
- Characteristics of Palm Olein
• Composition: Palm olein is the liquid fraction obtained from the fractionation of palm oil. Its saturated fatty acid content (about 40-45%) is lower than that of palm stearin but higher than that of vegetable oils such as soybean oil.
• Melting point: It is typically 18-22°C, remaining liquid at room temperature and may become slightly cloudy at low temperatures.
• Oxidative stability: Due to its higher content of saturated fatty acids, it has good heat resistance and is suitable for frying, but it has poor plasticity.
2. Core Requirements for Shortening
• Solid Fat Network: Shortening should remain semi-solid at room temperature, capable of forming a stable crystal structure (such as the β' crystal form), to encase air and support the layers in dough (such as puff pastry and cookies).
• Plasticity: It should remain soft and spreadable over a wide temperature range, without melting or becoming too hard.
• High Saturated Fat Content: Traditional shortening is typically achieved through hydrogenation or blending with high-melting-point fats (such as palm stearin and hydrogenated oils).
3. Limitations of Palm Olein
• Low melting point: Its liquid nature cannot provide sufficient solid fat content (SFC) alone, resulting in poor flakiness and easy deformation and oil leakage of the products.
• Crystal structure: Palm olein tends to form β crystals (rather than the β' crystals required for shortening), which may affect the crispiness of the texture.
4. How to Make Shortening with Palm Olein?
If palm olein is to be used, it is usually necessary to blend it with other oils or modify it:
• Formula adjustment:
o Add palm stearin or fully hydrogenated palm oil (to increase the melting point and SFC).
o Mix with natural stearins such as shea butter or coconut oil to optimize the solid fat curve.
• Processing techniques:
o Interesterification: Alter the arrangement of fatty acids to improve the melting point and crystal properties.
o Fractionation: Further separate out high-melting-point components.
• Industrial application: Commercial shortening often combines palm olein with hydrogenated oils and emulsifiers (such as monoglycerides).
5. Alternative Suggestions
• Home baking: You can directly purchase commercially available vegetable shortening or mix palm olein with butter (be mindful of the impact of moisture).
• Industrial production: It is necessary to adjust the ratio of palm olein to stearin through experiments and test the flakiness, taste, and shelf life of the products.
Conclusion
Palm olein cannot directly replace traditional shortening, but it can be used as one of the raw materials. Through formula optimization and processing technology improvement (such as blending, hydrogenation, and ester exchange), shortening with similar functions can be produced. If a cost-effective solution is needed, it is recommended to consult a professional oil supplier for customized blended oil.
Post time: Dec-09-2025