Melting point of palm oil, production features, benefits and harm

In various information sources "palm" theme is exaggerated ambiguously. The subject matter - it is useful or harmful to the human body palm oil, because in our country it is imported in huge quantities (about 500 tons per year).

What is the melting point of palm oil? Where is this product used? What benefit does it bring? About this, as well as about the specifics of production and other facts, this article.

Palm oil: application, description, composition

The source of palm oil is the fleshy parts of the fruit of the oil palm (Elaeis guineensis). In its raw form, it is a red-orange shade, which is due to the high content of carotenoids. After special treatment, the product acquires a red or yellow color. Red inherent safety preserves useful substances (up to 80%), in yellow they are significantly lost. Yellow varieties are rich in saturated fatty acids (up to 50%), harmful to the body. In red grades, their 38%, moreover, it is famous for tocotrienols (modified vitamin E), vitamin A and resistance to oxidative reactions.

What is palm oil? What is the product of this product? To obtain palm kernel oil, a solid kernel (seed) of fruits is taken. It is characterized by yellowness, the level of saturated fatty acids is as much as 80% (ie, carotenoids are practically absent). The refined products become light.

The main composition of the product includes saturated fatty palmitic and stearic acids. The percentage of oleic (monounsaturated fatty) acids is 40%, linoleic (polyunsaturated) - up to 10%. The latter promote good metabolism and are important for health. The composition of palm kernel oil includes lauric and myristic acids, oleic and linoleic acids in it about 33%. In a refined product, most of the nutrients are lost during processing.

Food and technical oil of palm trees, application

The main suppliers of palm oil are Asia (southeast), Latin America. The harvested fruit for a month is kept warm until fermentation begins. After boil, separating the pulp, press the resulting mass. Untreated product is called a technical oil and is not suitable for eating. The main field of application is mechanical engineering, machine tool construction (as a lubricant for units).

As a result of purification, edible oil is obtained, an independent food product. In trade, its share is up to 50%. This is explained by the increased demand for vegetable oils due to limited natural resources of solid and semi-solid fats. In the food industry, palm products are widely used in the manufacture of bakery and confectionery products, combined dairy products, semi-finished products, children's mixtures.
Palm oil, its components in large volumes are used by cosmetology (soap, cream, etc.), manufacturers of washing powders, household candles. It is also used in pharmacology and the production of mixed fodders for livestock and poultry.

Production features

What is the melting point of palm oil? Before answering this question, let's talk about the features of the production of this product. In the factory, the clusters of palm are processed using dry steam to separate the fruits. Then the pressing of raw materials is carried out, obtaining its technical variety.

When obtaining food varieties, the raw material is sterilized, then it is refined (purified). Refining includes several stages:

• When raw material is wrung out from the raw material;
• The centrifuge clears from water and mechanical impurities;
• Hydration (water purification) is carried out with the extraction of phospholipids;
• When neutralized, free fatty acids are removed;
• The product is whitened and deodorized.

Hydrogenation (hydrogen is added to the substances) is carried out in order to remove polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA).

Having the ability to quickly oxidize, PZHNC do not contribute to long-term storage of the product (no more than six months), so they get rid of them. To avoid hydrogenation after a characteristic taste, the oil is refreshed (deodorized). When performing a complete cleaning, a refined product is obtained, widely used because of the relatively low cost, but not entirely healthy.

Palm oil: melting point, properties

In palm and other vegetable oils, there are triacylglycerides (compounds of glycerol esters and fatty acids). Each mixture has its own chemical-physical characteristics and degree of melting. Based on what is the melting point of palm oil, talk about the three fractions (varieties) of the product.

1. The fractions of the standard product are characterized by melting at a temperature of 36 ° C to 39 ° C. When fried, it has no smoke, does not burn. However, it quickly freezes, so it is recommended to eat food cooked on it hot or warm.
2. The hardest fraction - stearin - is included in margarine components. The melting point of palm oil is -48 ° C to 52 ° C.
3. For palm olein as the most liquid variety, the degree of remelting is 16 ° C to 24 ° C. The consistency is similar to the cream, it freezes in the refrigerator.

Stearin and olein are successfully used by cosmetology.

Which products contain palm oil

"Palm" products are highly refractory, long-term storage.

1. Palm oil is an ingredient of dairy products: milk substitutes (including dry milk), margarine, hard cheese, processed cheese, margarine and butter, spreads, many types of cottage cheese and ice cream, yoghurt.
2. Flour, confectionery products with palm oil (derivatives) do not sour and are not subject to fermentation. Eating all kinds of cookies, gingerbread, biscuits with creamy interlayers, the consumer uses it to some extent. It is also used in candy toppings, chocolate.
3. Olein is present in deep-fried products, in chips, fried nuts, corn sticks, instant noodles. There are also ready-made snacks, soup mixes, mayonnaise.

Thus, most of the purchased products, which are in great demand among the population, contain palm oil.

How to determine the presence of palm oil in food

The consumer needs to remember: palm oil is pleasant to the taste, improves the color of products, much cheaper than natural products. Products with its contents are stored for a long time. It pleases manufacturers and attracts buyers. When buying, you need to pay attention not only to the price tag, but also to the shelf life: a cheerfully looking eight-month roll obviously contains palm oil.

To the note: the indication on the label "vegetable fats" often implies the use of palm oil. Variable "cheese products", "curds", "sour cream", "cottage cheese masses", "mayonnaise sauces", "condensed milk" signal about the substitution. The natural (according to GOST) products manufacturers usually do not call "product".

Most often palm ingredients are replaced by products from milk. Often, "fake" is sold under the guise of butter. Natural products (20 types) are characterized by different fat content and a lot of useful qualities. One of the advantages is the low melting point of butter (from 24 to 37 degrees). It is known: the lower the degree of processing, the easier it is to metabolize fats in the body.

Is the melting point of butter and palm oil different? Yes, differing by the high melting point, the product of oil palms is considerably inferior to the creamy, being difficult to digest. On the cut, the present product has a characteristic sheen, in frozen form it is broken by pieces. Fake oil hardens hard in the refrigerator, has a too bright color, does not break. The melting point of palm oil is 48 ° C - 52 ° C.

Palm oil: benefit

Of the food varieties of palm oils, the most useful is red, which retains most of the nutrients after treatment.

1. Vitamins in its composition are useful: A positively affects the visual organs, E is needed for good vision and stimulation of the sex glands.
2. The decrease in cholesterol is due to oleic, linoleic acids. Palm oil regulates the activity of biliary tract and digestive system in general. They cleaned the nasal passages with congestion.
3. Some nutritionists product is recommended as a tool for weight loss (2 tsp on an empty stomach).
4. When frying with such oil, nothing burns and does not smoke, and the products are covered with an attractive crispy crust. Added to the dough, it gives the products friability and delicate aroma.
5. "Palm" masks are used for shine, growth and healthy hair.
6. On its basis cosmetic creams, soap are produced. Thanks to its biological value, it is used to care for the problem skin, its rejuvenation and smoothing.
7. Bathroom with a small amount of oil drops relieves stress, regulates blood vessels.
8. Washing powders with its content are not harmful to health.

It is necessary to distinguish red edible (processed) oil from technical (untreated) with an identical shade. The use of special technologies and fractionation of the food is safe. Quality, according to consumers, is considered the products of "Golden Palm" and "Royal".

Palm oil: harm

The oils that have undergone hydrogenation become harmful. Liquid oil, saturated in the process with hydrogen atoms with nickel and platinum catalysts, turns into a solid fat. It is the hydrogenation caused by the appearance of trans fats that cause a health disorder:

• Psychoneurological diseases, decreased mental activity due to the fact that trans fats slow down the metabolic processes of the brain;
• Transisomers cause the sclerosis of blood vessels, ischemic disease, heart failure, strokes;
• Trans fat molecules negatively entails the release of digestive enzymes, hence the problems with digestibility and processing of the product;
• Such fats provoke aging and mutation of cells, which is fraught with immune disorders and cancer.

Packages with a hydrogenated product must necessarily be accompanied by a suitable litter ("trans-fat").

For information: indeed, the higher the degree during processing, the harder it is to assimilate the finished product. But the proper work of the digestive system can not depend only on temperature: do not trust the myth of total blockage of the body with "palm clay". Non-hydrogenated palm oil can harm only if it is used excessively.

The essence of the "palm" question

In general, the "palm problem" boils down to the following:

• Quality products are safe for consumption;
• Consumption of even the best product in huge quantities, undoubtedly, is harmful to health;
• No technical oil should enter the body.

Violation of the rules of transportation (for example, in tanks for oil products), technologies for processing raw materials contrary to Russian legislation - these are the reasons for the appearance of poor-quality palm oil on the shelves. But it is unlikely that crafty producers are recognized as ordinary consumers in their failures.