Structure and Properties of Fat Crystal Networks

An excellent introduction to the field of fat technology for students and researchers, this second edition focuses on the characterization of physical properties of fats, including laboratory protocols and quantitative treatments used to quantify structure and function. This comprehensive text covers the complex analysis of fat structure and the underlying theory, and it links analysis data to macroscopic functionality. The text also contains a quantitative method for the characterization of polycrystalline colloidal oleogels and quantification of intercrystalline interaction forces, useful for engineering material properties for the food industry.

Lipid science and technology has grown exponentially since the turn of the millennium. The replacement of unhealthy fats in the foods we eat, and of petroleum-based ingredients in the cosmetics we use, is a top priority for consumers, government, and industry alike. Particularly for the food industry, removing trans fats and reducing saturated fat in foods has produced a major challenge: How do we create structure with a minimum amount of structuring material?

A comprehensive omnibus, Structure and Properties of Fat Crystal Networks, Second Edition clarifies the complex relationship between triglyceride composition of vegetable oils and fats, the physicochemical properties of triglycerides in simple and complex model systems, their crystallization, and melting behavior. Furthermore, it dives into the implications of these materials on the functional properties in food systems.

Replacing ingredients, optimizing functionality, and improving health necessitate the ability to relate the structural organization present in a material to macroscopic properties. Revisiting concepts and approaches used in the study of fat crystal networks, the second edition includes new developments, particularly intermolecular interactions, and thoroughly updated analytical methods. Succinct, clear, and complete, this book is designed to help students and early-career researchers make the study of fats a more focused, less frustrating, and less expensive endeavor.