FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC NEKEDE

P.M.B 1036 OWERRI IMO STATE

TERM PAPER

ON

Production of butter, margarine and shortening

WRITTEN BY

NAME: ONUMONU MARY –JANE OGOCHUKWU

DEPT: FOOD TECHNOLOGY

LEVEL: HND II (EVENING)

COURSE TITLE: PROCESSING AND PRESERVATION OF

PLANT FOOD PRODUCT

COURSE CODE: FST 415

LECTURER: MRS. NNEKA AMADI -UZONNA

DATE: APRIL, 2024

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 INTRODUCTION

The word ‘fats’ refers to the lipid food group, and is used to mean both fats and oils. More
than 50% of our normal fat intake is in the form of ‘invisible’ fat; i.e. unseparated oil and fats
in foods such as grains, nuts, dairy products, eggs, meat, etc. (FAO, 1977). In such natural
food products, which include vegetable oils and fats, the lipid content and composition are
more or less fixed, with minor variations depending on the season. Therefore, the nutritional
and functional properties due to the lipid content of these natural food products are also fixed.
Shortenings and margarines are tailored fat systems whose nutritional and functional
properties have been manipulated in order to deliver specific consumer needs. In fats such as
margarine and shortening, the functional characteristics of natural fat systems have been
modified to provide desirable consistency and keeping quality in the end product. These
modified fats offer special functional utility to baking, confectionery, and cooking
applications. Being one of the most flexible basic food ingredients, it is expected that the use
of shortening and margarine will continue to grow.

BUTTER

Butter is essentially the fat of milk. Usually made from sweet cream and is salted. Saltless
(sweet) butters are also available. Can also be made from acidulated or bacteriologically
soured cream. (Now a days bacterial acidifying and heat treatment are more common.).
Butter A water-in-oil emulsion, comprised of >80% milk fat, but also containing water in the
form of tiny droplets, perhaps some milk SNF, with or without salt (sweet butter). Butter
should have a uniform colour, be dense and taste clean. The water content should be
dispersed in fine droplets so that the butter looks dry. The consistency should be smooth so
that the butter is easy to spread and melts readily on the tongue.

MARGARINE

Margarine and related products contain a water phase and a fat phase and can thus be
characterized as water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions in which the water phase is finely dispersed as
droplets in the continuous fat phase. Depending on the application of the product, the
composition of the fat phase and the manufacturing process are chosen accordingly. Apart
from the crystallization equipment, a modern manufacturing facility for margarine and related
products will typically include various tanks for oil storage as well as for emulsifier, water
phase and emulsion preparation; the size and number of tanks are calculated based on
capacity of the plant and product portfolio. The facility also includes a pasteurization unit and
a remelting facility. Thus, the manufacturing process can in general be divided into the
following sub-processes

SHORTENING

Shortenings are fats formulated from oil and base oil (often with a plasticizer and an
emulsifier) (Mattil, 1964a). Shortenings are considered quasi-plastic materials, but this alone

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is not enough to define shortenings. Their name is derived from the ‘shortness’ they impart to
the food products they are contained within. The term ‘shortening’ refers to the ability of a fat
to lubricate, weaken, or shorten the structure of food components so that they function in a
characteristic way to provide desirable textural properties to a food product. In a baked
product, without shortening, gluten and starch particles adhere to each other and give the
sensation of hardness and toughness when chewed (Mattil, 1964a). However, if shortening is
present, the fat breaks the continuity of the protein and starch structure. This enables the
lubrication of gluten particles, which produces a tender and well-aerated bakery product
(Chrysam, 1985; Mattil, 1964a). In frying applications, shortenings allow for quick, uniform
heat transfer during cooking, and aids in the formation of a moisture barrier (Chrysam, 1985)

PRODUCTION OF BUTTER

Four types of butter making processes:

Traditional batch churning from 25- 35% mf. Cream.

Continuous flotation churning from 30-50% mf. Cream.

The concentration process whereby "plastic" cream at 82% mf is separated from 35% mf
cream at 55°C and then this oil-in-water emulsion cream is inverted to a water-in-oil
emulsion butter with no further draining of buttermilk.

The anhydrous milk fat process, whereby water, SNF, and salt are emulsified into butter oil in
a process very similar to margarine manufacture.

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MARGARINE PRODUCTION

Margarine and related products contain a water phase and a fat phase and can thus be

characterized as water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions in which the water phase is finely dispersed as

droplets in the continuous fat phase. Depending on the application of the product, the

composition of the fat phase and the manufacturing process are chosen accordingly.

Preparation of the water phase and the fat phase (zone 1)

The water phase is often prepared batch-wise in the water phase tank. The water should be of

good drinking quality. If drinking quality water cannot be guaranteed, the water can be

subjected to pre-treatment by means of e.g. a UV or filter system. Apart from the water, the

water phase can consist of salt or brine, milk proteins (table margarine and low fat spreads),

sugar (puff pastry), stabilizers (reduced and low fat spreads), preservatives and water-soluble

flavors. The major ingredients in the fat phase, the fat blend, normally consist of a blend of

different fats and oils. In order to achieve margarine with the desired characteristics and

functionalities, the ratio of fats and oils in the fat blend is decisive for the performance of the

final product. The various fats and oils, either as fat blend or single oils, are stored in oil

storage tanks typically placed outside the production facility. These are kept at stable storage

temperature above the melting point of the fat and under agitation in order to avoid

fractionation of the fat and to allow easy handling. Apart from the fat blend, the fat phase

typically consists of minor fat-soluble ingredients such as emulsifier, lecithin, flavor, color

and antioxidants. These minor ingredients are dissolved in the fat blend before the water

phase is added, thus before the emulsification process.

Emulsion Preparation (Zone 2) : The emulsion is prepared by transferring various oils and

fats or fat blends to the emulsion tank. Usually, the high melting fats or fat blends are added

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first followed by the lower melting fats and the liquid oil. To complete the preparation of the

fat phase, the emulsifier and other oil-soluble minor ingredients are added to the fat blend.

When all the ingredients for the fat phase have been properly mixed, the water phase is added

and the emulsion is created under intensive but controlled mixing.

Pasteurization (Zone 3): From the buffer tank the emulsion is normally continuously

pumped through either a plate heat exchanger (PHE) or a low pressure scraped surface heat

exchanger (SSHE), the GS Consistator®, or high pressure SSHE, the GS Kombinator or GS

Perfector, for pasteurization prior to entering the crystallization line.

Chilling, crystallization and kneading (zone 4): The emulsion is pumped to the

crystallization line by means of a high pressure piston pump (HPP). The crystallization line

for the production of margarine and related products typically consists of a high pressure

SSHE which is cooled by ammonia or Freon type cooling media. Pin rotor machine(s) and/or

intermediate crystallizers are often included in the line in order to add extra kneading

intensity and time for the production of plastic products. A resting tube is the final step of the

crystallization line and is only included if the product is packed.

Packing, Filling and Remelting (Zone 5): Various packing and filling machines are

available on the market and will not be described in this article. However, the consistency of

the product is very different if it is produced to be packed or filled. It is obvious that a packed

product must exhibit a firmer texture than a filled product and if this texture is not optimal the

product will be diverted to the remelting system, melted and added to the buffer tank for re-

processing. Different remelting systems are available but the most used systems are PHE or

low pressure SSHE like the GS Consistator.

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Automation: Margarine, like other food products, is in many factories today produced under

strict traceability procedures. These procedures typically covering the ingredients, the

production and the final product result not only in an enhanced food safety but also in a

constant food quality. Traceability demands can be implemented in the control system of the

factory and the Gerstenberg Schröder GS Logic control system is designed to control, record

and document important conditions and parameters concerning the complete manufacturing

process.

Final Remarks: When producing margarine and related products, it is important to keep in

mind that it is not only the ingredients like the oils and fats used or the recipe of the product

which determine the quality of the final product but also the configuration of the plant, the

processing parameters and the state of the plant. If the line or the equipment is not well

maintained, there is a risk that the line is not efficiently performing. Therefore, to produce

high quality products, a well functioning plant is a must but the choice of fat blend with

characteristics which correspond to the final application of the product is also important as

well as a correct configuration and choice of processing parameters of the plant. Last but not

least the final product has to be temperature-treated according to final use.

SHORTENING PRODUCTION

A shortening is defined as a fat, solid at room temperature, which can be used to give foods a

crumbly and crisp texture such as pastry. Examples of fat used as “shorteners” include

butter, margarine, vegetable oils and lard.

Oils and fats are used in a baked product to reduce the development of gluten giving the

foods a crumbly texture. The fats and oils break down the gluten into “shorter strands” hence

the term shorteners. Coating the flour in fat prevents the flour from absorbing water

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hindering the formation of gluten. If too much gluten developed, the food would be stretchy

and elastic.

Shortening is used in most doughs and batters, to give the baked product a crisp and crumbly

texture. Rubbing the fat in causes the baked product to have a flaky texture, as the dough is

separated into layers. When fat is whisked with sugar, a process called creaming, the texture

will be more like a cake, and be soft and springy.

The type of fat used will also affect the colour of the product. For example, using margarine

will give the baked product a golden colour, whereas lard produces a product with a pale

yellow colour.

Recap: fats, solid at room temperature can give food a crumbly texture. They are called

shorteners as they break down gluten into shorter strands, hindering the formation of gluten

(which would make the dough more stretchy) by preventing the flour from absorbing water.

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