with something else. Essentially, you need to lose the palmitic acids and replace them with stearic acids from rapeseed or soya beans, for example. As a result, the melting point will increase, and the hydrophilic and lipophilic balance should also be expected to change slightly. Of course, to achieve a non-palm product that properly meets the shopping list of concerned consumers, you may need to replace other oils in the recipe, too. So, at the end of the day, you’re likely to be left with an end-product that will be noticeably different to the palmbased version. Sustainability dilemma These were some of the issues facing Palsgaard’s R&D scientists when, to support margarine manufacturer customers, our company decided to swing into action with a complete, end-to-end portfolio of non-palm alternatives to our highly functional, palm-based emulsifiers. It wasn’t a decision made without a certain amount of internal resistance. That’s because, unlike many emulsifier manufacturers around the globe, Palsgaard’s entire range of emulsifiers is already available in compliance with the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)’s Segregated model and sustainably produced in a carbon-neutral plant. Offering non-palm alternatives based on less sustainable raw crops, therefore, goes somewhat against the grain at our more than 100 year-old, socially responsible company. But customer needs are prioritised, and the Palsgaard R&D team were determined that, if nonpalm products were going to gain market share, then they should be produced with the same strict attention to responsible supply chain practices and carbon-neutral production as the company’s other emulsifier products. Two directions Non-palm margarines aren’t commonplace in today’s marketplace. At least, not yet. As a global emulsifier manufacturer, we can see two basic directions taken by margarine manufacturers and the industrial bakers they serve: Either RSPO Segregated (SG) palm oil or non-palm. For those who aren’t prepared to make the investment required by certified RSPO Segregated production, going the non-palm way might seem easy. In reality, and depending on the product, this FACT BOX: The effect of removing palm from margarine recipes • Higher melting points • Higher emulsion temperatures needed • Higher temperatures on heating jackets needed • Change of crystallization speed • Change of process parametres needed • Tendency to create more brittle margarines • Post crystallization or overworked margarine • More lipophilic emulsifiers with higher melting points needed may well be the more difficult of the two paths to take. Producers of pastry margarine for laminated doughs, for instance, will need palm-based ingredients to achieve the results that only high and controllable plasticity can deliver. To take the non-palm road, it’s necessary to build up experience from scratch. And the learning curves are likely to be steep. Part of the journey requires the manufacturer to source new raw materials, establish new supplier relationships, and learn as much as possible about the materials and exactly how they function. And fully hydrogenated oils should be avoided wherever possible, as their high melting point results in a brittle end-product. Then there’s the price issue, of course, with more exotic oils such as chestnut or mango offered at a significant premium. Creating a successful non-palm puff pastry margarine requires more than simply changing the fat source. Doing so will result in poor performance as the margarines tend to become more brittle and thus don’t offer the plasticity needed to generate the desired lift and lamination. It simply becomes more difficult to work the margarine and dough without the margarine breaking and the dough sticking together. However, by applying the right emulsifiers and carefully adjusting recipe and processing parameters, it is possible to create non-palm pastry margarine performing almost as good as a palm based one. 2
Download PDF fil