Alteration of Chemical and Physical Properties of Butterfat by Interesterification

Abstract

Interesterification of butterfat resulted in increase of slipping point and high melting triglyceride (HMG) content. Hardness determined at 20°C was either increased or decreased depending on samples. Interesterification did not alter iodine value and fatty acid composition except for the slight decrease of low molecular fatty acids (C₄, C₆). The fatty acid composition of HMG from interesterified butterfat differed from that of HMG from unaltered butterfat. Increase of C₁₈ acid was apparent in the former.
Experiment was also conducted to see how does the interestrification of butterfat affect the yields and properties of the fractions which were successively fractionated at different temperature by crystallization technique in the absence of solvent. Interesterification enhanced the difference in properties and fatty acid composition observed among fractions from unaltered butterfat.
Interesterification of each fraction after fractionation did not alter the property of higher melting fraction (solid fraction at 30°C), but alter the property of lower melting fractions (solid and liquid fractions at 20°C). This change was regardless with previous interestrification of butterfat as whole.