Studies on the nutritive value of blended vanaspati: I. Digestibility of fats.

Vanaspati (SHORTENING) WITH THE DESIRED
melting point (c. 37°c.) can be prepared by
(1) straight hardening, according to which
the whole batch is hardened to the required
melting point, and (2) blending, according
to which a portion of the oil ( }4-16 per cent
in the case of groundnut oil) is hydrogenated
to give a product with m.p. 45°-55°C., and
the product so obtained is blended with the
refined oil. The blending process is said to
be cheaper and more flexible.
Data relating to the quantities of straight
hardened and blended vanaspatis produced
in India are not available. It is stated,
however, that the majority of the vanaspati
brands are straight hydrogenated products.
Extensive studies have been carried out
on the nutritive value of straight hardened
vanaspati1.7 but information on the blended
product is scanty. A comprehensive study
of blended hydrogenated products has been
undertaken in this laboratory, and the results
on digestibility trials are reported in this
paper.