Edible Fat Crystallization Under Magnetic Fields: Can Physical Properties be Affected?

Fat Crystallization is an important aspect of food production. For example, the texture of foods is mainly driven by the fats they are created from. Modifying the physical properties of these fats is useful in the replacement of undesirable fats in food products, such as trans-fats, while maintaining the quality of the end product. Previous research has shown that a magnetic field of 50,000 G can be used to suppress the crystallization of the alpha form of certain triacyclglycerols (TAGs). Suppressing this form of the TAG crystal can result in macroscopic changes in the physical properties of some fats. This research seeks to better understand the impact of magnetic fields on the crystallization and (macroscopic) physical properties of fats. Here, four common fats: anhydrous milk fat, palm oil, palm kernel oil, and interesterified soybean oil were crystallized under various strengths of magnetic field: 0G (control), 50G, 100G, 200G, and 4,000G. After this process, physical properties of these fats such as hardness, solid fat content, and enthalpy were measured to determine if any differences in properties between the groups were attributable to the magnetic field. Under conditions of magnetic fields 200G and lower, no significant differences were found.