The influence of chemical interesterification on the physicochemical properties of complex fat systems. 3. Rheology and fractality of the crystal network

Abstract

Abstract Chemically interesterified and noninteresterified lard‐canola oil (LCO) and palm oil‐soybean oil blends ranging from 100% hardstock to 50%:50% hardstock/vegetable oil (w/w) were evaluated for hardness index (HI) using cone penetrometry and viscoelastic properties, such as shear storage modulus G′, using controlled‐stress rheometry. The HI and G′ of palm oil decreased upon addition of soybean oil, and chemical interesterification did not affect the HI or G′ of palm oil or palm oil‐soybean oil blends. The HI and G′ of lard decreased upon addition of canola oil, while chemical interesterification led to increases in both the HI and G′ of lard and LCO blends. All these effects were nonsolid fat content‐related, since solid fat content did not change substantially upon chemical interesterification. The microstructure of the fat crystal network in lard and palm oil was quantified rheologically using fractal analysis. Chemical interesterification did not affect the fractal dimension of the fat crystal networks in palm oil or lard (2.82 and 2.88, respectively). The rheological properties of the macroscopic systems were not affected by the spatial distribution of mass within their fat crystal networks. Moreover, our results suggest that the increases in G′ observed in lard upon chemical interesterification are potentially due to changes in the properties of the particles which make up the network (crystal habit).