What is the main purpose of hydrogenation?

What is the main purpose of hydrogenation?

Hydrogenation is used to solidify, preserve or purify many products, raw materials, or ingredients. Ammonia, fuels (hydrocarbons), alcohols, pharmaceuticals, margarine, polyols, various polymers and chemicals (hydrogen chloride and hydrogen peroxide) are products treated using a hydrogenation process.

What are the advantages of hydrogenation?

The hydrogenation process increases the melting point of the fat, which changes liquid oil into solid shortening. This process stops the decomposition or rancidity of unsaturated fats. By controlling the degree of hydrogenation, it is possible to control the melting profile of the fats.

What is hydrogenation and why do food manufacturers use hydrogenated fats in food production?

Food companies began using hydrogenated oil to help increase shelf life and save costs. Hydrogenation is a process in which a liquid unsaturated fat is turned into a solid fat by adding hydrogen. During this manufactured partially hydrogenated processing, a type of fat called trans fat is made.

What are the positive consequences of hydrogenating a fat for the food manufacturer?

Hydrogenation is used by the food industry to extend shelf life by making fats less prone to rancidity – a phenomenon by which free radicals attack the double bond between carbon atoms. It also increases the fat’s melting point, making the product more suitable for frying.

What happens during hydrogenation?

Hydrogenation converts liquid vegetable oils into solid or semi-solid fats, such as those present in margarine. Changing the degree of saturation of the fat changes some important physical properties, such as the melting range, which is why liquid oils become semi-solid.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of hydrogenation?

Hydrogenated fats are more stable than unaltered unsaturated fats, so fat hydrogenation increases the shelf life of foods. Unfortunately, consumption of hydrogenated fats increases heart disease risk.

How is hydrogenation used in food industry?

In the food industry, hydrogen is added to oils (in a process called hydrogenation) to make them more solid, or ‘spreadable’. Hydrogenated oils can be sold directly as ‘spreads’, but are also used in the food industry in the manufacture of many foodstuffs such as biscuits and cakes.

Which is worse partially hydrogenated vs fully?

Partially hydrogenated oils, such as shortening and soft margarine, are semi-soft. Oils that are fully hydrogenated are firmer, and don’t contain any of the dangerous artery-inflaming trans fat found in partially hydrogenated oils. Both trans fats and saturated fats contribute to your risk of heart disease.

How is selective hydrogenation achieve?

How is selective hydrogenation achieved? Explanation: Selective hydrogenation of the acetylene to ethylene is accomplished by passing the mixture, which also contains 10-35 per cent of hydrogen, over a catalyst at a temperature ranging from 200-315°C and at pressures of 45-155 psig.

What are the disadvantages of the hydrogenation process?

Unfortunately, the human body cannot use trans fats the same way it uses natural unsaturated fats. If you eat a lot of trans fats, they can also lower the levels of high-density lipoproteins, or HDL, cholesterol in your blood. …

Why is hydrogenation important in the oil industry?

Hydrogenation is important for two reasons in the fats and oils industry. It converts the liquid oils into semisolid or plastic fats for special applications, such as in shortenings and margarine, and it improves the oxidative stability of the oil (Dijkstra et al., 2008; Nawar, 1996 ).

Which is the most common product to be hydrogenated?

Ammonia, fuels (hydrocarbons), alcohols, pharmaceuticals, margarine, polyols, various polymers and chemicals (hydrogen chloride and hydrogen peroxide) are products treated using a hydrogenation process. The most commonly hydrogenated product is vegetable oil.

Why do foods need to be hydrogenated at room temperature?

An oil, for instance, that is hydrogenated will become solid, even at room temperature (such as hard margarine or shortening). There are two major reasons why foods are hydrogenated, and they both boil down to dollars and cents: It increases the shelf life of foods. It increases flavor stability in foods.

Why do we use hydrogenation in deep frying?

Hydrogenating vegetable-based oils is generally less expensive than using saturated animal fats, and partial hydrogenation gives processed foods a longer shelf life. Simply put, hydrogenation converts unsaturated vegetable oil, like the type used for deep frying, into a partially solid form.