Non-palm portfolio During the three years it took to develop our new range of nonpalm emulsifiers, Palsgaard’s R&D team and application specialists were able to amass considerable know-how. We experimented with many different oil types, and examined the entire production process from re-mill temperatures to heating jackets and more. Making a non-palm margarine emulsifier involves more than simply ensuring the oil used is nonpalm. You also have to consider the glycerol component. And the antioxidant system needs to be non-palm, too. We installed special glycerol tanks for producing non-palm glycerol, then went further to ensure all the antioxidants were free of palm oil, too. Emulsifiers for puff pastry margarine were next to be developed, using combinations of monoglycerides and polyglycerol. And citric acid esters were replaced with non-palm alternatives. We made polyglycerol monosterate (PGMS) in a non-palm version and much, much more. Developing non-palm emulsifier systems for liquid margarines was high on our wishlist, too. This is a growth area, spurred on every time new coronary research urges consumers and the industry to cut back on solid and saturated fats. During the process, we carefully noted the effects of changing melting points and equipment temperatures, discovering, for example, how important it is, when dealing with oils that have a higher melting point, to carefully control temperature parameters from end to end. This is particularly important if it’s necessary to stop the machinery for packaging or similar production steps. The higher melting point of some nut oils, for example, sets off a potential avalanche of issues that starts at the heating jacket and doesn’t stop until it has touched every point along the production line. A challenging journey In bakery margarines, the results are rather dependent on the ratios of non-palm fat types. We spent a lot of time changing these ratios and playing with different process parameters until we could see that each solution functioned as intended. A key learning along the way was that some of the fats easily became overworked and didn’t give the stability we had expected. There are certainly many differences to be aware of. For example, non-palm emulsifiers don’t provide the same variation in fatty acids. And longer, non-palmitic fatty acid chains make for more fat-friendly emulsifiers – something that becomes very noticeable at melting point. As you might imagine, there’s no shortage of permutations in an exploration of this kind. In fact, we found it to be somewhat like trying to build with LEGO bricks of many different sizes and colours. And we also noted that you need to be very open-minded for a very long time to succeed! When the dust had settled, we emerged with a palette of nonpalm emulsifiers that can be used to replace whichever emulsifiers manufacturers are using today. We were now able to help them determine non-palm alternatives to the lipid content of their recipes, and supply the sustainable emulsifiers and know-how to make the best possible, non-palm end-product. Responsible sourcing When all is said and done, the process of developing the new emulsifier range was not particularly difficult (given the level of expertise we already have), but it was a long and systematic, trial-by-trial journey that simply took time to complete. A particular challenge was the effort it took to obtain the range of raw materials we wanted to test – and then working with them to understand how each material differs from palm oil. Responsible sourcing was a necessary part of this latter process. Reflecting the procurement process our customers need to go through, the purchasing of raw Table 1: As shown below, the melting points of non-palm fatty acids and triglycerides originating from rapeseed, soy and sunflower will be higher than that of their palm-based counterparts. This is caused by needed hydrogenation and interestification of the soft oil that generates more high-melting stearic acid in the fat composition. C12:0 C14:0 C16:0 C18:0 C22:0 C18:1 n-9 cis C18,1 trans C18:2 n-6 cis C18:3 n-3 cis Trivial Name Lauric acid Myristic acid Palmitic acids Stearic acids Bebenic acids Oleic acid Elaidic acid Linoleic acid Linolenic acid Melting Point 44.4°C (112°F) 54.4°C (130°F) 62.7°C (145°F) 69.4°C (157°F) 80°C (176°F) 16.1°C (61°F) 43.8°C (111°F) -6.6°C (20°F) -12.7°C (9°F) Trivial Name Trilaurin Trimyristin Tripalmetin Tristearin Tribehenic Melting Point 46.1°C (115°F) 55°C (131°F) 65°C (149°F) 72.2°C (162°F) 82.2°C (180°F) 3
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