Fat hydrogenation is the process of combining unsaturated fat with hydrogen in order to partially or completely convert it into saturated fat. Typically this hydrogenation is done with liquid vegetable oils resulting in solid or semi-solid fats .

Hydrogenation is a chemical reaction between molecular hydrogen (H 2) and another compound or element, usually in the presence of a catalyst such as nickel, palladium or platinum. The process is commonly employed to reduce or saturate organic compounds .

Vegetable oils which have been partially hydrogenated, are now partially saturated so the melting point increases to the point where a solid is present at room temperature. The degree of hydrogenation of unsaturated oils controls the final consistency of the product.

Partial hydrogenation is a chemical process used in the production of waxes, fats, and oils to modify their physical and chemical properties. The process involves adding hydrogen to unsaturated fatty acids, reducing the number of carbon-carbon double bonds without completely saturating the molecule.

Hydrogenation is always partial and sometimes only marginal. In chemical terms, it involves not only the saturation of double bonds but also cis – trans isomerization and migration of some double bonds to neighboring positions in the fatty chains.

Recall that the addition of hydrogen to an alkene (unsaturated) results in an alkane (saturated). A simple hydrogenation reaction is: H 2 C=CH 2 + H 2 → CH 3 CH 3. alkene plus hydrogen yields an alkane. Saturated fats are solid at room temperature due to their molecular shape.

A number of old and new ingredients are available to replace partially-hydrogenated oil containing significant levels of trans fat. These include partially-hydrogenated oil made with improved processes, plant oils rich in monounsaturated fats and saturated fats, and a mix of fats combined with interesterification. [14]

Full hydrogenation of edible oils leads to the formation of saturated fatty acids that are important for texturing certain processed foods, such as pastries. However, incomplete hydrogenation can lead to the formation of partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), sometime referred to …

This explains why partially hydrogenated vegetable oils hardly contain dienes with trans double bonds (c,t-D, t,c-D and t,t-D). Half-hydrogenated monoenes on the other hand readily dissociate again and this explains the presence of large amounts of trans monoenes.

Hydrogenation or the addition of hydrogen to the double bonds, allows the processor to modify the properties by removing (some of) the double bonds. He can do this to a limited but not unimportant extent, selectively. Selectivity is therefore another aspect used in …