Palm Fat as Partially Hhdrogenated Fat Replacement in: Fat Spread& Cocoa Butter Replacer

INTRODUCTION  Fat can only be semi solid if it contains a significant content of fatty acids that have a melting point above room temperature. Only saturated fat and trans fat have high melting points; therefore, saturated fat is the only practical option for fat products that are free of trans fat. The source of saturated fat can be natural or derived from fully hydrogenated vegetable oil. Plants that produce oils that are solid at room temperature include the oil palm tree, coconut tree, shea tree, and the cacao tree. These oils are contained in the fruit, kernel, bean, or nut and all are high in saturated fat (50–90%) and are solid or semisolid at room temperature.. Palm fruit oil, with a natural mixture of 50% saturated fat and 50% unsaturated fat, is relatively soft and possesses a similar texture and stability to animal fats and PHVO. The other highly saturated plant oils, including the kernel of the palm fruit, are hard and brittle in texture and a