Free fatty acids and their esters modulate isothermal crystallization of anhydrous milk fat

- Isothermal crystallization of milk fat is monitored by pulsed low-resolution NMR.
- Long chain saturated free or esterified fatty acids accelerate the crystallization.
- Short chain saturated free fatty acids slow down milk fat crystallization.
- The impact of the modulators on crystallization is concentration-dependent.

The effect of free fatty acids with different chain lengths or unsaturation degree on anhydrous milk fat (AMF) crystallization was evaluated. The impact of esterification was also studied using three triglycerides. Melted blends containing the additives at concentrations lower than 12 wt.% were quenched at 25 °C and isothermal crystallization was monitored by pulsed low-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance. In parallel, polarized light microscopy was used to observe the microstructure. Compounds based on long chain saturated fatty acids, i.e. palmitic, stearic, eicosanoic acids, tripalmitin and tristearin accelerated crystallization. Conversely, propanoic, hexanoic and oleic acids slowed down the process, while triacetin had no impact. Interestingly, above a critical concentration, the addition of palmitic, stearic or eicosanoic acids caused a transition from a one-step to two-step process. Gompertz model was used to fit the experimental data and to assess the influence of the molecular properties of the additives on the kinetic parameters.