The concept of "confectionery fat", or "cooking oil", "shortening" is edible fat. It is mainly of plant origin, but its subspecies have completely diverse compositions. Culinary is called fat that remains in a solid state at room temperature, otherwise it is an oil composition.
Confectionery Fat History
Initially, the term "confectionery fat" was attributed to lard, but when in 1869 the famous scientist Mezh-Mourier from France created margarine, it was also called confectionery fat.
In the twentieth century, hydrogenated vegetable oil appeared, which, like margarine, acquired this definition. Lard and fat include a lot of common positions in the composition. This is their affiliation with semi-solid fats, quite smokey during burning in comparison with the creamy butter texture and the same margarine. Both are endowed with a small amount of moisture and therefore do not spray (this classifies them as a safe fat class).
The fat content in the confectionery is 80%.
Fat production
Despite the fact that lard and fat, the confectionery composition is almost identical, the production of the latter turned out to be much cheaper, since it did not require cold to ensure long-term storage. This fact reduced production costs and developed interest in the product in the historical period when the distribution of refrigeration equipment was not discussed. Also widespread, especially in America, was the vigorous activity of such global companies as Procter & Gamble and Crisco. Food industry monopolists were in search of low-cost raw materials for the development of their industry, so vegetable shortening took root. Again, the widespread use of cotton and corn oil, soybeans, contributed to its breadth of application.
What is confectionery fat?
Very often, the label contains the following entry: "special grease." Only technologists will understand it. In general, the features can be explained as follows: for different groups of confectionery products different fat is used, more precisely, narrowly targeted functionality. The soft confectionery composition of the filling makes the fat soft, plastic, and solid allows you to give the confectionery the desired shape, improve the quality of its transportation and increase the storage time. For example: chocolate paste and chocolate confectionery have a similar composition, but have a different type of consistency (the paste is viscous, liquid, and the chocolate bar is solid). And all because in their manufacture used different hardness cooking oil.
What confectionery fat is made of
Now about the requirements for the composition.
Confectionery fat is an oil-based product made primarily from plant materials (it can be refined, deodorized, modified oil). It is permissible to add animal fats: pork, beef and even whale salomas (salomas are the same hard fat, but obtained as a result of using a slightly different technology).
As a vegetable fat, palm, coconut oil is used in the composition. If we are talking about chocolate products and sweets, then this fat confectionery composition is somewhat different: peanut or cottonseed oil prevails there.
As a result, the product is almost always solid and resembles butter both in appearance and texture, and in color. It retains moisture well, therefore, allows confectionery to be stored longer.
Although it is necessary to note the very meager chemical composition of confectionery fat: directly fat and vitamin E.
Is confectionery fat good?
Confectionery fat, the composition and calorie content of which causes the most concern, has a rather high nutritional value - this is from about 700 to 900 Kcal per 100 grams. For this reason, its excessive consumption in food is not recommended by dieticians.
There are practically no useful substances and microelements in confectionery fat. It is absorbed very quickly, so you need to carefully monitor its consumption, since excess amounts contribute to the collection of excess body weight.
The benefit is vitamin E in the composition and the fat itself, if it is of very high quality. These substances support skin elasticity.
In the 21st century, concern about the abundance of confectionery fat in food, the description and composition of which is given above, penetrated the masses. Its negative side is especially widely covered: the effect of fat, or rather the trans fats it contains on the human body. In 2004, Crisco launched an updated composition with a reduced proportion of this component. Two years later - completely removes trans fats from the composition.
The disadvantages of eating cooking oil include high cholesterol, which contributes to the development of many serious diseases, such as coronary heart disease. Remember: excessive consumption of any product in food can negatively affect your health.