INTRODUCTION

• In the food industry and biochemistry, interesterification is a

process that rearranges the fatty acids of a fat product, typically a
mixture of triglyceride.

• Interesterification is a means of modifying the structure and

functionality of fats and oils to produce food ingredients for a range
of applications, which can help to reduce levels of saturated fatty
acids (SFA) and trans fatty acids (TFA) in some foods, by providing
an alternative to the use of animal fats or partially hydrogenated
oils, respectively.
 INTRODUCTION
• The purpose of the interesterification process is to:
• Change the overall melting profile.
• Improve the compatibility of the triglycerides in the solid state.
• Improve the plasticity of the resulting solid by changing the
crystallization properties.
• Combine the properties of mixed oils and fats.

• Interesterified oils are used mainly in coating fats, margarine,

sweets, shortening, pastry and specialty fats.
 HISTORY

• These processes have been used since the late 40’s to

modify the crystallization behavior of lard (induce beta
prime tendencies).
• Interesterification has also been used since the early
80’s with enzymatic catalysts to make cocoa butter
equivalents and other structured lipids.
 TYPES OF INTERESTERIFICATION

• In the food industry, interesterification can be carried out

using a chemical catalyst (chemical interesterification) or
an enzyme (enzymatic interesterification).
• Sodium methoxide is generally used as a catalyst in chemical
esterification, while lipases are used in enzymatic
esterification.
• Chemical interesterification is a random reaction while
enzymatic interesterification can be random or regiospecific.
 TYPES OF INTERESTERIFICATION……

• In chemical interesterification, catalyst is an inorganic

compound such as sodium methoxide. The reaction is carried
out at high temperatures and creates three by-products —
sodium soaps, fatty methyl esters, and monoglycerides in
addition to the interesterified fats.
• Enzymatic interesterification (IE) uses an enzyme to break
and reform the ester bonds. Enzymes most suitable for this
process are esterase, lipases, acylases, proteases,
phospholipases etc.
 CHEMICAL VS. ENZYMATIC INTERESTERIFICATION

Chemical interesterification Enzymatic interesterification

Low processing cost (batch reactor) High processing cost (continuous plug-flow
reactor. Lipase)
High processing losee (oil saponification) Minimum processing loss

Low oxidative stability (tocopherol loss) No change in oxidative stability

High levels of reaction by-products (MAG, Low levels of reaction by-products

DAG, glycerol)
Flavor reversion problem No flavor reversion

Highly reproducible and easily controlled More complex operation and control
CHEMICAL VS. ENZYMATIC INTERESTERIFICATION
TYPES OF INTERESTERIFICATION
 ADVANTAGES OF INTERESTERIFICATION
• COMPARED TO SIMPLE BLENDS, INTERESTERIFIED
FATS HAVE A WIDER PLASTICITY RANGE, MEANING
THAT THEY RETAIN THEIR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
OVER A WIDER TEMPERATURE RANGE, WITHOUT
SEPARATION OF THEIR COMPONENTS.
• INTERESTERIFICATION PROCESS CAN ALSO USE A
WIDER VARIETY OF FEEDSTOCKS, SUCH AS SOYBEAN
OIL, THEY PROVIDE A BETTER RISK MANAGEMENT
PROFILE THAN GLOBALLY PRODUCED PALM OIL.
 INTERESTERIFICATION APPLICATION

• An important application of interesterification is

improvement of natural lard. Natural lard tends to form a
rough crystal, which is difficult to handle, during storage.
• This is because 64% of palmitic acid is attached to 2nd
position of triacylglycerol molecules. Randomizing the
positional distribution of fatty acids of natural lard by
interesterification improves its physical property, making it a
smooth “rearranged lard”.
 INTERESTERIFICATION APPLICATION…..

• Another example of interesterification is in the field of

margarine production. Interesterification of soybean oil and
completely hydrogenated soybean oil provides a material for
margarine.
• This rearranged oil has an advantage that it does not contain
trans fatty acid, because it is not made through partial
hydrogenation.
 SUMMARY

• CHEMICAL AND ENZYMATIC INTERESTERIFICATION HAVE

DIFFERENT APPLICATIONS IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY, FROM
FORMULATION OF SHORTENINGS AND MARGARINES TO
SYNTHESIS OF STRUCTURED LIPIDS FOR SPECIAL
MEDICINAL AND NUTRITIONAL APPLICATIONS.
• LIPASE-CATALYZED INTERESTERIFICATION REACTIONS
FOR THE SYNTHESIS OF FUNCTIONAL LIPID PRODUCTS
WILL REMAIN AN AREA OF INTEREST FOR MANY YEARS
TO COME.
 WINTERIZATION

• WINTERIZATION OF OIL IS A PROCESS THAT USES A

SOLVENT AND COLD TEMPERATURES TO SEPARATE LIPIDS
AND OTHER DESIRED OIL COMPOUNDS FROM WAXES.
• WINTERIZATION IS A TYPE OF FRACTIONATION (ALSO
KNOWN AS FRACTIONATE CRYSTALLIZATION), THE
GENERAL PROCESS OF SEPARATING THE TRIGLYCERIDES
FOUND IN FATS AND OILS, USING THE DIFFERENCE IN
THEIR MELTING POINTS, SOLUBILITY, AND VOLATILITY.
 WINTERIZATION….
• OILS SUCH AS SALAD OILS, OR OILS THAT ARE TO BE
STORED IN COOL PLACES UNDERGO WINTERIZATION
PROCESS SO THAT THEY DON’T BECOME CLOUDY WHEN
CHILLED.
• THE REFINED DEODORIZED OILS ARE CHILLED WITH
GENTLE AGITATION, WHICH CAUSES HIGHER MELTING
FRACTIONS TO PRECIPITATE.
• SOYBEAN OIL DOES NOT REQUIRE WINTERIZATION BUT
CANOLA, CORN, COTTONSEED, SUNFLOWER, SAFFLOWER
AND PEANUT OIL NEED THIS PROCESS.
 WINTERIZATION – PROCESS OVERVIEW
• THE PROCESS INVOLVES DISSOLVING THE EXTRACT IN
ETHANOL, THEN PLACING THE MIXTURE IN A FREEZER TO CHILL.
• THE COLD ALLOWS FOR THE SEPARATION OF COMPOUNDS BY
DIFFERENCES IN THEIR MELTING AND PRECIPITATION POINTS.
• IN THE COOLING PROCESS, THE FATS AND WAXES WITH HIGHER
MELTING POINTS WILL PRECIPITATE OUT AND CAN THEN BE
REMOVED BY FILTRATION, CENTRIFUGATION, DECANTATION, OR
OTHER SEPARATION PROCESSES.
• A PURE, LIQUID OIL EXTRACT IS LEFT BEHIND, READY TO BE
FURTHER PROCESSED FOR CONSUMER USE.
WINTERIZATION – PROCESS OVERVIEW
 WINTERIZATION – PROCESS OVERVIEW…..
• THE OIL MUST BE COOLED IN THE RECUPERATIVE HEAT
EXCHANGER AND TO THE DESIRED TEMPERATURE IN
THE COOLING EXCHANGER.
• PRIOR TO ENTERING THE WINTERIZER CHAMBER, THE
MIXTURE IS PUMPED INTO THE STATIC MIXER BEFORE
ENTERING THE WINTERIZER.
• A STATIC MIXER IS A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT THAT IS
USED TO MIX LIQUIDS IN LABORATORIES. IT HAS A
UNIQUE SHAPE.
Static Mixer
 WINTERIZATION – PROCESS OVERVIEW….

• WHILE BEING LIGHTLY STIRRED, THE OIL IS GRADUALLY

COOLED AND FLOWS THROUGH A CRYSTALLIZER WHERE
WAX CRYSTALS GROW WITH THE HELP OF THE ADDED
CRYSTALLIZING AGENT AND LOW TEMPERATURE.
• NEXT, THE OIL IS PUMPED INTO THE EXPELLER-EQUIPPED
VESSEL BEFORE FILTRATION, WHERE THE OIL MIXTURE
MIXED WITH SILICA IS ADDED BY A SEPARATE PUMP FROM
THE SAME VESSEL THAT ALSO GOES INTO THE WINTERIZER.
THE OIL AND BLEND RATIO IS CONTROLLED
AUTOMATICALLY BY FLOW METERS.
 WINTERIZATION – PROCESS OVERVIEW….
• AFTER WINTERIZATION, THE OIL REQUIRED FOR THE FILTRATION
CYCLE IS COLLECTED. THEREAFTER, FILTRATION PROCEEDS
ACCORDING TO THE FOLLOWING STEPS:
1. FILLING - IT IS POST-PROCESSING FILLING OF OIL WHERE THE
WINTERIZED OIL WITH SILICA AND WAX MATERIAL IS FILLED INTO
THE FILTRATION TANK.
2. ACCUMULATION – THE WINTERIZED OIL IS ACCUMULATED AND
SETTLED TO EVENLY DISTRIBUTE THE WINTERIZED OIL CONTENTS.
3. FILTRATION – IT IS THE MAIN PROCESS OF FILTRATION WHERE THE
WINTERIZED OIL IS FILTERED THROUGH SPECIALIZED FILTERS. THE
FILTERS ALLOW OIL MATERIAL TO PASS WHILE KEEPING BEHIND
THE SILICA AND WAX CONTENT.
 WINTERIZATION – PROCESS OVERVIEW….
4. EXTRUSION – A SPECIALIZED EXTRUSION SYSTEM
WITH FILTER SCREENS WHICH IS USED TO SEPARATE
REMAINING MINOR PARTICLES FROM THE
WINTERIZED OIL.
5. DRYING – THE FILTERS ARE COLLECTED AND DRIED
TO OBTAIN WAX AND SILICA GEL.
6. REGENERATION – THE FILTERS ARE CLEANED FROM
WAX AND FILTER AID CAKE AND REGENERATED TO BE
REUSED IN FURTHER FILTRATION PROCESSES.
 INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS OF WINTERIZATION
• FOOD PRODUCTS CONTAINING NON-PROCESSED OILS,
SUCH AS FATS AND WAXES WITH HIGHER MELTING
POINTS, WILL CRYSTALLIZE IN REFRIGERATION
TEMPERATURES. THIS PRECIPITATION COULD RESULT
IN PRODUCTS LIKE SALAD DRESSINGS SEPARATING
DURING COLD STORAGE.
• WINTERIZATION IS USED TO REFINE OIL IN SALAD
DRESSINGS, MAYONNAISE, COOKING OILS LIKE
SUNFLOWER OIL, AND BOTANICAL OILS.
 INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS OF WINTERIZATION…
• RICE BRAN OIL IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMONLY
WINTERIZED OILS, AS IT HAS A HIGH CONTENT OF
WAXES, FATTY ACIDS AND LIPIDS.
• WINTERIZATION IS ALSO A COMMON PROCESS IN THE
CANNABIS INDUSTRY, USED TO REMOVE UNWANTED
COMPOUNDS FROM CANNABIS OIL EXTRACTS.
• WINTERIZATION OFTEN FOLLOWS SUPERCRITICAL CO2
EXTRACTION, FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CANNABIS
OILS TO BE USED IN FOR VARIOUS PURPOSES.