Use of High Oleic Palm Oils in Fluid Shortenings and Effect on Physical Properties of Cookies

Quality characteristics of bakery products rely partially on the amount and type of fats in their formulation. This study focused on producing emulsified shortenings with high oleic palm oil fractions to be thermo-mechanically characterized and used in the baking of high-fat cookies. Palm oil and hydrogenated fats were commonly used in bakery shortenings to achieve texture and flavor. However, saturated and trans-fats have been shown to cause detrimental health effects, motivating their replacement by unsaturated fats. High oleic palm oil (HOPO) is a novel oil with lower saturated fat and higher oleic acid compared to traditional palm oil (TPO). High oleic red olein (HORO) is a carotene-rich fraction of HOPO. Emulsified shortenings with 30% saturated fat containing HOPO, HORO, and TPO were produced. All shortenings resulted in similar onset temperatures of crystallization and melting points through DSC. Mid-melting peaks observed on TPO where absent in HOPO and HORO shortenings, reflected in lower hardness and calculated SFC of HOPO and HORO shortenings vs. TPO shortening. However, physical properties of shortening-containing cookies were not statistically different. It was demonstrated how HOPO and HORO can be used as alternative fats to TPO in the making of shortenings to be used in baking applications.