About Margarine
WHAT IS MARGARINE?
Margarine is a fine-crystalline nutrient consisting of a mixture of various oils, water and skimmed milk.
It is made entirely from vegetable oils.
The saturated fat content of bowl margarines is almost the same as olive oil, sunflower oil and similar liquid oils.
It does not contain cholesterol.
It does not contain trans-fats.
Package margarines have approximately 70%, and bowl margarines approximately 60% fat content.
10 grams give 63 – 54 Kcal of energy.
How is Margarine made?
We often receive questions about the making stages of margarine. Here are the answers to your most frequently asked questions!
Which oils are used to make margarine?
Vegetable oils such as sunflower, soybean, cotton, canola, palm and derivatives are generally used in margarines produced in Türkiye.
Does margarine go through chemical processes during production?
None of the oils found in nature can be consumed raw, with the exception of extra virgin olive oil. They are made edible by applying various physical and chemical processes.
There is not just one way to produce margarine, but essentially the process is very simple. First, the appropriate oil composition is determined. Then, the desired flavor and nutritional values are determined by mixing this composition with components such as skimmed milk or milk protein, necessary vitamins and water.
What kind of technology is used in margarine production in the world?
Companies that have advanced technologies both in our country and in the world use modern production methods and knowledge. Countries and companies are not sanctioned about the technology they should use, but guidance is made through regulations.
For example, although there is no definite regulation/directive in the EU yet, the general trend is for the trans-fat content of margarine to be below 2%. However, in Türkiye, it is aimed to have trans-fats lower than 1%, and foods containing trans-fat below this rate are considered as "No Trans Fat" according to the labeling communiqué published in 2007. The trans-fat content of margarines produced in Türkiye is below 1% and carries the "No Trans-Fat" label on its packages. This patent belongs to MÜMSAD.
MARGARINE PRODUCT TECHNOLOGY
Margarines are an emulsion (water-oil mixture) similar to butter in color, taste and structure, and are prepared using ingredients such as vegetable oil, milk, yoghurt, whey powder, water, and vitamins.
It is possible to produce margarine suitable for different purposes with compositions with different fat content (-90%) and different production methods. These can be categorized as breakfast margarines and those used in food and industrial products. Margarines are produced using pure vegetable oils such as sunflower, corn, palm, canola and cottonseed oil.
Oils produced from seeds and fruits also contain some impurities, such oils are called 'crude oil'. There are very few oils that can be eaten raw without any processing, among them are olive oil and sesame oil. The production process begins with the purification of these oils.
Purification (Refinement)
The process of removing impurities in crude oils is called refining. Refining (R) is done in 3 stages as neutralization, bleaching (B) and deodorization (D). Refined (RBD) oil mixtures obtained as a result of these 3 processes form the main ingredient of margarine.
Margarine Technology
Margarine Production Stages
Margarine production generally consists of the following processes:
1. Preparation of water phase and oil phase
2. Emulsification
3. Cooling, crystallization, kneading and resting
4. Packaging
Water and Oil Phase Preparation
Water/Milk Phase: Contains water-soluble additives.
- Milk, Milk powder, Yogurt powder, Whey powder.
- Acidity regulator (Citric Acid, Lactic Acid)
- Butter aroma
- Preservative- Antimicrobial substances (Potassium Sorbate)
Oil Phase: The oil phase contains fat-soluble additives.
- Emulsifiers (which provide homogeneous mixing of oil and water)
- Lecithin (Anti-splash, enhancer of emulsion stability)
- Colorant (beta carotene to make it look like butter)
- Butter aroma
- Vitamins (such as A, D, E)
Emulsion Preparation
Milk, water and oil phases are homogeneously mixed with each other according to the desired oil and water ratios in the final product.
Cooling, Crystallization, Kneading and Packaging
The preparation of the Water/Oil emulsion is followed by the crystallization process. This process is done with refrigerated crystallizers working continuously in modern margarine production.
Since margarines are oil/water emulsions and a homogeneous emulsion is required, the size of water and milk droplets should be small. The size of the water phase droplets dispersed in the oil phase is reduced while forming an emulsion or by homogenization.
Cooling rollers with surface scrapers are used for cooling and crystallization of the emulsion, and ammonia or freon is used as a coolant. The hot emulsion is sent to the cooling cylinders by means of a high pressure pump. From the production exit to the consumer's kitchen, the products must be stored in a cold environment (below 14 degrees) during storage and distribution in order for the quality to be preserved.