Shortening oil composition and preparation method thereof

Abstract

The invention provides a shortening grease composition and a preparation method thereof. Specifically, the invention provides the grease composition which comprises branched fatty acid triacylglycerol and base oil, wherein in terms of the total weight of fatty acid of the grease composition, the content of branched fatty acid in the grease composition is 2.50-9.00 wt%. The invention also provides an application of the grease composition and a method for reducing the crystallization rate of palm oil-based shortening, reducing the increase rate of the grease hardness after storage and delaying the subsequent hardness of the palm oil-based shortening. According to the invention, not only can the properties of the shortening be improved, but also the intake of branched chain fatty acid is increased, and a certain positive effect can be achieved in the aspects of cancer resistance, inflammation resistance and the like.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the field of food industry, and in particular relates to a shortening grease composition and a preparation method thereof. Background Art

[0002] As a special oil product for food, shortening has become one of the important raw materials for food processing. Its quality is directly related to the quality of downstream products and terminal food. In order to meet different application needs, a variety of shortenings have been developed. Among them, solid (plastic) shortening, that is, shortening that is a plastic solid at room temperature, has the best functional properties. For solid shortening, its hardness not only affects the convenience during operation, but also affects the storage and transportation process.

[0003] There are two main types of raw oils for producing shortening: vegetable oils such as soybean oil, cottonseed oil, rapeseed oil, coconut oil, palm oil, rice bran oil and their hydrogenated oils; animal oils such as lard, tallow, fish oil and their hydrogenated oils. Hydrogenated oils have high hardness and good plasticity, but due to health risks, there have been more and more restrictions on the use of hydrogenated oils in recent years. Palm oil stearate is also a good choice, but it is easy to become hard after storage, which makes it difficult to use shortening after storage.

[0004] Branched-chain fatty acids (BCFA) are a type of fatty acids with one or more branches (mainly methyl groups) on the carbon skeleton. They are divided into single-branched fatty acids and multi-branched fatty acids, and are usually saturated fatty acids. In some microorganisms (such as Bacillus), about 90% of membrane lipid fatty acids are BCFA, which can make the cell membrane have good fluidity. BCFA has a different digestion and metabolism pathway from straight-chain fatty acids in the body and has unique physiological regulatory functions, including anti-cancer activity, anti-inflammatory effects, and prevention and treatment of ischemia and reperfusion injury. Due to its specific branched structure, BCFA has some special physical and chemical properties, such as a lower freezing point, good thermal stability and oxidative stability. However, current research on branched-chain fatty acids is more focused on their physiological activity, and there is relatively little exploration of their application in food. Summary of the invention

[0005] In order to improve the properties of shortening, the present invention uses a small amount of branched fatty acid added into shortening, and the obtained mixture has an ideal effect. The process of the present invention is simple, and the type and composition of the formula can be adjusted according to the needs.

[0006] The present invention first provides a grease composition, which comprises branched fatty acid triglycerides and base oil; wherein the content of the branched fatty acids in the grease composition is 2.50-9.00wt% based on the total weight of the fatty acids in the grease composition.

[0007] In one or more embodiments, the base oil is a palm oil based shortening.

[0008] In one or more embodiments, the palm oil-based shortening contains palm oil-based fat and optional edible oil, wherein the edible oil includes any one or any mixture of any multiple of vegetable fats, modified fats of vegetable fats, animal fats, and modified fats of animal fats.

[0009] In one or more embodiments, the vegetable oil is selected from one or more of rice oil, sunflower oil, palm kernel oil, peanut oil, rapeseed oil, soybean oil, linseed oil, cottonseed oil, safflower seed oil, perilla seed oil, tea seed oil, rice bran oil, algae oil, hemp seed oil, jojoba oil, olive oil, cocoa bean oil, Chinese tallow seed oil, almond oil, apricot kernel oil, tung seed oil, rubber seed oil, corn germ oil, wheat germ oil, sesame seed oil, evening primrose seed oil, hazelnut oil, pumpkin seed oil, walnut oil, grape seed oil, sesame seed oil, borage seed oil, sea buckthorn seed oil, tomato seed oil, macadamia nut oil and coconut oil.

[0010] In one or more embodiments, the animal fat is selected from one or more of beef tallow, lard, sheep fat, chicken fat, fish oil, seal oil, whale oil, dolphin oil, oyster oil and lanolin.

[0011] In one or more embodiments, the modification includes hydrogenation, transesterification, and / or fractionation.

[0012] In one or more embodiments, the palm-based oils include palm oil, palm kernel oil and modified oils thereof.

[0013] In one or more embodiments, the fractionated oil comprises palm stearin.

[0014] In one or more embodiments, based on the total weight of the oil composition, the content of the branched fatty acid triglyceride is 3 to 12 wt %, such as 5 to 10 wt %.

[0015] In one or more embodiments, the fatty acid composition of the branched fatty acid triglyceride is as follows: the content of branched fatty acids is 70-80wt%, preferably 73-76wt%; the content of saturated fatty acids is 15-23wt%, preferably 17-20wt%; the content of unsaturated fatty acids is ≤2wt%, preferably 0.3-1.0wt%; the content of C10-C20 branched fatty acids is 53-60wt%, preferably 55-58wt%, and the content of C21-C35 branched fatty acids is 17-20wt%.

[0016] In one or more embodiments, the content of branched fatty acids is 3.00 to 8.00 wt % or 3.50 to 7.50 wt %, based on the total weight of fatty acids.

[0017] In one or more embodiments, the content of saturated fatty acids is 40.00-60.00 wt%, such as 45.00-55.00 wt% or 48.00-52.00 wt%, based on the total weight of fatty acids.

[0018] In one or more embodiments, the content of C16 is 40.00-48.00 wt%, such as 42.00-45.00 wt%, based on the total weight of fatty acids.

[0019] In one or more embodiments, the content of C18 is 45.00-55.00 wt%, such as 47.00-52.00 wt%, based on the total weight of fatty acids.

[0020] In one or more embodiments, the solid fat content of the oil composition at 10° C. is 50.0 to 56.0 wt %, such as 51.0 to 53.0 wt %.

[0021] In one or more embodiments, the solid fat content of the oil composition at 20° C. is 25.0 to 32.0 wt %, such as 29.0 to 30.5 wt %.

[0022] In one or more embodiments, the solid fat content of the oil composition at 25° C. is 18.0 to 23.0 wt %, such as 20.0 to 22.0 wt %.

[0023] In one or more embodiments, the solid fat content of the oil composition at 30° C. is 12.0 to 16.0 wt %, such as 13.0 to 15.0 wt %.

[0024] In one or more embodiments, the solid fat content of the oil composition at 35° C. is 5.0 to 10.0 wt %, such as 7.0 to 10.0 wt %.

[0025] In one or more embodiments, the solid fat content of the oil composition at 40° C. is 2.0 to 7.0 wt %, such as 3.0 to 6.0 wt %.

[0026] In one or more embodiments, the crystallization rate constant K of the oil composition is less than 4.0×10 -2 , preferably K<2.0×10 -2 , such as 0.3~2.0×10 -2 or 0.5~1.5×10 -2 .

[0027] In one or more embodiments, the crystallization half time of the oil composition is ≥15 min, preferably ≥18 min.

[0028] In one or more embodiments, the initial hardness of the grease composition is 200-600 g, such as 250-550 g.

[0029] In one or more embodiments, the hardness of the oil composition after being stored at 25° C. for 3 days is 500 to 700 g, such as 500 to 650 g.

[0030] In one or more embodiments, the branched-chain fatty acid triglycerides are prepared by esterifying lanolin fatty acids and glycerol using lipase.

[0031] In one or more embodiments, the lipase is selected from one or more of Lipozyme RM IM, Lipozyme TL IM, Lipase AY-30SD and Novozym 435, preferably selected from one or more of Lipozyme RM IM, Lipozyme TL IM and Novozym 435.

[0032] In one or more embodiments, in the reaction system of the esterification reaction, the amount of the enzyme used is 3-20% of the total mass of lanolin fatty acid and glycerol, such as 3-10%, 5-10% or 6%-15%.

[0033] In one or more embodiments, in the reaction system of the esterification reaction, the molar ratio of lanolin fatty acid to glycerol is (2-7):1, such as (3-6):1.

[0034] In one or more embodiments, the temperature of the esterification reaction is 60-80°C.

[0035] In one or more embodiments, the esterification reaction time is 0.5 to 6 hours.

[0036] In one or more embodiments, the esterification reaction is carried out in vacuum, and the vacuum degree of the vacuum is 8-15 mbar.

[0037] The present invention also provides the use of branched fatty acid triglycerides in reducing the crystallization rate of palm oil-based shortening, reducing the growth rate of oil hardness after storage, and delaying the hardening, as well as the use of the shortening in preparing the palm oil-based shortening with reduced crystallization rate, reduced growth rate of oil hardness after storage, and delayed hardening.

[0038] In one or more embodiments, the amount of the branched-chain fatty acid triglyceride is 3-12 wt %, such as 5-10 wt %, based on the total weight of the palm-based shortening containing the branched-chain fatty acid triglyceride finally prepared.

[0039] In one or more embodiments, the palm oil-based shortening contains 2.50-9.00 wt%, such as 3.00-8.00 wt% or 3.50-7.50 wt% of branched-chain fatty acids, based on the total weight of fatty acids in the palm oil-based shortening containing the branched-chain fatty acid triglyceride finally prepared.

[0040] In one or more embodiments, in the fatty acid composition of the branched fatty acid triglyceride, the content of branched fatty acids is 70-80wt%, preferably 73-76wt%; the content of saturated fatty acids is 15-23wt%, preferably 17-20wt%, the content of unsaturated fatty acids is ≤2wt%, preferably 0.3-1.0wt%; the content of C10-C20 branched fatty acids is 53-60wt%, preferably 55-58wt%, and the content of C21-C35 branched fatty acids is 17-20wt%; or the branched fatty acid triglyceride is prepared by the method described in any embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] In one or more embodiments, the palm oil-based shortening is as described in any of the embodiments herein.

[0042] The present invention also provides a method for reducing the crystallization rate of palm oil-based shortening, reducing the growth rate of oil hardness after storage, and delaying its subsequent hardening. The method comprises the step of adding branched fatty acid triglyceride to the base oil used to prepare the palm oil-based shortening.

[0043] In one or more embodiments, the content of the branched fatty acid triglyceride in the palm oil-based shortening is 3 to 12 wt %, such as 5 to 10 wt %.

[0044] In one or more embodiments, the fatty acid composition of the palm oil-based shortening comprises 2.50 to 9.00 wt %, such as 3.00 to 8.00 wt % or 3.50 to 7.50 wt %.

[0045] In one or more embodiments, the method comprises heating the branched fatty acid triglyceride to a clarified state and then adding it to a base oil for preparing palm oil-based shortening, heating it to clarified after mixing, and then cooling to obtain the palm oil-based shortening.

[0046] In one or more embodiments, in the fatty acid composition of the branched fatty acid triglyceride, the content of branched fatty acids is 70-80wt%, preferably 73-76wt%; the content of saturated fatty acids is 15-23wt%, preferably 17-20wt%, the content of unsaturated fatty acids is ≤2wt%, preferably 0.3-1.0wt%; the content of C10-C20 branched fatty acids is 53-60wt%, preferably 55-58wt%, and the content of C21-C35 branched fatty acids is 17-20wt%; or the branched fatty acid triglyceride is prepared by the method described in any embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] In one or more embodiments, the palm oil-based shortening is as described in any of the embodiments herein.

[0048] The present invention also provides a food, which contains the oil and fat composition as described in any embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] In one or more embodiments, the food product is one or more of bread, cake, spread, mayonnaise, stuffing, pastry, beverage and croissant. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] It should be understood that within the scope of the present invention, the above-mentioned technical features of the present invention and the technical features specifically described below (such as embodiments) can be combined with each other to form a preferred technical solution.

[0051] The hardening of palm oil-based shortening is related to the slow crystallization rate of palm oil, and the slow crystallization rate of palm oil is mainly related to the high content of POP (2-oleyl-1,3-palmitoylglycerol) in palm oil. The melting point of POP is 30°C and the crystallization temperature is 20°C. The large difference between the melting point and the crystallization point leads to the slow crystallization rate of POP. The SUS (mainly POP) content of palm oil is between 40-45%. When the POP content in the oil exceeds 30% of the total amount of triglycerides, the crystallization will be very slow, causing the margarine / shortening to harden during storage. After extensive and in-depth research, the inventors found that adding a small amount of branched fatty acid triglycerides to palm oil-based shortening can increase the hardness of the oil, and at the same time, it can slow down the crystallization rate of the oil and reduce the growth rate of the oil hardness after storage, that is, delay the hardening.

[0052] The branched-chain fatty acid triglyceride suitable for the present invention preferably has a purity of more than 90%.

[0053] Branched fatty acid triglycerides well known in the art can be used, or methods well known in the art can be used to prepare branched fatty acid triglycerides for use in the present invention. For example, lanolin fatty acids and glycerol can be esterified using lipase to prepare branched fatty acid triglycerides suitable for use in the present invention. Suitable enzymes can be enzymes known in the art for esterification, including but not limited to various lipases, such as Lipozyme RM IM, Lipozyme TL IM, Lipase AY-30SD and Novozym 435. In some embodiments, any one or more selected from Lipozyme RM IM, Lipozyme TL IM and Novozym 435 are used.

[0054] In the reaction system of the esterification reaction, the amount of the enzyme used can be 3-20% of the total mass of lanolin fatty acid and glycerol, such as 3-10%, 5-10% or 6%-15%.

[0055] In the reaction system of the esterification reaction, the molar ratio of lanolin fatty acid to glycerol may be (2-7):1, such as (3-6):1, or about 4:1 or about 5:1.

[0056] Typically, lanolin fatty acids and glycerol are melted at 60-80°C (such as in an oil bath), stirred evenly, and then enzymes are added to carry out esterification.

[0057] The esterification reaction is usually carried out in a vacuum at 60-80°C, and the vacuum degree can be controlled at 8-15 mbar. Depending on the reaction materials, the enzyme used, and the acid value of the reactants, the esterification reaction time can usually be 0.5-6 hours, and the reaction is considered to be completed when there is no obvious change in the acid value of the reactants.

[0058] After the esterification reaction is completed, the lipase can be removed, for example, by filtering the lipase with suction.

[0059] In some embodiments, the fatty acid composition of the branched fatty acid triglyceride used in the present invention has the following characteristics: the content of branched fatty acids is 70-80wt%, preferably 73-76wt%; the content of saturated fatty acids is 15-23wt%, preferably 17-20wt%, the content of unsaturated fatty acids is ≤2wt%, preferably 0.3-1.0wt%; the content of C10-C20 branched fatty acids is 53-60wt%, preferably 55-58wt%, and the content of C21-C35 branched fatty acids is 17-20wt%.

[0060] The branched fatty acid triglyceride of the invention can be used as a gelling agent and added to base oil to prepare a grease composition with slowed crystallization rate, slowed growth rate of grease hardness after storage and delayed hardening.

[0061] Therefore, the present invention provides a grease composition, which comprises a branched fatty acid triglyceride and a base oil as described in any embodiment of the present invention. In the grease composition, the content of the branched fatty acid is 2.50-9.00wt%, such as 3.00-8.00wt% or 3.50-7.50wt%, based on the total weight of the fatty acids.

[0062] Preferably, based on the total weight of the oil composition, the content of branched fatty acid triglycerides in the oil composition is 3 to 12 wt %, such as 5 to 10 wt %.

[0063] Herein, base oil can be conventional palm oil-based shortening well known in the art. Palm oil-based shortening, except containing palm oil-based grease, can also contain other various edible oils well known in the art, including any one or any multiple arbitrary mixtures in various vegetable oils, modified greases of vegetable oils, animal oils and modified greases of animal oils. The vegetable oil includes but is not limited to one or more of rice oil, sunflower seed oil, palm kernel oil, peanut oil, rapeseed oil, soybean oil, linseed oil, cottonseed oil, safflower seed oil, perilla seed oil, tea seed oil, rice bran oil, algae oil, grass hemp seed oil, jojoba oil, olive oil, cocoa bean oil, Chinese tallow seed oil, almond oil, apricot kernel oil, tung oil, rubber seed, corn germ oil, wheat germ oil, sesame seed oil, evening primrose seed oil, hazelnut oil, pumpkin seed oil, walnut oil, grape seed oil, sesame seed oil, borage seed oil, sea buckthorn seed oil, tomato seed oil, macadamia nut oil and coconut oil. The animal fat includes but is not limited to one or more of tallow, lard, mutton fat, chicken wine, fish oil, seal oil, whale oil, dolphin oil, oyster oil and lanolin. The modification includes hydrogenation, transesterification and / or fractionation, etc. Herein, the palm-based oil includes palm oil, palm kernel oil and their modified oils, such as hydrogenated oil, self-esterification oil or oils obtained by transesterification with other oils and / or oils obtained by fractionation. The oils obtained by fractionation include various palm stearins.

[0064] Preferably, in the oil and fat composition of the present invention, the content of saturated fatty acids is 40.00-60.00wt%, such as 45.00-55.00wt% or 48.00-52.00wt%, based on the total weight of fatty acids.

[0065] Preferably, in the oil and fat composition of the present invention, the content of C16 is 40.00-48.00 wt%, such as 42.00-45.00 wt%, based on the total weight of fatty acids.

[0066] Preferably, in the oil and fat composition of the present invention, the content of C18 is 45.00-55.00 wt%, such as 47.00-52.00 wt%, based on the total weight of fatty acids.

[0067] Preferably, the initial hardness of the grease composition of the present invention is 200-600 g, such as 250-550 g.

[0068] Preferably, the hardness of the oil composition of the present invention after being stored at 25° C. for 3 days is 500 to 700 g, such as 500 to 650 g.

[0069] Preferably, the solid fat content of the oil composition of the present invention at 10° C. is 50.0 to 56.0 wt %, such as 51.0 to 53.0 wt %.

[0070] Preferably, the solid fat content of the oil composition of the present invention at 20° C. is 25.0 to 32.0 wt %, such as 29.0 to 30.5 wt %.

[0071] Preferably, the solid fat content of the oil composition of the present invention at 25° C. is 18.0 to 23.0 wt %, such as 20.0 to 22.0 wt %.

[0072] Preferably, the solid fat content of the oil composition of the present invention at 30° C. is 12.0 to 16.0 wt %, such as 13.0 to 15.0 wt %.

[0073] Preferably, the solid fat content of the oil composition of the present invention at 35° C. is 5.0 to 10.0 wt %, such as 7.0 to 10.0 wt %.

[0074] Preferably, in the oil composition of the present invention, the solid fat content at 40° C. is 2.0 to 7.0 wt %, such as 3.0 to 6.0 wt %.

[0075] Preferably, the crystallization rate constant K of the oil composition of the present invention is less than 4.0×10 -2 , preferably K<2.0×10 -2 , such as 0.3~2.0×10 -2 or 0.5~1.5×10 -2 .

[0076] Preferably, the crystallization half time of the oil composition of the present invention is ≥15 min, preferably ≥18 min.

[0077] Generally, the branched fatty acid triglyceride is heated to a clear state, and then the base oil is added, mixed, heated to a clear state, and then cooled to obtain the oil composition of the present invention. The temperature during the mixing process can be adjusted according to the amount of oil added, for example, the heating temperature can be above 60°C, and the cooling temperature can be room temperature.

[0078] In some embodiments, the present invention also provides the use of the branched fatty acid triglyceride described herein in reducing the crystallization rate of palm oil-based shortening, reducing the growth rate of oil hardness after storage, and delaying the hardening, as well as the use of the branched fatty acid triglyceride in preparing palm oil-based shortening with reduced crystallization rate, reduced growth rate of oil hardness after storage, and delayed hardening. Preferably, in these applications, the amount of the branched fatty acid triglyceride is 3 to 12 wt%, such as 5 to 10 wt%, based on the total weight of the palm oil-based shortening containing the branched fatty acid triglyceride finally prepared; preferably, based on the total weight of fatty acids of the palm oil-based shortening containing the branched fatty acid triglyceride finally prepared, it contains 2.50 to 9.00 wt%, such as 3.00 to 8.00 wt% or 3.50 to 7.50 wt% of branched fatty acids. Preferably, the palm oil-based shortening finally prepared is the oil composition described in any embodiment of the present invention.

[0079] In some embodiments, the present application also provides a method for reducing the crystallization rate of palm oil-based shortening, reducing the growth rate of the hardness of the oil after storage, and delaying the hardening, the method comprising the step of adding the branched fatty acid triglyceride described in any embodiment of the present invention to the base oil for preparing palm oil-based shortening. Preferably, the content of the branched fatty acid triglyceride in the palm oil-based shortening obtained by adding is 3-12wt%, such as 5-10wt%. Preferably, in the fatty acid composition of the palm oil-based shortening obtained by adding, the content of the branched fatty acid is 2.50-9.00wt%, such as 3.00-8.00wt% or 3.50-7.50wt%. Preferably, the method comprises heating the branched fatty acid triglyceride to a clear state and adding it to the base oil for preparing palm oil-based shortening, heating to clear after mixing, and then cooling to obtain the palm oil-based shortening. The temperature during the mixing process can be adjusted according to the amount of oil added, for example, the heating temperature can be above 60°C.

[0080] Margarine and shortening are industrially produced edible fats that can be used in frying, cooking, and baking. They can be kneaded into the dough for making pastries and bread, or they can be used as sandwich oils, spreads, fillings, frostings, or other confectionery ingredients.

[0081] Therefore, in some embodiments, the present invention also provides a food containing a branched fatty acid triglyceride and / or a fat composition as described in any embodiment of the present invention. The food can be various types of food known in the art, including foods that can use margarine / shortening, such as beverages, bread, etc. Preferably, the food is selected from one or more of bread, cakes, spreads, mayonnaise, fillings, crisp pastries (such as biscuits, butterfly cakes) and croissants. The preparation may vary depending on the food, but can be prepared by methods well known in the art. For example, an exemplary method for preparing biscuits includes: mixing, kneading, sheeting and baking of raw materials. The method for preparing bread includes preparing dough, adding oil, mixing it with the dough and beating it into gluten, relaxing the dough, then proofing, baking, etc. In this method, the amount of the oil composition can be determined according to the type of food.

[0082] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0083] The oil mixture prepared by the present invention contains a small amount of branched-chain fatty acids, which effectively increases the hardness of shortening and delays the crystallization of oil. It can not only improve the properties of shortening, but also increase the intake of branched-chain fatty acids, which may play a certain positive role in anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and other aspects.

[0084] The present invention will be further described below by way of specific examples. It should be understood that these examples are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. The methods and reagents used in the examples are, unless otherwise stated, conventional methods and reagents in the art. In the specification of the present invention and the following examples, unless otherwise stated, "%" represents weight percentage and "part" represents weight part.

[0085] Source of raw materials

[0086] Shortening: Citi, Kerry Specialty Oils (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.

[0087] Monoglyceride: DANISCO.

[0088] Rice bran wax: Kerry Specialty Oils (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.

[0089] Detection Methods

[0090] Determination of hardness:

[0091] Keep the sample in a 60℃ water bath for 30min, weigh about 40g of the sample in a 100ml plastic cup, and place it in a 25℃ constant temperature box for 48h. Then use a texture analyzer to measure the hardness, and use the P6 probe. The test parameters are speed before test: 1.00mm / s; speed during test: 2.00mm / s; speed after test: 2.00mm / s; trigger force: 5.0g; puncture depth: 8.0mm; the maximum pressure is used as the hardness index. Each sample is measured 3 times, and the average value is taken as the final hardness value. One-way ANOVA is used to compare the differences in hardness between different oils.

[0092] Determination of solid fat:

[0093] The samples were kept warm for more than 1 hour under different conditions, and the solid fat content of the samples was determined by p-NMR.

[0094] Determination of crystallization rate:

[0095] The sample was kept at 25°C for more than 1 hour, and the solid fat content of the sample was measured by p-NMR at 0-100 minutes. The crystallization rate constant was obtained by simulation and fitting calculation of the crystallization kinetics formula.

[0096] The solid fat content (SFC) of PO-PS, BCFA-TAG and the mixture of PO-PS and BCFA-TAG at a crystallization temperature of 25°C was measured by pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance (Bruker Minispec MQ20, Germany), and the isothermal crystallization kinetic curve with time as the independent variable and SFC value as the dependent variable was obtained. The oil sample melted at 60°C for 30 minutes to eliminate the crystallization memory was quickly added to a p-NMR special glass tube and immediately placed in a constant temperature (25°C) controlled water bath. The timing started from the time the sample was placed in the temperature control device. Before 30 minutes, the SFC value was measured every 1 minute; after 30 minutes, the SFC value was measured every five minutes until the SFC value of the oil sample did not change much, and the SFC value at this temperature was considered to be completely crystallized. All samples were measured three times.

[0097] In order to better describe the nucleation and crystal growth during the crystallization of PO-PS, the Avrami equation (Marangoni & Wesdorp, 2013) (Formula (1)) was used to fit the SFC data.

[0098] SFC(t)=SFC(∞)*[1-exp(-k*t n )]*100% (1)

[0099] Among them, SFC(t) is the solid fat content at a certain moment; SFC(∞) is the solid fat content at the time of infinite equilibrium; k is the crystallization rate constant, which represents the rate of nucleation and crystal growth; n is the Avrami index, which represents the function of the time dimension of nucleation and the growth dimension. According to the Avrami equation, the half-crystallization period t can be further obtained. 1 / 2 (The time it takes for crystallization to reach half of the total crystallization amount), as shown in formula (2).

[0100]

[0101] Determination of post-hardness:

[0102] The oil composition samples were stored at constant temperatures of 15°C, 25°C, 37°C and 15-25°C (15°C 12h-25°C 12h), and the hardness of the stored oil composition samples was measured according to the hardness measurement method at the same time. A texture analyzer (Stable MicroSystems TA-XT plus, UK) equipped with a stainless steel cylindrical probe with a diameter of 6 mm was used to measure the hardness of PO-PS and its mixture stored at 25°C for 48 hours. The hardness test method is as follows: speed before test: 1.00 mm / s; test speed: 2.00 mm / s; speed after test: 2.00 mm / s; trigger force: 5.0 g; puncture depth: 8.00 mm. The maximum pressure was used as the hardness index. Each sample was measured 3 times and the average value was taken.

[0103] Determination of fatty acid content:

[0104] The fatty acid composition of PO-PS was analyzed using an Agilent 7820A gas chromatograph equipped with a flame ionization detector (FID) and a fused silica capillary column (CP-si188; 50 m × 0.25 mm × 0.20 μm). The preparation of fatty acid methyl esters was based on the AOCS official method Ce 2-66. TAG composition was determined by GC according to the AOCS official method Ce 5-86. The FID and injection port temperatures were 370 °C and 360 °C, respectively. The initial column temperature was 280 °C for 1 min, then increased to 350 °C at 3 °C / min and held for 15 min.

[0105] The fatty acid composition of BCFA-TAG was analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) using an Agilent 7820A system equipped with a flame ionization detector (FID) and a fused silica capillary column (CP-si188; 50 m × 0.25 mm × 0.20 μm).

[0106] Preparation of branched-chain fatty acid triglycerides

[0107] It is synthesized from lanolin by enzymatic method, with a purity of 90.6%. The specific operation is as follows:

[0108] First, weigh 1000g of refined lanolin fatty acid (average molecular weight of 290), add it to a 2000ml three-necked flask, then add 79.32g of glycerol (molar ratio of fatty acid to glycerol 4:1), place it in a 75℃ oil bath and heat and stir to melt the fatty acid, and stir it evenly with glycerol. Add 64.76g of Novo435 lipase, which is 6% of the total amount of lanolin fatty acid and glycerol, and evacuate the vacuum, control the vacuum degree at 10mbar, and start the timing reaction. Take samples every 2h to test the acid value, and consider the reaction to be over when there is no obvious change in the acid value.

[0109] The fatty acid composition of the branched fatty acid triglyceride was detected according to the method described above, and the results were as follows:

[0110] Table 1: Fatty acid composition

[0111] fatty acid Content (wt%) Branched chain fatty acids 74.9％ Saturated fatty acids 18.7％ Unsaturated fatty acids 0.6％ C10-C20 branched chain fatty acids 56.4％ C21-C35 branched chain fatty acids 18.6％

[0112] Example 1-3, Comparative Example 1-2 Preparation method

[0113] First, melt the branched fatty acid triglyceride at above 60°C until it is clear, then weigh the corresponding branched fatty acid triglyceride and shortening in proportion. Stir the mixture at above 60°C until it is clear, and then cool it to room temperature to obtain a fat composition. The specific formula is shown in Table 2.

[0114] Comparative Example 3-5 Preparation Method

[0115] First, melt the monoglyceride or rice bran wax at above 80°C until it is clear, then weigh the corresponding monoglyceride, rice bran wax and shortening in proportion. Stir the mixture at above 80°C until it is clear, and then cool it to room temperature to obtain a fat composition. The specific formula is shown in Table 2.

[0116] Table 2: Grease composition formula

[0117]

[0118]

[0119] The fatty acid compositions of the different oil compositions in the examples and comparative examples are shown in Table 3, and the hardness and solid fat content are shown in Table 4.

[0120] Table 3: Fatty acid composition of different oil compositions

[0121]

[0122] Table 4: Hardness and solid fat content of different oil compositions

[0123]

[0124] As shown in Table 4, although comparative examples 1 and 2 also added branched fatty acid triglycerides, the addition amount was too low, resulting in low hardness (Comparative example 1), or the addition amount was too high, resulting in excessive hardness increase (Comparative example 2). Only in the shortening prepared by Examples 1-3, the hardness was significantly increased to a reasonable range, and branched fatty acid triglycerides were more efficient in improving hardness compared to other common oil gels. Moreover, according to the solid fat results, compared to other lipid gels, the effect of branched fatty acid triglycerides on improving hardness does not depend on the introduction of solid fat, and the increase in hardness is more likely to be due to the formation of a gel network.

[0125] The prior art shows that the crystallization rate of oil is an influencing factor of the change in hardness (after-hardness) of oil after storage. Therefore, the crystallization rate and after-storage hardness of the oil compositions of Examples 1-3 and Comparative Examples 1-5 were further tested, and the results are shown in Tables 5 and 6, respectively.

[0126] Table 5: Crystallization rate of different oil compositions

[0127]

[0128]

[0129] As shown in Table 5, compared with Comparative Example 5 without any gelling agent, the crystallization half-time of Examples 1-3 and Comparative Examples 1-2 with the addition of branched fatty acid triglycerides was significantly prolonged, indicating that the addition of branched fatty acid triglycerides would significantly slow down the crystallization rate. The addition of other lipid gelling agents (Comparative Examples 3 and 4) resulted in a decrease in the crystallization half-time, indicating that they would promote crystallization.

[0130] Table 6: Hardness of different oil compositions after storage

[0131]

[0132] The hardening speed (i.e., the hardness increase within a fixed storage time) is mainly compared with the initial hardness and the hardness after storage at 25°C for 3 days. According to the results in Table 6, Examples 1-3 can effectively reduce the hardening speed of shortening. The initial hardness of shortening with too much branched fatty acid triglyceride added is too high (Comparative Example 2), and it is difficult to operate and use as shortening; too little branched fatty acid triglyceride added (Comparative Example 1) or the use of other lipid gelling agents (such as monoglyceride and rice bran wax, Comparative Examples 3 and 3) cannot play a role in delaying hardening.

[0133] In summary, according to the hardness, crystallization rate and after-hardness of the oil composition, it can be seen that the addition of 5%-10% of branched fatty acid triglycerides can effectively increase the hardness of shortening and delay crystallization. After storage under different temperature conditions, the addition of branched fatty acid triglycerides within this range can effectively slow down the after-hardening effect.

[0134] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the substantial technical content of the present invention. The substantial technical content of the present invention is broadly defined in the scope of the claims. Any technical entity or method completed by others, if it is exactly the same as that defined in the scope of the claims of the application, or an equivalent variation, will be deemed to be included in the scope of the claims.

[0135] All documents mentioned in the present invention are cited as references in this application, just as each document is cited as references separately. In addition, it should be understood that after reading the above content of the present invention, those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications to the present invention, and these equivalent forms also fall within the scope defined by the appended claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A grease composition, characterized in that: The oil composition comprises branched fatty acid triglycerides and base oil; wherein, based on the total weight of fatty acids in the oil composition, the content of the branched fatty acids in the oil composition is 2.50-9.00 wt %.

2. The grease composition according to claim 1, characterized in that The base oil is palm oil-based shortening; Preferably, the palm oil-based shortening contains palm oil-based fat and optional edible oil, wherein the edible oil includes any one or any mixture of any multiple of vegetable fat, modified vegetable fat, animal fat and modified animal fat; Preferably, the vegetable oil is selected from one or more of rice oil, sunflower seed oil, palm kernel oil, peanut oil, rapeseed oil, soybean oil, linseed oil, cottonseed oil, safflower seed oil, perilla seed oil, tea seed oil, rice bran oil, algae oil, flax seed oil, jojoba oil, olive oil, cocoa bean oil, Chinese tallow seed oil, almond oil, apricot kernel oil, tung seed oil, rubber seed oil, corn germ oil, wheat germ oil, sesame seed oil, evening primrose seed oil, hazelnut oil, pumpkin seed oil, walnut oil, grape seed oil, sesame seed oil, borage seed oil, sea buckthorn seed oil, tomato seed oil, macadamia nut oil and coconut oil; Preferably, the animal fat is selected from one or more of beef tallow, lard, sheep fat, chicken wine, fish oil, seal oil, whale oil, dolphin oil, oyster oil and lanolin; Preferably, the modification comprises hydrogenation, transesterification and / or fractionation; and Preferably, the palm-based oils include palm oil, palm kernel oil and modified oils thereof. Preferably, the oil obtained by fractionation includes palm stearin.

3. The grease composition according to claim 2, characterized in that: Based on the total weight of the oil composition, the content of the branched fatty acid triglyceride is 3 to 12 wt%, such as 5 to 10 wt%; and / or In the fatty acid composition of the branched fatty acid triglyceride, the content of branched fatty acids is 70-80wt%, preferably 73-76wt%; the content of saturated fatty acids is 15-23wt%, preferably 17-20wt%, the content of unsaturated fatty acids is ≤2wt%, preferably 0.3-1.0wt%; the content of C10-C20 branched fatty acids is 53-60wt%, preferably 55-58wt%, and the content of C21-C35 branched fatty acids is 17-20wt%.

4. The grease composition according to claim 1, characterized in that In the grease composition, the grease composition has one or more of the following characteristics: The content of branched fatty acids is 3.00 to 8.00 wt% or 3.50 to 7.50 wt% based on the total weight of fatty acids; The content of saturated fatty acids is 40.00 to 60.00 wt%, such as 45.00 to 55.00 wt% or 48.00 to 52.00 wt%, based on the total weight of fatty acids; Based on the total weight of fatty acids, the content of C16 is 40.00-48.00 wt%, such as 42.00-45.00 wt%; and Based on the total weight of fatty acids, the content of C18 is 45.00-55.00 wt%, such as 47.00-52.00 wt%.

5. The grease composition according to claim 1, characterized in that In the grease composition, the grease composition has one or more of the following characteristics: The solid fat content of the grease composition at 10° C. is 50.0 to 56.0 wt %, such as 51.0 to 53.0 wt %; The solid fat content of the grease composition at 20° C. is 25.0 to 32.0 wt %, such as 29.0 to 30.5 wt %; The solid fat content of the grease composition at 25° C. is 18.0 to 23.0 wt %, such as 20.0 to 22.0 wt %; The solid fat content of the grease composition at 30° C. is 12.0 to 16.0 wt %, such as 13.0 to 15.0 wt %; The solid fat content of the grease composition at 35° C. is 5.0 to 10.0 wt %, such as 7.0 to 10.0 wt %; and The solid fat content of the oil composition at 40° C. is 2.0 to 7.0 wt %, such as 3.0 to 6.0 wt %.

6. The grease composition according to claim 1, characterized in that: The crystallization rate constant K of the oil composition is less than 4.0×10 -2 , preferably K<2.0×10 -2 , such as 0.3~2.0×10 -2 or 0.5~1.5×10 -2 ; and / or The crystallization half time of the oil composition is ≥15 min, preferably ≥18 min; and / or The initial hardness of the grease composition is 200 to 600 g, such as 250 to 550 g; and / or The hardness of the oil composition after being stored at 25° C. for 3 days is 500 to 700 g, such as 500 to 650 g.

7. The grease composition according to claim 1, characterized in that The branched-chain fatty acid triglyceride is prepared by esterifying lanolin fatty acid and glycerol with lipase; Preferably, the lipase is selected from one or more of Lipozyme RM IM, Lipozyme TL IM, Lipase AY-30SD and Novozym 435, preferably selected from one or more of Lipozyme RM IM, Lipozyme TL IM and Novozym 435; Preferably, in the reaction system of the esterification reaction, the amount of the enzyme used is 3-20% of the total mass of lanolin fatty acid and glycerol, such as 3-10%, 5-10% or 6%-15%; Preferably, in the reaction system of the esterification reaction, the molar ratio of lanolin fatty acid to glycerol is (2-7):1, such as (3-6):1; Preferably, the temperature of the esterification reaction is 60-80°C; Preferably, the esterification reaction time is 0.5 to 6 hours; and Preferably, the esterification reaction is carried out in vacuum, and the vacuum degree of the vacuum is 8-15 mbar.

8. Application of triglycerides of branched fatty acids in reducing the crystallization rate of palm oil-based shortening, reducing the growth rate of oil hardness after storage, and delaying the hardening afterward, and application of triglycerides of branched fatty acids in preparing palm oil-based shortening with reduced crystallization rate, reduced growth rate of oil hardness after storage, and delayed hardening afterward; Preferably, the amount of the branched fatty acid triglyceride is 3 to 12 wt%, such as 5 to 10 wt%, based on the total weight of the palm-based shortening containing the branched fatty acid triglyceride finally prepared; Preferably, based on the total weight of fatty acids in the palm oil-based shortening containing the branched fatty acid triglyceride finally prepared, the palm oil-based shortening contains 2.50-9.00wt%, such as 3.00-8.00wt% or 3.50-7.50wt% of branched fatty acids; Preferably, in the fatty acid composition of the branched fatty acid triglyceride, the content of branched fatty acids is 70-80wt%, preferably 73-76wt%; the content of saturated fatty acids is 15-23wt%, preferably 17-20wt%, the content of unsaturated fatty acids is ≤2wt%, preferably 0.3-1.0wt%; the content of C10-C20 branched fatty acids is 53-60wt%, preferably 55-58wt%, and the content of C21-C35 branched fatty acids is 17-20wt%; or the branched fatty acid triglyceride is prepared by the method according to claim 7; Preferably, the palm oil-based shortening is as described in any one of claims 1-6.

9. A method for reducing the crystallization rate of palm oil-based shortening, reducing the growth rate of fat hardness after storage, and delaying its subsequent hardening, characterized in that: The method comprises the steps of adding triglycerides of branched fatty acids to a base oil for preparing palm oil-based shortening; Preferably, in the palm oil-based shortening, the content of the branched fatty acid triglyceride is 3 to 12 wt%, such as 5 to 10 wt%; Preferably, in the fatty acid composition of the palm oil-based shortening, the content of branched fatty acids is 2.50-9.00wt%, such as 3.00-8.00wt% or 3.50-7.50wt%; Preferably, the method comprises heating the branched fatty acid triglyceride to a clear state and then adding it to a base oil for preparing palm oil-based shortening, heating it to a clear state after mixing, and then cooling to obtain the palm oil-based shortening; Preferably, in the fatty acid composition of the branched fatty acid triglyceride, the content of branched fatty acids is 70-80wt%, preferably 73-76wt%; the content of saturated fatty acids is 15-23wt%, preferably 17-20wt%, the content of unsaturated fatty acids is ≤2wt%, preferably 0.3-1.0wt%; the content of C10-C20 branched fatty acids is 53-60wt%, preferably 55-58wt%, and the content of C21-C35 branched fatty acids is 17-20wt%; or the branched fatty acid triglyceride is prepared by the method according to claim 7; Preferably, the palm oil-based shortening is as described in any one of claims 1-6.

10. A food comprising the oil and fat composition according to any one of claims 1 to 7; preferably, the food is one or more of bread, cake, spreadable food, mayonnaise, filling, pastry, beverage and croissant.

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