Fats and Oils - Leaving Cert Home Economics

What is a fat

Comes from animal sources, solid at room temp

What is an oil

comes from plant/marine sources, liquid at room temp

Animal fats

• saturated

• lard, butter, cream

Plant oils

• mainly unsaturated

• includes veg oils (olive), nut oils (coconut), seed oils (sunflower)

Marine Oils

• Polyunsaturated fat

• Cod liver oil and herring oil

Dietetic functions of fats and oils

Similar to dietetic functions of lipids

• Source of fat soluble vitamins

• Forms protective layer for organs

• Supply essential fatty acids

How to make veg oil (very unlikely to come up)

1. Sed prep

2. Oil extraction

3. Refined - degrumiing/neutralising

4. Bleached

5. Filtered

6. Deodorisers added

7. Packaged and labelled

How to make margarine (came up last year, suuuuper unlikely)

1. Oil extraction

2. Hydrogenisation

3. Othr ingredients added

4. Emulsification

5. Churned

6. Weighed

7. Packaged/labelled

Percentage fat in butter

82%

Percentage fat in cooking oil

99.9%

Percentage fat in Margarine

81.5%

Percentage fat in low fat spread

40%

Benefits of low fat spreads

• Contain half the fat of butter/margarine

• Low cholesterol diets

• High in monounsaturated fat

• Low in saturated fat

Benefits of functional spreads

• Lowers cholesterol levels - plant sterols

• Low cholesterol diets

• High in polyunsaturated fats

• Low in saturated fat

Storing fats/oil

1. Keep covered - oxidative rancidity

2. Keep away from strong smelling foods

Uses for fats and oils

frying, flabour, emulsion