Fat blend

Abstract

A fat blend comprising an interesterified fat and having: at least 70 wt.% saturated fatty acids; a combined lauric acid (C12:0) and myristic acid (C14:0) content of from 50 to 75 wt.%; a combined stearic acid and palmitic acid content of from 20 to 40 wt.%; and a combined C50 and C52 triglyceride content of from 5 to 12 wt.%, the C50 and C52 triglycerides comprising dipalmitoyl-stearoyl glycerol (PSP) and distearoyl-palmitoyl glycerol (PSS).

Description

[0001] Fat Blend

[0002] The present invention relates to fat blends and their use in food products such as whipping cream. In particular, the present invention relates to fat blends for aiding temperature resistance and controlling viscosity. The present invention also relates to processes for preparing fat blends.

[0003] Background

[0004] Fat forms a crucial component of food and in many traditional food products fats derived from animals are used. There is an increasing demand for plant-based foods due to consumers’ increasing desire to eat healthy, sustainably sourced food products and to generally lower their meat and dairy intake. There is also an increasing number of vegans who require food products to be completely absent of animal-derived products for ethical and health reasons.

[0005] This has led to the development of various plant-based food products such as plant-based meats (meat analogue compositions) and plant-based cheeses (cheese analogue compositions) which aim to mimic certain qualities of the animal-derived meat and cheese products, such as the texture, taste and / or appearance. Plant-based alternatives for other dairy applications such as ice cream and other frozen desserts and whipping cream have also been developed.

[0006] Whipping cream is traditionally a dairy product that undergoes a mechanical process called whipping to increase its volume and create a light, fluffy texture. This process transforms the liquid emulsion into a foam by incorporating air bubbles mixture. Whipping cream prepared with anhydrous milk fat presents lower stability and higher cost, and so products formulated with vegetable fat are increasingly common.

[0007] Selecting the type of vegetable fat for a whipping cream is a challenge due to the partial coalescence properties of the fat in such products. Partial coalescence is a phenomenon that occurs when fat globules in a dispersed system, such as a whipped cream or other emulsified system, come into close contact during processing or storage, but do not completely merge into a single larger globule. Instead, they partially fuse together, forminga network or matrix of interconnected fat globules within the system. The partial coalescence of fat in whipping cream is important to the whipping process, as the whipping cream cannot transform into foam structures if the fat is completely crystallized or noncrystallized. The selection of the specific fat to include in whipping cream is important in the achievement of effects such as partial coalescence and stability against thickening. Partly or fully hydrogenated palm kernel oil is commonly used to achieve the above described effects in many non-dairy whipping cream formulations.

[0008] However, there is therefore a need for fat compositions that can provide improved stability and resistance to viscosity increases during storage.

[0009] Palm kernel oil is rich in lauric acid (C12:0), myristic acid (C14:0) and oleic acid (18:1), and can be used for applications where the structure is stable at room temperature, but the amount of solids decreases at the temperature of the human body (i.e. in the mouth). When palm kernel oil is hydrogenated, oleic acid (C18:1 , melting point of around 13°C) becomes stearic acid (C18:0, melting point of around 60°C), providing improved structure, crystallization speed and thermal resistance compared to palm kernel oil. However, it has been found that whipping creams based on hydrogenated palm kernel oil can suffer from instability of the emulsion and high viscosity due to temperature fluctuations during storage. Particularly in countries where the ambient temperature is typically above 20°C for most of the year, instability and viscosity increases during storage can affect the quality of the product.

[0010] Interesterification may be used to alter the triglyceride distribution of hydrogenated palm kernel oil, which can aid stability. However, interesterifying fully hydrogenated palm kernel oil does not fully address the problems of viscosity increases due to temperature fluctuations during storage.

[0011] It has been surprisingly found that a fat blend having a particular fatty acid profile, in combination with an increased proportion of C50 and C52 triglycerides, in particular PSP and PSS triglycerides, can, as the fat component of an emulsion such as a whipped cream,provide a stable emulsion having improved resistance to viscosity increases resulting from temperature fluctuations during storage.

[0012] Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is believed that by providing an increased proportion of C50 and C52 triglycerides, including PSP and PSS triglycerides, in a fat blend comprising an interesterified fat, the crystallisation properties of the fat can be altered to prevent excessive thickening of an emulsion such as a whipped cream produced using the fat blend.

[0013] Interesterification may be used to redistribute longer chain fatty acids such as stearic acid with lauric and myristic acid in the triglycerides, reducing the proportion of SSS triglycerides (where S is stearic acid), for example. This can improve the melting profile and mouthfeel of the fat. The redistribution of longer chain fatty acids with the shorter chain fatty acids is generally believed to cause crystallisation to start at lower temperatures, and at a slower rate, forming a weaker crystal network due to low solid fat content (SFC). Thus, interesterification may be expected to decrease the potential for the fat to build up structure and thicken. However, it has been surprisingly found that simply replacing fat with interesterified fat, or increasing the proportion of interesterified fat, does not in itself address the thickening issues resulting from temperature fluctuations. It is believed that by providing a fat blend comprising an interesterified fat, in which the proportion of PSP and PSS triglycerides is increased relative to typical fats used for whipping creams, the crystallisation kinetics can be modified to improve the resistance of a whipped cream made from the fat to thickening during storage, particularly at increased temperatures. Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is believed that these longer chain triglycerides may disrupt crystallisation of the other, lauric, triglycerides present in the fat to avoid development of a large crystal network in the fat that can cause viscosity.

[0014] A first aspect of the invention provides a fat blend comprising an interesterified fat and having: at least 70 wt.% saturated fatty acids; a combined lauric acid (C12:0) and myristic acid (C14:0) content of from 50 to 75 wt.%; a combined stearic acid and palmitic acid content of from 20 to 40 wt.%; and a combined C50 and C52 triglyceride content of from 5 to 12 wt.%, the C50 and C52 triglycerides comprising dipalmitoyl-stearoyl glycerol (PSP) and distearoyl-palmitoyl glycerol (PSS).By providing a fat blend having a level of PSP and PSS above that typically present in such blends, the fat blend can provide an advantageous balance of providing structure to the fat by the presence of longer chain fatty acids, and maintaining a favourable melting profile at human body temperature, but mitigates coalescence of fat globules that can lead to undesirable viscosity increases when the fat is stored, for example in the form of an emulsion such as a whipped cream.

[0015] Where a fatty acid is referred to, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the notation Cn:0 refers to the saturated fatty acid containing “n” carbon atoms and no double bonds, for example lauric acid, C12:0 contains 12 carbon atoms and no double bonds. Unsaturated fatty acids denote the number of double bonds in the fatty acid, such as oleic acid, C18:1, having 18 carbon atoms and 1 double bond. Similarly, fatty acids in triglycerides are denoted by letters for ease of reference, for example: capric acid, “Ca” (C10:0); lauric acid, “La” (C12:0); myristic acid “M" (C14:0); palmitic acid, “P” (C16:0); and stearic acid “S” (C18:0). As will also be appreciated, a triglyceride denoted as, for example, “PSP”, refers to a triglyceride containing the relevant fatty acids.

[0016] The fat blend suitably comprises at least 70 wt.% saturated fatty acids. Preferably the fat blend comprises at least 80 wt.% saturated fatty acids. More preferably the fat blend comprises at least 90 wt.%, for example at least 95 wt.%, saturated fatty acids. The fat blend may comprise at least 98 wt.% saturated fatty acids, for example at least 99 wt.% saturated fatty acids. The fat blend may, for example, comprise or consist essentially of fully hydrogenated fats, in which the unsaturated fatty acids are converted to saturated fatty acids by hydrogenation of the double bonds. It will be appreciated that even in the case of fully hydrogenated fats, there may be insignificant quantities of unsaturated fatty acids remaining, typically below 1 wt.%, such as below 0.5 wt.%.

[0017] The fat blend has a combined lauric acid (C12:0) and myristic acid (C14:0) content of from 50 to 75 wt.%. It will be appreciated that the presence of substantial proportions of these fatty acids typically provide fats that are solid at room temperature, which can also provide desirable melting at the temperature of the human body, for example in the mouth. Preferably, the fat blend has a combined lauric acid and myristic acid content of from 55 to70 wt.%, more preferably from 57 to 65 wt.%. In addition, the fat blend preferably comprises a larger proportion of lauric acid than myristic acid. The fat blend preferably has a lauric acid content of from 40 to 55 wt.%, more preferably from 42 to 50 wt.%, such as 45 to 50 wt.%, and / or the fat blend preferably has a myristic acid content of from 10 to 20 wt.%, more preferably from 13 to 18 wt.%.

[0018] The fat blend has a combined stearic acid and palmitic acid content of from 20 to 40 wt.%. Thus, while the fat blend comprises C16 and / or C18 fatty acids, the majority of the fatty acids in the fat blend are shorter C12 and / or C14 fatty acids. Preferably, the fat blend has a combined stearic acid and palmitic acid content of from 25 to 35 wt.%. In addition, the fat blend preferably comprises a larger proportion of stearic acid than palmitic acid. For example, the fat blend preferably has a stearic acid content of from 15 to 25 wt.%, and / or a palmitic acid content of from 5 to 15 wt.%.

[0019] Preferably, the fat blend comprises at least 80 wt.%, more preferably at least 90 wt.%, such as at least 95 wt.%, C10 to C18 fatty acids (i.e. fatty acids having between 10 and 18 carbon atoms), preferably saturated C10 to C18 fatty acids.

[0020] It will be appreciated that the determination of the quantity of fatty acids in a fat blend is known in the art, and may be determined, for example, by fatty acid methyl ester analysis (FAME) using gas chromatography according to ISO 12966-2 and ISO 12966.4. It will also be appreciated that the percentages of fatty acids refers to the proportion of fatty acids bound as acyl groups in glycerides in the fat blend based on the total weight of C4 to C24 fatty acid residues bound as acyl groups present in the blend fat.

[0021] It will be appreciated that where a “On” triglyceride is referred to herein, this refers to a triglyceride in which the combined three fatty acid residues have a total of “n” carbon atoms. For example, a “C50” triglyceride refers to triglycerides in which the three fatty acid residues together contain 50 carbon atoms in total, such as PSP (C16+C18+C16).

[0022] The determination of the proportion of triglycerides in a fat blend is known in the art, and may, for example, be measured by HPLC. For example, triglyceride composition can bedetermined by HPLC using a Refractive Index detector by the following method, which is based on the AOCS Ce 5b-89 standard.

[0023] - Take out approx. 75 mg oil (~3 drops) in a sample glass. Melt the sample and dissolve it immediately in 1.2 ml acetone-THF 1:1. The solutions are kept at room temperature for maximum 3 days. If a sample cannot be dissolved, the proportions of the acetone-THF solution may be changed up to 100% THF.

[0024] - The HPLC is operated as follows, using 2 100 mm x 4.6 mm Spherisob 3pm ODS2 and 1 150 mm x 4.6 mm Spherisob 3pm ODS2 columns (calibration is applied daily using a standard reference).

[0025] Mobile phase: Methyl ter-butyl ether (MTBE) - Acetonitrile (33:67)

[0026] Flow: 0.8 ml / min

[0027] Injection volume: 20pl

[0028] Column temp.: 20°C ± 0,5°C

[0029] Stop time: 150 min

[0030] Pressure: ~3000 psi

[0031] - The content of the individual triglyceride is given as:

[0032]

[0033] Ax= area of the identified triglyceride, Atotai = total area of identified triglycerides.

[0034] As discussed herein, the presence of PSP and PSS triglycerides in the fat blend is believed to provide beneficial crystallisation properties to the fat blend that can mitigate problems with thickening during storage of emulsions containing the fat. The fat blend suitably has a combined C50 and C52 triglyceride content of from 5 to 12 wt.%, the C50 and C52 triglycerides comprising dipalmitoyl-stearoyl glycerol (PSP) and distearoyl-palmitoyl glycerol (PSS). Preferably, the fat blend has a combined C50 and C52 triglyceride content of from 6 to 10 wt.%, preferably from 7 to 9 wt.%. Thus, the fat blend may have a combined C50 and C52 triglyceride content of from 5.0 to 12.0 wt.%, preferably from 6.0 to 10.0 wt.%,more preferably from 7.0 to 9.0 wt.%. In addition to the combined proportion of C50 and C52 triglycerides, the fat blend preferably comprises at least 3 wt.% C50 triglycerides and / or at least 3 wt.% C52 triglycerides, for example at least 3.0 wt.% C50 triglycerides and / or at least 3.0 wt.% C52 triglycerides. Preferably, a substantial portion of the C50 and C52 triglycerides comprise PSP and PSS triglycerides, for example wherein at least 50 wt.%, preferably at least 60 wt.%, of the combined C50 and C52 triglycerides comprise PSP and / or PSS triglycerides. For example, the fat blend preferably comprises at least 1.5 wt.% PSP triglycerides and / or at least 2.5 wt.%, preferably at least 3.0 wt.%, PSS triglycerides. The fat blend preferably has a combined PSP and PSS content of at least 3 wt.%, for example at least 4 wt.%.

[0035] The fat blend preferably has a combined C36, C38 and C40 triglyceride content of from 35 to 55 wt.%, more preferably from 40 wt.% to 50 wt.%. The C36 trigycleride content of the fat blend is preferably 20 wt.% or less.

[0036] Preferably the fat blend has a combined C42 and C44 content of from 14 to 27 wt.%, preferably from 15 to 24 wt.%, more preferably from 16 to 21 wt.%. In preferred embodiments, the combined C42 and C44 triglyceride content may be at least 16.0 wt.%, for example at least 17 wt.%, such as at least 18 wt.%, and it will be appreciated that such lower limits may be used in combination with the aforementioned ranges.

[0037] The fat blend preferably has a C42 triglyceride content of from 8 to 16 wt.%, preferably from 9 to 14 wt.%, more preferably from 10 to 13 wt.%. Thus, preferably, the C42 triglyceride content of the fat blend is 10 wt.% or more such as 10.0 wt.% or more, which lower limit may suitably be combined with the aforementioned ranges.

[0038] The fat blend preferably has a C44 triglyceride content of from 5 to 10 wt.%, preferably from 6 to 9 wt.%, preferably from 7 to 8 wt.%. The C44 triglyceride content of the fat blend may be 7.0 wt.% or more, which lower limit may suitably be combined with the aforementioned ranges.The fat blend may be formed from any suitable sources of fat. The fat blend may comprise vegetable fats and / or animal fats. In some embodiments, the fat blend comprises or consists essentially of vegetable fats and / or is substantially free from animal fats.

[0039] Preferably, the fat blend comprises palm kernel oil, babassu oil, coconut oil, cohune oil, macauba kernel oil and / or cuphea oil, any fractions thereof, any oils derived therefrom, including interesterified forms, or any combination thereof. It will be appreciated that these fats may typically considered to be “lauric oils” and can provide substantial proportions of lauric acid in the triglcyerides and any suitable lauric oil may be used in the fat blend. Preferably, the fat blend comprises palm kernel oil, macauba kernel oil and / or coconut oil, more preferably palm kernel oil and / or coconut oil, most preferably the fat blend comprises palm kernel oil any fractions thereof, any oils derived therefrom, including interesterified forms, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the fat blend comprises the olein of a lauric oil such as palm kernel olein, macauba kernel olein and / or coconut olein or any combination thereof, more preferably palm kernel olein and / or coconut olein.

[0040] The fat blend may suitably comprise fully hydrogenated fat. As will be appreciated, hydrogenation of fats is known in the art and a fully hydrogenated fat is a fat in which the unsaturated fatty acids have been converted to saturated fatty acids. For example, the fat blend may suitably comprise a fully hydrogenated lauric oil, such as palm kernel oil. Preferably, the fat blend comprises at least 70 wt.% fully hydrogenated fat, preferably at least 80 wt.% fully hydrogenated fat. More preferably the fat blend comprises at least 90 wt.% fully hydrogenated fat, for example at least 95 wt.% fully hydrogenated fat. The fat blend may comprise at least 98 wt.% fully hydrogenated fat, for example at least 99 wt.% fully hydrogenated fat. For example, the fat blend may consist essentially of fully hydrogenated fat.

[0041] In some embodiments, the fat blend comprises the fully hydrogenated olein of a lauric oil, such as palm kernel olein, macauba kernel olein and / or coconut olein, any oils derived therefrom, including interesterified forms, or any combination thereof, more preferably palm kernel olein and / or coconut olein. The olein fraction of lauric oils contains enriched levels of C50 and C52 triglycerides, in particular C52 such as POO.The fat blend comprises an interesterified fat. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, an interesterified fat is one that has been subjected to chemical interesterification, enzymatic interesterification, or a combination thereof, preferably chemical interesterification. Enzymatic interesterification uses lipase catalysts, while chemical interesterification typically uses a catalyst such as sodium methoxide. Any suitable interesterification process known in the art can be used to produce the interesterified fat. Suitable process conditions for interesterification are known in the art. For example, the interesterification process conditions discussed in EP2196094 can be used. As is known in the art, interesterification redistributes the fatty acids between triglyceride molecules, and can provide an increased proportion of triglycerides containing a mixture of different fatty acids. The interesterification may suitably be carried out to equilibrium, to provide a fully interesterified fat. Preferably, the fat blend comprises at least 40 wt.% of interesterified fat, for example at least 50 wt.%, such as at least 55 wt.% interesterified fat. In addition, the fat blend may comprise 75 wt.% or less interesterified fat, for example 70 wt.% or less, such as 65 wt.% or less interesterified fat. Thus, the fat blend may preferably comprise from 40 to 75 wt.% interesterified fat, more preferably from 50 to 70 wt.% interesterified fat, for example from 55 to 65 wt.% interesterified fat.

[0042] The fat blend preferably comprises a first interesterified fat and a second non-interesterified fat. The first and second fats are preferably fully hydrogenated. The first and / or the second fat preferably comprise a lauric oil as defined previously herein, more preferably the first fat and the second fat comprise palm kernel oil, any fraction thereof, any oil derived therefrom, including interesterified forms, for example fully hydrogenated palm kernel oil and / or palm kernel olein.

[0043] In some embodiments, the fat blend comprises from 50 to 70 wt.%, preferably from 55 to 65 wt.%, of the first interesterified fat, and from 25 to 50 wt.%, preferably from 30 to 45 wt.%, of the second non-interesterified fat.

[0044] In other preferable embodiments, the fat blend comprises from 5 to 40 wt.% of the first interesterified fat, and from 50 to 95 wt.% of the second non-interesterified fat. In some of these embodiments, the fat blend comprises from 10 to 20 wt.% of the first interesterified fat, and from 80 to 90 wt.% of the second non-interesterified fat. In other embodiments,the fat blend comprises from 30 to 40 wt.% of the first interesterified fat, and from 55 to 65 wt.% of the second non-interesterified fat.

[0045] The first and second fats together preferably have a combined lauric and myristic acid content of at least 50 wt.%, preferably at least 55 wt.%. Preferably, the first and second fats together have a combined C36, C38 and C40 triglyceride content of from 35 to 55 wt.%, preferably from 40 wt.% to 50 wt.%. Preferably, the first and second fats together have a combined C42 and C44 triglyceride content of from 14 to 27 wt.%, preferably from 15 to 24 wt.%, more preferably from 16 to 21 wt.%. The first and second fats combined preferably have a combined C50 and C52 content of 5 wt.% or less. The first and second fats combined preferably have a combined PSP and PSS content of less than 4 wt.%.

[0046] In addition to the first and second fats, the fat blend preferably comprises a third fat having a combined palmitic acid and stearic acid content of at least 70 wt.%, preferably at least 80 wt.%, more preferably at least 90 wt.%. The third fat preferably has a combined C50 and C52 triglyceride content, preferably a combined PSP and PSS content, of at least 60 wt.%, preferably at least 70 wt.%. It has been found that a fat blend as described herein may conveniently be prepared by the addition of a fat high in PSP and PSS triglycerides to a fat high in shorter chain fatty acids.

[0047] The third fat may be obtained from any suitable fat source. The third fat preferably comprises a fully hydrogenated fat. Preferably, the third fat comprises palm oil, baobab oil, illipe butter, milk fat, lard, beef tallow, any fractions thereof, any oils derived therefrom, including interesterified forms, or any combination thereof, preferably the third fat comprises or consists essentially of palm oil or fractions thereof, such as palm oil midfraction. Palm oil mid fraction comprises increased proportions of palmitic-oleic-palmitic triglyceride (POP) and palmitic-oleic-oleic triglyceride (POO) compared to palm oil, which accordingly are converted to PSP and PSS after hydrogenation. The third fat is preferably derived from vegetable fats, and may be substantially free of animal fats.

[0048] The third fat is preferably present in the fat blend at an amount of from 1 to 10 wt.%, preferably from 2 to 8 wt.%, more preferably from 3 to 6 wt.%.Preferably, the fat blend comprises at least 90 wt.% of the first, second and third fats as described herein, more preferably at least 95 wt.%, such as at least 98 wt.%, for example the fat blend may consist essentially of the first, second and third fats.

[0049] As described, a fat blend as defined herein may conveniently be prepared by the addition of a fat high in PSP and PSS triglycerides to a fat high in shorter chain fatty acids. For example, in preferred embodiments, the fat blend comprises a mixture of a fat having:

[0050] a saturated fatty acid content of at least 80 wt.%;

[0051] a combined lauric acid (C12:0) and myristic acid (C14:0) content of from 50 to 75 wt.%;

[0052] a combined stearic acid (C18:0) and palmitic acid (C16:0) content of from 20 to 40 wt.%;

[0053] a combined C42 and C44 triglyceride content of from 14 to 27 wt.%; and a combined C50 and C52 content of 5 wt.% or less;

[0054] with a fat comprising PSP and PSS.

[0055] Preferably, the fat comprising PSP and PSS is a third fat as defined herein. The fat that is mixed with the fat comprising PSP and PSS may suitably be a mixture of a first and second fat as defined elsewhere herein, or may be derived from any suitable fat source.

[0056] The fat blend may preferably comprise a mixture of fully hydrogenated palm kernel oil, interesterified fully hydrogenated palm kernel oil, and a fat comprising PSP and PSS, preferably a third fat as defined elsewhere herein.

[0057] A further aspect provides a process for preparing a fat blend comprising mixing:

[0058] i. a fat having a combined C50 and C52 content of less than 5 wt.%; and ii. a fat comprising PSP and PSS, to provide a combined C50 and C52 content in the fat blend of from 5 to 12 wt.%;the fat blend comprising an interesterified fat and having:

[0059] - a saturated fatty acid content of at least 80 wt.%;

[0060] - a combined lauric acid (C12:0) and myristic acid (C14:0) content of from 50 to 75 wt.%;

[0061] - a combined stearic acid and palmitic acid content of from 20 to 40 wt.%.

[0062] It will be appreciated that the fat blend, its composition, and its components may be as defined previously herein, and the fat blend defined previously herein and its components may suitably be produced by the processes defined herein.

[0063] The fat (i) may have a saturated fatty acid content of at least 80 wt.%; a combined lauric acid (C12:0) and myristic acid (C14:0) content of from 50 to 75 wt.%; a combined stearic acid and palmitic acid content of from 20 to 40 wt.%; a combined C42 and C44 triglyceride content of from 14 to 27 wt.%; and a combined C50 and C52 triglyceride content of 5 wt.% or less. Preferably, the fat (i) used in the process comprises a first interesterified fat, and a second non-interesterified fat, which are preferably as defined elsewhere herein.

[0064] Preferably, the fat (ii) comprises a third fat as defined elsewhere herein.

[0065] The process preferably comprises mixing from 90 to 99 wt.% of fat (i) with from 1 to 10 wt.% of fat (ii), preferably from 92 to 98 wt.% of fat (i) with from 2 to 8 wt.% of fat (ii), more preferably from 94 to 97 wt.% of fat (i) with from 3 to 6 wt.% of fat (ii).

[0066] Preferably, fat (i) has a combined C50 and C52 triglyceride content of less than 6 wt.%, and fat (ii) is added to provide a combined C50 and C52 triglyceride content in the fat blend of at least 6 wt.% (for example at least 6.0 wt.%), preferably wherein fat (i) has a combined C50 and C52 triglyceride content of less than 7 wt.%, and fat (ii) is added to provide a combined C50 and C52 triglyceride content in the fat blend of at least 7 wt.% (for example at least 7.0 wt.%).

[0067] In embodiments which comprise the olein of a lauric oil, such as palm kernel olein, it may not be necessary to include a fat comprising PSP and PSS or a third fat as defined hereinin order to obtain the elevated levels of PSP and PSS in the fat blend. This is because lauric oleins comprise elevated levels of C50 and C52 triglycerides, in particular C52 triglycerides such as POO. A further aspect provides a food product comprising a fat blend as defined herein or a fat blend produced by the processes defined herein.

[0068] The food product is preferably an emulsified product comprising the fat blend. As will be appreciated, the fat component of the emulsion may comprise at least 90 wt.% of the fat blend, preferably at least 95 wt.% of the fat blend, such as at least 99 wt.% of the fat blend. For example, the fat component of the emulsion may consist essentially of the fat blend.

[0069] Preferably, the food product is a whipping cream composition. Whipping creams are known in the art and the whipping cream may comprise any suitable mixture of the fat blend with water to form an emulsion. The whipping cream composition suitably comprises from 1 to 40 wt.% of the fat blend and up to 80 wt.% water; preferably the whipping cream composition comprises from 4 to 35 wt.% of the fat blend, for example from 15 to 30 wt.% of the fat blend.

[0070] The whipping cream composition may further comprise protein, such as non-animal protein. When included, the protein is preferably present in the whipping cream composition in an amount of from 0.1 to 5 wt.% of the composition. In alternative embodiments, the whipping cream composition may be free of protein.

[0071] The whipping cream composition typically comprises one or more emulsifiers. Preferably the one or more emulsifiers are present in an amount of up to 1 wt.% of the composition. Any suitable emulsifier may be included. For example, an anionic emulsifier may be included such as sodium steroyl lactylate, diacetyltartaric acid esters of monoglycerides or diglycerides, polyglycerol esters of fatty acids, polysorbates, monoglycerides, monodiglycerides, lactic acid esters of mono and diglycerides, lecithins, sorbitan monostearates, or combinations thereof.

[0072] The whipping cream composition typically comprises one or more hydrocolloid stabilisers. Preferably, the one or more hydrocolloid stabilisers are present in the compositions in an amount of up to 1 wt.% of the composition. Hydrocolloid stabilisers may be added to thecompositions to further improve the stability of the whipped cream and improve whipping properties such as overrun and foam firmness. Hydrocolloid stabilisers may be particularly desirable when the whipping cream compositions are free of protein. Examples of suitable hydrocolloid stabilisers include cellulose ether products such as methyl cellulose, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose and hydroxypropyl cellulose.

[0073] The term whipping cream as used herein is used to refer to an oil-in-water emulsion, which can be aerated by whipping, whereby fat globules collide and partially coalesce, forming aggregates or clusters that stabilise the foam structure.

[0074] The term “whipping cream” is used synonymously with “whipped topping” herein.

[0075] The whipping cream compositions may include additional additives such as sugars, sweeteners, such as sorbitol(polyol) (E420), bulking agents, flavourings, salts, and other additives known in the art for inclusion in such compositions. Sugars may, for example, comprise corn syrup, glucose syrup, glucose, fructose, sucrose, dextrin, dextrose, or a combination thereof

[0076] In some embodiments, the whipping cream composition further comprises an animal milk-derived protein, preferably wherein the animal-milk derived protein comprises casein.

[0077] The whipped cream compositions can be used in any suitable application known in the art such as dessert toppings or accompaniments, or ice cream, or cake decoration, such as wherein the whipped cream composition coats a cake, similar to frosting or icing, or wherein the whipped cream composition is used as a filling between cake layers.

[0078] The food product may suitably comprise a whipped cream composition formed from the whipping cream composition, in which the whipping cream has been aerated. The amount aeration of a whipped food product may be defined by overrun. The whipped cream may have an overrun of more than 20% and preferably less than 350%. Most preferably the product is a product having an overrun of from 150 to 300%, for example from 200 to 280%, such as from 230% to 280%. Overrun is defined by the following equation and is measured at atmospheric pressure: Overrun % = ((density of unwhipped cream - densityof whipped cream) / density of whipped cream) x 100.

[0079] The whipping cream composition and / or the whipped cream composition may exhibit a viscosity less than 100 mPa.s when stored at 4°C for one month or less, and / or may exhibit a viscosity of 500 mPa.s or less, preferably 400 mPa.s or less, such as 350 mPa.s or less, when subjected to temperature fluctuation cycles for 96 hours. The viscosity is suitably measured using a rotational viscometer (such as an Anton Paar or Brookfield viscometer). Viscosity is suitably measured at 20 °C, at 100 rpm and measuring as a multipoint average at 20 second intervals for 60 seconds of spindle rotation. Measurements can be obtained using a spindle having concentric cylinder geometry to allow measurements of low viscosity Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids, such as ULA (for sample volumes around 15ml) or HB spindles provided by Brookfield or L2 spindles provided by Anton Parr (for sample volumes of 180 to 200ml).

[0080] The food product is preferably substantially free of animal protein and / or animal fats, more preferably, the food product is free of animal protein and / or animal fats. For example, the food product is preferably substantially free of animal-derived products, more preferably, the food product is free of animal-derived products.

[0081] In some embodiments, the food product further comprises one or more animal-derived products such as animal oils, marine oils, animal-derived proteins, animal-derived polysaccharides, or any combination thereof; preferably wherein the one or more animal-derived products comprise animal milk proteins, animal milk fats, or a combination thereof.

[0082] When present, the one or more animal-derived products may be present in the food product in an amount of from 1 to 20 wt.%.

[0083] A further aspect provides the use of a triglyceride additive comprising dipalmitoyl-stearoyl glycerol (PSP) and distearoyl-palmitoyl glycerol (PSS) in a fat blend to improve the thermal stability of an emulsion comprising the fat blend, preferably a whipping cream composition.

[0084] A further aspect provides the use of a triglyceride additive comprising dipalmitoyl-stearoyl glycerol (PSP) and distearoyl-palmitoyl glycerol (PSS) in a fat blend to reduce the viscosityof an emulsion comprising the fat blend, preferably a whipping cream composition. For example, the use of a triglyceride additive comprising PSP and PSS in a fat blend to reduce the viscosity of an emulsion comprising the fat blend, preferably a whipping cream composition, when stored above 20 °C.

[0085] In relation to the above-described uses, the triglyceride additive preferably has a combined a palmitic acid and stearic acid content of at least 70 wt.%, preferably at least 80 wt.%, more preferably at least 90 wt.%. Preferably, the triglyceride additive has a combined C50 and C52 triglyceride content, preferably a combined PSP and PSS content, of at least 60 wt.%, more preferably at least 70 wt.%.

[0086] Preferably, the triglyceride additive comprises a fully hydrogenated fat and / or the triglyceride additive comprises palm oil, baobab oil, shea oil, sal fat, milk fat, lard, tallow, or combinations thereof, preferably palm oil or fractions thereof, such as palm oil mid fraction. In particular, the triglyceride additive may comprise or consist essentially of fully hydrogenated palm oil or of fully hydrogenated palm oil mid fraction. Palm oil mid fraction comprises increased proportions of palmitic-oleic-palmitic triglyceride (POP) and palmitic-oleic-oleic triglyceride (POO) compared to palm oil, which accordingly are converted to PSP and PSS after hydrogenation.

[0087] The triglyceride additive is preferably present in the fat blend at an amount so as to provide a combined C50 and C52 triglyceride content of from 5 to 12 wt.% (such as from 5.0 wt.% to 12.0 wt.%), preferably from 6 to 10 wt.% (such as from 6.0 wt.% to 10.0 wt.%), more preferably from 7 to 9 wt.% (such as from 7.0 wt.% to 9.0 wt.%). Preferably, the triglyceride additive is present in the fat blend at an amount so as to provide a dipalmitoyl-stearoyl glycerol (PSP) and distearoyl-palmitoyl glycerol (PSS) content of at least 3 wt.%, more preferably at least 4 wt.%.

[0088] The invention will now be described by reference to the following non-limiting Examples and by reference to the Figures, in which:

[0089] Figure 1 is a series of graphs showing viscosity measurements of the whipping creams of Example 5, Comparative Example 7 and Comparative Example 8.Figure 2 shows particle size distribution curves of Comparative Example 7 and Example 6.

[0090] Figure 3 shows monitoring for cracking after 2 days at ambient temperature of Comparative Example 7 and Example 6.

[0091] Figure 4 shows Comparative Example 7 and Example 6 after freeze thaw cycles.

[0092] Examples

[0093] Preparation of fats and fat blends

[0094] Example 1

[0095] A fat blend was produced from a mixture of 60 wt.% fully hydrogenated palm kernel oil, 36 wt.% interesterified fully hydrogenated palm kernel oil, and 4 wt.% fully hydrogenated palm oil. The interesterified fully hydrogenated palm kernel oil used in all of the Examples was interesterified using sodium methoxide (0.06%, plus excess to account for peroxide value, free fatty acids and moisture) for at least 20 minutes at 90 °C under vacuum.

[0096] Example 2

[0097] A fat blend was produced from a mixture of 85% fully hydrogenated palm kernel olein and 15% interesterified fully hydrogenated palm kernel oil. In addition, 0.02% sunflower lecithin and 0.003% citric acid were added, though these are not required to achieve the object of the invention.

[0098] Comparative Example 3

[0099] A typical fully hydrogenated palm kernel oil was used to provide a comparison with the fat of Example 1.

[0100] Comparative Example 4

[0101] A fat blend was produced from a mixture of 60 wt.% fully hydrogenated palm kernel oil and 40 wt.% interesterified fully hydrogenated palm kernel oil.The fatty acid profiles of the fat blends of Example 1, Example 2 and Comparative Examples 3 and 4 are shown below in Table 1 , and the triglyceride compositions are shown in Table 2 (shown as the total carbon number of the three fatty acid residues on the triglyceride). The quantities are listed as wt.% of the fat blend.

[0102] Triglyceride composition can be determined by HPLC using a Refractive Index detector by the following method, which is based on the AOCS Ce 5b-89 standard.

[0103] Take out approx. 75 mg oil (~3 drops) in a sample glass. Melt the sample and dissolve it immediately in 1.2 ml acetone-THF 1:1. The solutions are kept at room temperature for maximum 3 days. If a sample cannot be dissolved, the proportions of the acetone-THF solution may be changed up to 100% THF.

[0104] The HPLC is operated as follows, using 2 100 mm x 4.6 mm Spherisob 3pm ODS2 and 1 150 mm x 4.6 mm Spherisob 3pm ODS2 columns (calibration is applied daily using a standard reference).

[0105] Mobile phase: Methyl ter-butyl ether (MTBE) - Acetonitrile (33:67)

[0106] Flow: 0.8 ml / min

[0107] Injection volume: 20pl

[0108] Column temp.: 20°C ± 0,5°C

[0109] Stop time: 150 min

[0110] Pressure: ~3000 psi

[0111] The content of the individual triglyceride is given as:

[0112]

[0113] Ax= area of the identified triglyceride, Atotai = total area of identified triglycerides.

[0114] The fatty acid profile may be determined, for example, by fatty acid methyl ester analysis (FAME) using gas chromatography according to ISO 12966-2 and ISO 12966.4.Table 1

[0115] Fat blend

[0116] Comparative Comparative Fatty acid Example 1 Example 2

[0117] Example 3 Example 4 C6:0 0.20 0.0 0.0 0.17 C8:0 3.34 4.1 3.6 2.88 C10:0 3.18 3.4 3.3 2.92 C12:0 47.73 43.2 47.8 46.56 C14:0 15.35 13.7 16.3 15.86 C16:0 9.63 9.4 8.6 9.10 C18:0 20.23 24.4 19.0 21.50 C18:1 0.33 0.9 0.8 0.65 C18:2 0.00 0.00 0.2 0.13 C20:0 0.00 0.00 0.2 0.24

[0118]

[0119] Table 2

[0120] Fat blend

[0121] Comparative Comparative Triglyceride Example 1 Example 2

[0122] Example 3 Example 4 C30 1.22 1.2 0.9 1.22 C32 5.47 6.3 5.6 5.75 C34 6.87 8.4 8.1 7.07 C36 18.72 19.1 22.3 18.88 C38 15.47 13.7 17.5 16.04 C40 10.16 8.7 10.6 10.78 C42 11.48 10.5 9.8 13.13 C44 7.52 7.8 7.0 8.24 C46 5.26 6.3 5.2 5.41 C48 6.11 7.2 5.6 5.70 C50 3.91 3.5 2.5 2.29 C52 3.66 3.5 2.3 1.87 C54 2.68 3.1 2.0 1.79

[0123]

[0124] Preparation of whipping creams

[0125] Whipping creams were produced by forming an emulsion with the fats of Examples 1 and 2 and Comparative Examples 3 and 4.

[0126] Whipping cream compositions for Example 1 and Comparative Example 4 were produced according to the recipe in Table 3, with each fat being used at 25 wt.% in the whipping cream.

[0127] Whipping cream compositions for Example 2 and Comparative Example 3 were produced according to the recipe in Table 4, with each fat being used at 25 wt.% in the whipping cream.

[0128] Four whipping cream compositions were made using the fats of Examples 1 and 2 and Comparative Examples 3 and 4. The fat used in each example is as follows:Whipping cream

[0129] Whipping cream: Fat used

[0130] recipe

[0131] Example 5: Example 1 Table 3

[0132] Example 6 Example 2 Table 4

[0133] Comparative Example Comparative Table 4

[0134] 7: Example 3

[0135] Comparative Example Comparative Table 3

[0136] 8: Example 4

[0137]

[0138] Table 3

[0139] Ingredient (%)

[0140] Water 55.70

[0141] Fat 25.00

[0142] Sugar 13.00

[0143] Emulsifier and Stabilizer System* 3.20

[0144] Dextrose 3.00

[0145] Salt 0.10

[0146]

[0147] * Tate & Lyle Hamultec hydrocolloid blend, comprising: Dried Glucose Syrup, Sorbitol (E 420), Polysorbate 60 (E 435), Sodium Stearoyl-2-Lactylate (E 481), Sodium Citrates (E 331), Hydroxypropylmethyl Cellulose (E 464), Cellulose (E 460), Mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids (E 471), Polyglycerol Esters of Fatty Acids (E 475), Sodium Carboxy Methyl Cellulose (E 466), Sodium Phosphates (E 339).

[0148] 1. The ingredients in Table 3 were used to form whipping creams from Example 1 and Comparative Example 4 according to the following process: The water is heated to 60°C.

[0149] 2. Stabilizer and the dry ingredients (sugar, stabilizer system, dextrose, salt) are dispersed in the water using a high shear mixer at 3500 RPM at 60°C.

[0150] 3. Allow to hydrate for at least 30 minutes, without agitation.

[0151] 4. The fat is melted and heated to 60 to 70°C.

[0152] 5. The fat is slowly poured into the water phase at 60 - 70°C using a high shear mixer at an average of 600 to 700 rpm, maximum 800 rpm.6. Heat treatment of the mixture, indirect heating at 85°C, flow of 50L / h to homogenizer.

[0153] 7. Homogenization, two stage, at 70°C and pressure 150 bar (first stage), 50 bar (second stage), total 200 bar.

[0154] 8. Cooling to below 8°C.

[0155] 9. Packing in 500mL containers.

[0156] 10. Cold storage at 4 - 6°C for 24 hours.

[0157] Table 4

[0158] Ingredient (%)

[0159] Water 55.20

[0160] Fat 25.00

[0161] Sugar 17.00

[0162] Sweetener (sorbitol) 1.00

[0163] Sodium Caseinate 0.80

[0164] HPMC 0.25

[0165] Xanthan 0.05

[0166] Lecithin 0.16

[0167] Mono-diglycerides 0.15

[0168] DATEM (E472e) 0.12

[0169] Potassium Sorbate 0.10

[0170] Disodium Phosphate 0.03

[0171] Salt 0.14

[0172]

[0173] The ingredients in Table 4 were used to form whipping creams from Example 2 and Comparative Example 3 according to the following process:

[0174] 1. Dissolve HPMC in water at 20°C under low agitation (600 rpm)

[0175] 2. Keep for 30 mins under low agitation (600 rpm) at room temperature to obtain a foam-free solution

[0176] 3. Heat the HPMC solution from step 1 to 55°C under low agitation (600 rpm) 4. Add the sodium caseinate under medium agitation (2000 rpm) and hydrate for 20 minutes under low agitation (600 rpm)

[0177] 5. Heat the solution to 60°C

[0178] 6. Add the sugars previously mixed with xanthan (sugar + sorbitol + xanthan) under medium agitation (2000 rpm)7. Add the melted fat + MDG + Datem + lecithin and mix for 5 minutes under high agitation (4000 rpm) *

[0179] 8. Add the salts (salt + potassium sorbate + Disodium phosphate) under medium agitation (2000 rpm)

[0180] 9. Pre-heating 75°C, main heating UHT 140°C or 145°Cfor4s (direct steam injection).

[0181] 10. First Cooling 70°C

[0182] 11. Downstream Homogenization at 150 / 50 bar (total 200)

[0183] 12. Second Cooling 15°C and Third Cooling 5°C

[0184] 13. Collect in bottles, temperature should be below 10°C

[0185] 14. Cold maturation (suggestion: max. 10°C / 24 hours)

[0186] The viscosity of each of the whipping creams was evaluated following the above steps and following further storage. Each whipping cream was divided into 5 samples (closed packages). The viscosity of one sample was measured immediately (Oh), and the remaining 4 samples stored at 35°C for 12h then at 20°C for 12h (repeated each 24h cycle), with samples measured for viscosity after 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours of storage under these temperature fluctuations. Viscosity was measured at using an Anton Paar rotational viscometer at 20 °C, 100 rpm, using an L2 spindle. Five measurements were performed on each sample at each storage duration (N=5). The viscosity was measured at 20, 40 and 60 seconds of spindle rotation to evaluate viscosity changes in response to shear stress. The tests were repeated on two separate batches of the whipping cream, produced on different days, and the average (mean) and standard deviation of these measurements for each example is shown in Tables 5 to 7.

[0187] Table 5: Example 5

[0188] Viscosity in mPa.s measured at:

[0189] 20s 40s 60s

[0190] Time (h) Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD

[0191] 0 60 4 60 4 59 3

[0192] 24 298 16 268 14 243 12

[0193] 48 231 9 224 8 218 8

[0194] 72 264 40 256 37 250 36

[0195]

[0196] 96 236 6 229 5 224 4Table 6: Comparative Example 7

[0197] Viscosity in mPa.s measured at:

[0198] 20s 40s 60s

[0199] Time (h) Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD

[0200] 0 71 22 72 24 72 25

[0201] 24 419 45 396 44 378 45

[0202] 48 649 80 741 108 812 114

[0203] 72 1585 71 1243 64 1018 62

[0204]

[0205] 96 1662 205 1371 24 1141 22

[0206] Table 7: Comparative Example 8

[0207] Viscosity in mPa.s measured at:

[0208] 20s 40s 60s

[0209] Time (h) Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD

[0210] 0 71 16 71 16 70 16

[0211] 24 626 248 632 281 624 295

[0212] 48 472 193 499 224 550 279

[0213] 72 544 263 596 316 629 348

[0214]

[0215] 96 481 228 490 240 500 251

[0216] Figure 1 shows the results of the viscosity measured at 60 seconds for each sample. As can be seen, the whipping cream of Example 5, made using the fat of Example 1, shows significantly lower viscosity increase during storage than the whipping creams of Comparative Examples 3 and 4. In addition, the emulsions prepared using the fat of Example 1 showed greater consistency of viscosity between the two separately produced samples (as seen by the standard deviation).

[0217] It is believed that by providing a fat blend comprising both interesterified fat and in which the proportion of PSP and PSS triglycerides have been increased (corresponding to C50 and C52 triglycerides), the crystallisation properties of the fat are improved, leading to lower viscosity increases over time at elevated temperatures.

[0218] In addition to improvements in stability during temperature fluctuations, the whipping cream of Example 5 and Example 6 maintained the sensory properties (texture, and organoleptic properties including taste, smell and mouthfeel) shown by the whipping creams of Comparative Examples 7 and 8.Shelf-life evaluation of whipping creams made according to the recipes of Example 5 and Comparative Examples 7 and 8 was also performed by storing the samples at 4°C for 1 month. After 1 month at 4°C, the whipping cream according to Example 5 showed a lower viscosity than those according to Comparative Examples 7 and 8. After 1 month at 4°C, the whipping creams were stored for 1 day at 30°C. The viscosity of all samples increased following this, with the sample according to Comparative Example 8 showing the largest increase and those corresponding to Example 5 and Comparative Example 7 showing similar viscosity. However, only the whipping cream according to Example 5 showed consistent measurements at 20s, 40s and 60s.

[0219] The above evaluations demonstrate that fat blends according to the present disclosure can provide improved thermal resistance when used in an emulsion such as a whipping cream. This is believed to be due to the improved stability of the fat crystals helping to maintain partial coalescence of the fat globules when subject to increased storage temperatures.

[0220] Additional properties were evaluated to compare whipped toppings prepared from the whipping cream compositions of Example 6 with that from Comparative Example 7.

[0221] The overrun of whipped toppings prepared from Comparative Example 7 and Example 6 are shown in Table 8.

[0222] Table 8

[0223] Sample Initial Initial Final Final Overrun Whipping Weight Temperature Weight Temperature (%) time (g) (C) (g) (C) (min) Comparative 185.58 5.8 47.78 13.5 288 6.00 Example 7

[0224] Example 6 185.94 5.6 45.70 13.0 306 6.00

[0225]

[0226] The whipped topping prepared using the fat blend of Example 6, exhibited a higher overrun than Comparative Example 7, indicating superior whipping performance.

[0227] Further, Figure 2 shows the particle dispersion of a whipped topping of Comparative Example 7 compared to Example 6. Example 6 recorded a shorter secondary peak, revealing a higher monodispersibility of the dispersed phase, which indicates more uniform fat dispersion in the oil in water emulsion.

[0228] Whipped toppings prepared with the whipping cream compositions of Comparative Example 7 and Example 6 were prepared and stored at room temperature and monitored for 2 days, after which microbiological contamination occurred. As shown in Figure 4, no cracking was observed during this period.

[0229] Furthermore, samples whipped toppings of Comparative Example 7 and Example 6 were subjected to freeze-thaw stability tests. The whipped toppings both showed excellent freeze-thaw stability without exhibiting any signs of cracking or shrinking during the monitoring period.

[0230] Accordingly, whipped toppings prepared from compositions comprising a fat blend according to the present invention match or exceed the properties of whipped toppings known in the art, in addition to other benefits described herein.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A fat blend comprising an interesterified fat and having:at least 70 wt.% saturated fatty acids;a combined lauric acid (C12:0) and myristic acid (C14:0) content of from 50 to 75 wt.%;a combined stearic acid and palmitic acid content of from 20 to 40 wt.%; and a combined C50 and C52 triglyceride content of from 5 to 12 wt.%, the C50 and C52 triglycerides comprising dipalmitoyl-stearoyl glycerol (PSP) and distearoylpalmitoyl glycerol (PSS).

2. A fat blend according to Claim 1 , wherein the fat blend comprises at least 80 wt.% saturated fatty acids, preferably at least 90 wt.%, more preferably at least 95 wt.%, for example at least 98 wt.%.

3. A fat blend according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, having a combined lauric acid and myristic acid content of from 55 to 70 wt.%, preferably from 57 to 65 wt.%, and / or having a lauric acid content of from 40 to 55 wt.%, preferably from 42 to 50 wt.%, such as 45 to 50 wt.%.

4. A fat blend according to any one of the preceding claims, having a combined stearic acid and palmitic acid content of from 25 to 35 wt.%.

5. A fat blend according to any one of the preceding claims, having a stearic acid content of from 15 to 25 wt.%, and / or a palmitic acid content of from 5 to 15 wt.%.

6. A fat blend according to any one of the preceding claims, having a combined C50 and C52 triglyceride content of from 6 to 10 wt.%, preferably from 7 to 9 wt.%, and / or wherein the fat blend has a combined PSP and PSS content of at least 3 wt.%, for example at least 4 wt.%.

7. A fat blend according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising at leasts wt.% C50 triglycerides and / or at least 3 wt.% C52 triglycerides.

8. A fat blend according to any one of the preceding claims, having a combined C36, C38, and C40 triglyceride content of from 35 to 55 wt.%, preferably from 40 wt.% to 50 wt.%.

9. A fat blend according to any one of the preceding claims, having a combined C42 and C44 triglyceride content of from 14 to 27 wt.%, preferably from 15 to 24 wt.%, more preferably from 16 to 21 wt.%.

10. A fat blend according to any one of the preceding claims, having a C42 triglyceride content of from 8 to 16 wt.%, preferably from 9 to 14 wt.%, more preferably from 10 to 13 wt.%.

11. A fat blend according to any one of the preceding claims, having a C44 triglyceride content of from 5 to 10 wt.%, preferably from 6 to 9 wt.%.

12. A fat blend according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising fully hydrogenated fat.

13. A fat blend according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fat blend comprises palm kernel oil, babassu oil, coconut oil, cohune oil, macauba kernel oil and / or cuphea oil, any fractions thereof, any oils derived therefrom, including interesterified forms, or any combination thereof, preferably palm kernel oil, macauba kernel oil and / or coconut oil, more preferably palm kernel oil, coconut oil, palm kernel olein and / or coconut olein, most preferably palm kernel oil and / or palm kernel olein.

14. A fat blend according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a first interesterified fat, and a second non-interesterified fat.

15. A fat blend according to Claim 14, wherein the first and / or the second fat are fully hydrogenated fats, preferably wherein both the first fat and the second fat are fully hydrogenated.

16. A fat blend according to Claim 14 or Claim 15, wherein the first and / or the second fat comprise palm kernel oil and / or coconut oil, any fractions thereof, any oils derived therefrom, including interesterified forms, or any combination thereof, preferably wherein the first fat and the second fat comprise palm kernel oil, for example fully hydrogenated palm kernel oil.

17. A fat blend according to any one of Claims 14 to 16, wherein the fat blend comprises from 50 to 70 wt.%, preferably from 55 to 65 wt.%, of the first interesterified fat, and from 25 to 50 wt.%, preferably from 30 to 45 wt.%, of the second non-interesterified fat.

18. A fat blend according to any one of Claims 14 to 16, wherein the fat blend comprises from 5 to 40 wt.% of the first interesterified fat, and from 50 to 95 wt.% of the second non-interesterified fat.

19. A fat blend according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fat blend comprises a third fat having a combined palmitic acid and stearic acid content of at least 70 wt.%, preferably at least 80 wt.%, more preferably at least 90 wt.%.

20. A fat blend according to Claim 19, wherein the third fat has a combined C50 and C52 triglyceride content, preferably a combined PSP and PSS content, of at least 60 wt.%, preferably at least 70 wt.%.

21. A fat blend according to Claim 19 or Claim 20, wherein the third fat comprises a fully hydrogenated fat.

22. A fat blend according to any one of Claims 19 to 21, wherein the third fat comprises palm oil, baobab oil, illipe butter, milk fat, lard, beef tallow, any fractions thereof, any oils derived therefrom, including interesterified forms, or any combination thereof, preferably palm oil or a fraction thereof, such as palm oil mid-fraction.

23. A fat blend according to any one of Claims 19 to 22, wherein the third fat is present at an amount of from 1 to 10 wt.%, preferably from 2 to 8 wt.%, more preferably from 3 to 6 wt.%.

24. A fat blend according to any one of the preceding claims comprising a mixture of a fat having:a saturated fatty acid content of at least 80 wt.%;a combined lauric acid (C12:0) and myristic acid (C14:0) content of from 50 to 75 wt.%;a combined stearic acid and palmitic acid content of from 20 to 40 wt.%; a combined C42 and C44 triglyceride content of from 14 to 27 wt.%; and a combined C50 and C52 triglyceride content of 5 wt.% or less; and a fat comprising PSP and PSS, preferably a third fat as defined in any one of Claims 18 to 22.

25. A fat blend according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a mixture of fully hydrogenated palm kernel oil, interesterified fully hydrogenated palm kernel oil, and a fat comprising PSP and PSS, preferably a third fat as defined in any one of Claims 19 to 23.

26. A fat blend according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a mixture of fully hydrogenated palm kernel olein and interesterified fully hydrogenated palm kernel oil.

27. A fat blend according to Claim 26, wherein the fat blend comprises from 10% to 20% by weight of interesterified fully hydrogenated palm kernel oil and from 80% to 90% of fully hydrogenated palm kernel olein.

28. A process for preparing a fat blend comprising mixing:i. a fat having a combined C50 and C52 triglyceride content of less than 5 wt.%; andii. a fat comprising PSP and PSS, to provide a combined C50 and C52 triglyceride content in the fat blend of from 5 to 12 wt.%;the fat blend comprising an interesterified fat and having:- a saturated fatty acid content of at least 80 wt.%;- a combined lauric acid (C12:0) and myristic acid (C14:0) content of from 50 to 75 wt.%;a combined stearic acid and palmitic acid content of from 20 to 40 wt.%.

29. A process according to Claim 28, wherein the fat blend is as defined in any one of Claims 1 to 13 or 25.

30. A process according to Claim 28 or Claim 29, wherein (i) comprises a first interesterified fat, and a second non-interesterified fat, preferably as defined in any one of claims 14 to 18.

31. A process according to any one of Claims 29 to 30, wherein (ii) comprises a third fat as defined in any one of Claims 19 to 23.

32. A process according to any one of Claims 28 to 31, comprising mixing from 90 to 99 wt.% of (i) with from 1 to 10 wt.% of (ii), preferably from 92 to 98 wt.% of (i) with from 2 to 8 wt.% of (ii), more preferably from 94 to 97 wt.% of (i) with from 3 to 6 wt.% of (ii).

33. A process according to any one of Claims 28 to 32, wherein (i) has a combined C50 and C52 triglyceride content of less than 6 wt.%, and fat (ii) is added to provide a combined C50 and C52 triglyceride content in the fat blend of at least 6 wt.%, preferably wherein (i) has a combined C50 and C52 triglyceride content of less than 7 wt.%, and fat (ii) is added to provide a combined C50 and C52 triglyceride content in the fat blend of at least 7 wt.%.

34. A food product comprising the fat blend of any one of claims 1 to 27.

35. A food product according to Claim 34, wherein the food product is a whipping cream composition.

36. A food product according to Claim 35, wherein the whipping cream composition comprises from 1 to 40 wt.% of the fat blend and up to 80 wt.% water; preferably, wherein the whipping cream composition comprises from 4 to 35 wt.% of the fat blend.

37. A food product according to Claim 35 or Claim 36, further comprising protein,optionally wherein the protein is present in the whipping cream composition in an amount of from 0.1 to 10 wt.% of the composition; preferably wherein the protein is a non-animal protein.

38. A food product according to any one of Claims 35 to 37, further comprising one or more emulsifiers, preferably wherein the one or more emulsifiers is present in an amount of up to 1 wt.% of the whipping cream composition.

39. A food product according to any one of Claims 35 to 38, further comprising one or more hydrocolloid stabilisers, preferably wherein the one or more hydrocolloid stabilisers are present in an amount of up to 1 wt.% of the whipping cream composition.

40. A food product according to any one of Claims 35 to 39, further comprising an animal milk-derived protein, preferably wherein the animal-milk derived protein comprises casein.

41. A food product according to any one of Claims 34 to 40, wherein the food product is substantially free of animal protein and / or animal fats, preferably, wherein the food product is free of animal protein and / or animal fats.

42. A food product according to any one of Claims 34 to 39 or Claim 41, wherein the food product is substantially free of animal-derived products, preferably, wherein the food product is free of animal-derived products.

43. A food product according to any one of Claims 34 to 40, wherein the food product further comprises one or more animal-derived products such as animal oils, marine oils, animal-derived proteins, animal-derived polysaccharides, or any combination thereof; preferably wherein the one or more animal-derived products comprise animal milk proteins, animal milk fats, or a combination thereof.

44. A food product according to Claim 43, wherein the one or more animal-derived products are present in the food product in an amount of from 1 to 20 wt.%.

45. Use of a triglyceride additive comprising dipalmitoyl-stearoyl glycerol (PSP) and distearoyl-palmitoyl glycerol (PSS) in a fat blend to improve the thermal stability of an emulsion comprising the fat blend, preferably a whipping cream composition.

46. Use of a triglyceride additive comprising dipalmitoyl-stearoyl glycerol (PSP) and distearoyl-palmitoyl glycerol (PSS) in a fat blend to reduce the viscosity of an emulsion comprising the fat blend, preferably a whipping cream composition.

47. Use according to Claim 45 or Claim 46, wherein the triglyceride additive has a combined a palmitic acid and stearic acid content of at least 70 wt.%, preferably at least 80 wt.%, more preferably at least 90 wt.%.

48. Use according to any one of Claims 45 to 47, wherein the triglyceride additive has a combined C50 and C52 triglyceride content, preferably a combined PSP and PSS content, of at least 60 wt.%, preferably at least 70 wt.%.

49. Use according to any one of Claims 45 to 48, wherein the triglyceride additive comprises a fully hydrogenated fat.

50. Use according to any one of Claims 45 to 49, wherein the triglyceride additive comprises palm oil, baobab oil, shea oil, sal fat, milk fat, lard, tallow, any fractions thereof, any oils derived therefrom, including interesterified forms, or any combination thereof, preferably palm oil or a fraction thereof, such as palm oil mid-fraction.

51. Use according to any one of Claims 45 to 50, wherein the triglyceride additive is present in the fat blend at an amount so as to provide a combined C50 and C52 triglyceride content of from 5 to 12 wt.%, preferably from 6 to 10 wt.%, more preferably from 7 to 9 wt.%.

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