THICKENER FOR OIL AND FAT, AND THICKENED OIL AND FAT COMPOSITION

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a thickener for oils and fats which has high safety, exhibits excellent thickening effect in a small quantity added, modifies properties and workability of oils and fats used and is applicable to mold release oil for breadmaking in which starch is dispersed in oil, seasoning oil in which salt or the like is dispersed, etc., by including a specific polyglyceryl fatty acid ester as an active component. SOLUTION: This thickener comprises a polyglyceryl fatty acid ester containing >=50 wt.% (preferably >=60 wt.%) of behenic acid as a principal structural fatty acid and having a degree of esterification of >=50% (preferably 50-90 wt.%) as an active component. The polyglyceryl fatty acid ester having an average degree of polymerization of polyglycerol of preferably 4 to 10 is preferably contained in an amount of 0.1-10 wt.%. The SFC of oils and fats at 10 deg.C is preferably <=50 wt.%. The viscosity of the oil and fat composition which is measured at 20 deg.C by a B-type viscometer is preferably increased by 10-200% of the viscosity of oils and fats not mixed with the thickener which is measured under the same condition mentioned above.