Process for producing a reduced calorie lipid composition

Reference Number: N 04-04

Inventors: Cooper, Charles F.

Owner: NISTAC

USPTO Link: 5298637

Invention Summary

This invention provides a process for producing a reduced calorie lipid (i.e., fat-like or oil-like) composition comprising contacting a triglyceride containing at least one C.sub.20 -C.sub.24 saturated linear acyl group with an esterified alkoxylated polyol containing at least one C.sub.6 -C.sub.18 acyl group in the presence of a basic catalyst for a time and at a temperature effective to accomplish interchange of at least one of the C.sub.20 -C.sub.24 saturated linear acyl groups and at least one of the C.sub.6 -C.sub.18 acyl groups. The reduced calorie lipid composition thus obtained is an admixture of a digestible modified triglyceride (e.g., a fatty acid triester of glycerin) and a fatty acid esterified alkoxylated polyol having an acyl group content such that a desirably high proportion of the acyl groups are derived from C.sub.20 -C.sub.24 saturated linear fatty acids.

The incorporation of C.sub.20 -C.sub.24 saturated linear fatty acids into the esterified alkoxylated polyol component at high levels renders it better tolerated in the digestive tract, as described in the aforementioned copending application. At any level, however, C.sub.20 -C.sub.24 saturated linear acyl groups have the beneficial effect of increasing the melting or solidification point of an esterified alkoxylated polyol. This increase in melting point may be utilized to help counteract the effect of introducing higher proportions of oxyalkylene groups in an esterified alkoxylated polyol composition. That is, an increasing degree of propoxylation (number of moles of propylene oxide reacted per mole of polyol) tends to enhance the non-digestibility and lower the available caloric content of an esterified alkoxylated polyol but also generally depresses the melting point of such a composition. The solid fat index of the composition at a given temperature may consequently be too low for the composition to be directly substitutable for a conventional high-melting triglyceride in a margarine, shortening, cheese, or hard butter (confectionary) application. Increasing the proportion of C.sub.20 -C.sub.24 saturated linear acyl groups relative to shorter chain, branched, and/or unsaturated acyl groups will favorably affect the melting characteristics of such compositions.

A distinct advantage of the present invention is that it completely avoids the use of free C.sub.20 -C.sub.24 saturated linear fatty acids in a direct esterification step, thereby minimizing the handling and processing problems which are otherwise encountered. The starting triglyceride may be conveniently be obtained by hydrogenation of a readily available natural fat or oil such as rapeseed or meadowfoam oil, while the preparation of the starting esterified alkoxylated polyol uses more tractable saturated or unsaturated C.sub.6 -C.sub.18 fatty acids.