Calorimetric study of milk fat/rapeseed oil blends and their interesterification products

Milk fat (MF) and rapeseed oil (RO) blends were analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). It was shown that peak and onset temperatures can be used to determine the percentage of each fat in the blend and that the relative enthalpy of one peak assigned to low-melting triacylglycerols (TAG) can also be used to determine the percentage of RO in the blend. A linear relation was also established between IMF content of the blend and its dropping point (DP), indicating that DP can be linearly related with the above DSC data. A blend of MF/RO 70 : 30 (wt/wt) was then chosen as a model system for enzymatic interesterification (EIE). The applicability of DSC analyses to EIE products was checked and a correct correlation could be established between DSC values and the interesterification degree and DP. Among the data from the DSC profiles, the peak associated with low-melting TAG was the best indicator of the reaction course. In the same way, a high-melting MF stearin fraction was interesterified. with RO. In that case, onset temperatures and peak "a" were better reaction indicators than for the interesterified MF/RO blend. We therefore suggest that values from DSC endotherms could be used to monitor EIE of fat blends.