Interesterified palm products as alternatives to hydrogenation

Interesterification is one of the processes used to modify the physico-chemical characteristics of oils and fats. Interesterification is an acyl-rearrangement reaction on the glycerol molecule. On the other hand, hydrogenation involves addition of hydrogen to the double bonds of unsaturated fatty acids. Due to health implications of trans fatty acids, which are formed during hydrogenation, the industry needs to find alternatives to hydrogenated fats. This paper discusses some applications of interesterified fats, with particular reference to interesterified palm products, as alternatives to hydrogenation. Some physico-chemical properties of interesterified fats used in shortenings are discussed. With interesterification, more palm stearin can be incorporated in vanaspati. For confectionary fats and infant formulations, enzymatic interesterification has been employed..