Edible fats

摘要

The invention relates to improvements in edible fats, in particular to improved hardstocks for use in spreads having a low content of saturated fat and to spreads containing these hardstocks. Edible spreads should contain particularly low levels of C-16 saturated fatty acids and low levels of trans fatty acids. Accordingly, the invention provides a fat blend, for use as a hardstock in an edible emulsion spread, obtainable by interesterification of a fat rich in behenic acid together with a fat rich in palmitic and/or stearic acid such that in the interesterified mixture the behenic acid content is at least 5% and the sum of palmitic and stearic acid content is at least 50%. Such hardstock fats may be obtained by interesterification of 10%-90% (by weight) wet fractionated palm stearin (80% palmitic acid) with 90%-10% (by weight) fully hydrogenated high erucic rapeseed oil. The preferred ratio of components is 60% of the behenic acid source and 40% of the palmitic and/or stearic acid source.