Comparison of crystallization properties of a palm stearin/canola oil blend and lard in bulk and emulsified form

Physical properties of lard and a palm stearin/canola oil (PSCO) blend were characterized with respect to their nucleation and crystallization properties in both bulk and emulsified form over a range of temperatures. Emulsification resulted in a significant decrease (P<0.05) in solid fat content (SFC) in both systems. A decrease in droplet size and increase in the monodispersity of the lard emulsion resulted in a significant decrease (P<0.05) in SFC. Within each fat system there was no detectable modification of the polymorphic form due to emulsification although the onset times of both phase and polymorphic transitions were delayed by emulsification. The free energies of nucleation (ΔG_3D) and diffusion (ΔG_diff) were established for lard and PSCO in order to compare the nucleation behaviour of the bulk fats.