vegetable ghee manufacturing

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Vegetable Ghee (Vanaspati)

Vegetable Ghee(Vanaspati)

VEGETABLE GHEE, the vegetable alternative to ghee, is an all-purposecooking fat widely used in the Indian sub-continent and the MiddleEast. Ghee is made from butter oil, but demand has exceeded supplythus raising its price. Hence the emergence of ghee substitute, vegetableghee or vanaspati.

Originally, vegetable ghee was made from a blend of vegetable oils whichwas hydrogenated to make it solid, and processed to imitate ghee intexture and flavour. For decades, hydrogenation was essential in theproduction process. However, due to the trans fatty acids dilemma, partialhydrogenation is no longer viable. Palm oil and its products, with awide range in natural solid contents, can impart the required solid fatscontent and texture of vegetable ghee without the need of hydrogenation.

At present, palm, soybean, rapeseed and cottonseed oils are the mostcommonly used oils for vegetable ghee. Because of the wide range ofuse, vegetable ghee and similar products are marketed under differentdefinitions - vanaspati, vegetable shortening, imitation ghee, artificialbutter and so on.

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Palm Oil/Palm Kernel Oil Applications

IngredientsVegetable ghee is basically a vegetable oilmade into solid to imitate thecharacteristics (flavour, texture, etc.) ofbutter oil (butter without its water). It isthus comprised almost wholly of avegetable oil or a mixture of vegetableoils. Other ingredients like flavour,colour, vitamins and antioxidants may beadded depending on the food regulationsin the country in which the product issold.

ProcessingTraditionally, hydrogenation is used toraise the melting range of a liquid oil(s)so that the oil becomes solid at roomtemperature. However, trans fatty acidsare an inadvertent result of partialhydrogenation and, as they pose a healthrisk, the current effort is to reduce oreliminate the use of hydrogenationprocess.

The trend today is to use formulationsthat are free from trans fatty acids. Eitherdirect blending or interesterification ofoils and fats using palm oil and itsproducts as the major components willachieve this (see Processing Steps).

Advantages of Using PalmOil and Its Products

1. Naturally semi-solid oilPalm oil and palm stearin have naturalsolids content and therefore require nohydrogenation. The products are thusfree from trans fatty acids.

2. Lower cost of productionWithout hydrogenation, the cost ofproduction is significantly lower. Thesavings can be passed on to theconsumers to encourage sales.

3. Availability of palm oil and palmstearinOil palm yields throughout the year, anda supply of good quality palm oil andpalm stearin, especially from Malaysia,is available at all times of the year. It ispossible to request customised palmstearin with specific physico-chemicalcharacteristics for various formulations.

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Manufacturing ProcessPalm oil and its products do not require hydrogenation to produce vegetable ghee asthey have natural solids content. The ghee produced is free from trans fatty acids.

Processing Steps

1. Homogenising oils/fats or theirmixturesThe oil or mixture is heated to 70oC in amixing vessel under continuous stirringto ensure a homogenous melt.

2. Incorporating flavour, colour andother ingredientsThese ingredients are optional. Being fat-soluble, they are dispersed in a smallvolume of the fat blend and then mixedinto the main body of fat undercontinuous stirring.

3. Passing homogenised mixture ofoils through a scraped-surface heatexchangerThis is usually the A-unit of amargarine processing plant. Atemperature between 17oC-28oCand 300-700 rpm pump speed aremaintained. The mixture crystallisesquickly with an increase in itsviscosity.

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4. Packaging vegetable gheeThe packed product is stored in awarehouse at 25oC-30oC to allow it timeto complete crystallisation.

5. Vegetable ghee ready for shipment

Vegetable Ghee Manufacturing Process(Modern Method)

Melt oils/fats and/or mixture(70°C, 15 min)

Homogenise and add flavour and colour(50°-60ºC)

Crystallisation in A-unit of a scraped-surface heat exchanger(17°-28°C)

Packaging

Shipment

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Solid Fats Content of Vegetable Ghee

Basic Trans Free Vegetable Ghee Formulations, Based onBlended and Interesterified Oils and Fats

Oil Mixture Fat/Oil Composition Consistency

Blended fats Palm stearin:Soybean oil Granular with no oil60:40 separation

Interesterified fats Palm stearin:Soybean oil Soft and granular with80:20 no oil separation

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Slip Melting Point of Trans Free VegetableGhee Formulations

Note: POs = Palm Oil Stearin; SBO = Soybean oilSFO = Sunflower oil

Source: Proceedings of the 1997 PORIM Technology Transfer Seminar

Slip Melting Point (°C)Sample

Direct Blends Interesterified Blends

POs:SBO40:60 41.5 35.960:40 45.5 41.580:20 47.7 45.6

POs:SBO40:60 43.6 38.760:40 45.9 43.480:20 48.5 45.6

POs:SFO40:60 43.8 34.360:40 45.3 39.480:20 48.6 45.4

vegetable ghee manufacturing

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