RESEARCH ARTICLE

Journal of Oil Palm Research (Special Issue - April 2006), p. 58-64

POLYMORPHISM OF ANHYDROUS MILK FAT AS AFFECTED BY THE ADDITION OF PALM STEARINS

NOR HAYATI Ibrahim * ; NOR AINI Idris ** ; AMINAH Abdullah +* ; MAMOT Said +* ; NOOR LIDA HABI Mat Dian ** ; YAAKOB Che Man *

ABSTRACT

Blends of anhydrous milk fat (AMF), soft palm stearin (SPOs) and hard palm stearin (HPOs) were prepared and analysed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to determine their maximum melting peak temperature, Tp and melting enthalpy, ΔH and by X-ray diffractometry (XRD) to determine their polymorphism. Contour plots were produced showing the variation of Tp and ΔH with blend composition. The XRD data showed a predominance of β’ crystals and a small proportion of β crystals, both for pure AMF and SPOs, but β crystals were dominant in pure HPOs. By blending AMF with SPOs or HPOs, the polymorphic stability of β crystals increased, with the most pronounced effect being observed in the blends containing high HPOs. This was considered to be due to the enrichment of AMF with symmetrical triacylglycerols of SPOs or HPOs which reduced the chain-length diversity that was originally found in pure AMF. An exception was observed for the binary blend of 75% AMF with 25% HPOs, which indicated that the blend occurred only in β’ polymorphic form.

KEYWORDS:


* Food Technology Department, Faculty of Food Science and Technology,
Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
E-mail: yati@kustem.edu.my

** Malaysian Palm Oil Board, P. O. Box 10620,
50720, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

+ Food Science Programme,
School of Chemistry Science and Food Technology,
Faculty of Science and Technology,
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia,
43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia.