Glossary

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Antioxidants

Help prevent fat oils, fats and fat soluble vitamins in food from combining with oxygen and going rancid.

Erucic Acid

(cis-docos-13-enoic acid) is a major component fatty acid of brassica seed oils. Although erucic acid has been bred out of rape seed it is still found at high levels within mustard seed oil which, following the Erucic Acid in Food Regulation 1977 (Directive 80/891/EEC), cannot be classified as a food product.

Fat

A mixture of triglycerides, phospholipids, sterols and related compounds, with a melting point between 15oC and 40oC.

GM

"G.M." (or Genetically Modified) describes the products of a process in which genetic material can be transferred from any source to another to instantly create utterly different variants.

Hydrogenation

In chemical terms this is the saturation of double bonds and is carried out by bubbling hydrogen through the oil in the presence of a nickel catalyst.

M.P.S

MPS (or more correctly DMPS- dimethyl polysiloxane) is an antifoam based on silicone. Sparingly soluble in oils, MPS migrates to the surface where it reduces surface energy/tension around steam bubbles causing the collapse of foams which would otherwise make frying dangerous.

Oil

A fat which is liquid at 15oC.

Refining

The removal of undesirable substances (e.g. free fatty acids, oxidation products, mucilage, colouring matter and odourants) from crude or freshly cut oils. Refining consists of three operations; neutralisation, bleaching and deodourisation.

Saturates

The formulas of saturated fatty acids correspond to the pattern CnH2nO2. They generally have an even number of carbon atoms. Their melting point rises as the length of the chain increases, that is to say that, at ambient temperatures, the first members of the series are liquid and the last solid.

Tallow

The rendered fat from various tissues and bones of bovine animals (Bos taurua) and'or sheep (Ovis aries).

Trans fat

Trans fat is a type of fat formed when liquid oils are converted to solid fat by the addition of hydrogen atoms, in a process known as hydrogenation. That being said, trans fats are found naturally in animal fats and dairy products.

Unsaturates

Usually have more than 10 carbon atoms and one or more double bonds. They are generally liquid. The high proportion of unsaturated fatty acid groups in vegetable oils gives them their fluid consistency.

Votator

A tubular chiller, originally introduced in 1838 by the Girdler Corporation. The principal of its design has become an industry standard, so that today tubular scraped surface headt exchanges are commonly referred to as a "Votator" regardless of their manufacturer and margarine production as "votating"

Winterisation

The removal of glycerides which solidify at winter temperatures. The crystallisation of these glycerides is induced by controlled cooling and they are separated leaving an oil that remains liquid even at 0oC.