Plastic emulsion food spread

Abstract

Margarine and low fat emulsion food spreads have been prepared, the fat phase of which consists essentially of randomized palm oil. The randomization is usually carried out on palm oil alone and enables a substantial amount of palm oil to be incorporated into the fat phase without the onset of excessive post-hardening effects. The randomization also minimizes the amount of expensive vegetable oils such as sunflower oil which have hitherto been found necessary adjuncts with palm oil in such products, particularly in recently-developed soft spreads which can be spread directly at domestic refrigerator temperatures. The major part of the spreads of the invention preferably consist of a fat of melting point 25°-30° C., particularly derived from vegetable oils.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A plastic emulsion food spread comprising an aqueous phase and a fat phase in the form of an emulsion in which the fat phase is partly crystallized and comprises by weight of the fat phase, from about 5% to about 40% of a triglyceride composition, the fatty acid residues of which are in random distribution and consist essentially of the acid residues of palm oil, and a major proportion of an additional fat where said fat is selected from the group consisting of corn, cottonseed, groundnut, safflower, sunflower, sesame and soybean oils. 
     
     
       2. A food spread according to claim 1 which contains from about 15 to about 30 wt % palm oil, based on total fat phase. 
     
     
       3. A food spread according to claim 1 wherein said spread is in soft tub form, having a penetration range from C 5  less than 900 grams cm 2  to C 20  between 50 and 150 grams cm 2 . 
     
     
       4. A food spread according to claim 1 wherein said spread comprises a low fat spread containing by weight of the spread a major proportion of aqueous phase dispersed in a minor proportion of fat phase. 
     
     
       5. A method of preparing a water-in-oil emulsion food spread having an enhanced palm oil content, comprising dispersing an aqueous phase in a fat phase to form an emulsion and chilling, working and resting the emulsion to crystallize at least part of the fat phase, wherein the fat phase is prepared by randomizing palm oil and blending, by weight of said fat phase, from about 5 to about 40% of said palm oil with a major proportion of an additional vegetable oil selected from the group consisting of corn, cottonseed, groundnut, safflower, sunflower, sesame and soybean oils.