Cooking oil, or, more simply, margarine has become an integral part of modern cooking. Its range is huge. In stores you can find this product of any quality, composition, color and variety. It is present in ready meals as well as baked goods. But few people know that this product is in use relatively recently. Margarine owes its appearance to Hippolyte Mezh-Mourier, a French chemist who invented an amazing dairy product more than one century ago. It was invented as an inexpensive and high-quality analogue of butter.
Kitchen and dining room
It is these two types that margarine happens, the composition of which we will give below. Giving preference to one or another option, you should decide for yourself with what exactly you plan to use it. After all, the kitchen look is added to hot first and second courses, used for frying vegetables and meat products. Table margarine tastes like butter, and therefore is perfect for dough and snacks. Mistresses prefer fat rather than oil, as it prevents the flour products from becoming hardened quickly. In addition, the table view of the dairy product makes the flour dish much tastier, gives it a unique creamy smell and a golden hue.
Benefits of using margarine
Many consumers think long and hard about whether to buy margarine or butter. These doubts are caused by uncertainty about whether there is anything useful in the composition of the first product. Of course, margarine contains vitamins, but they are all artificially added to it. This was done in order to bring it closer in nutritional properties to natural butter.
Margarine is a dairy product of plant origin, so it does not contain cholesterol. But sometimes some elements of animal origin are added to the composition to improve the taste. However, this product certainly has some advantages. So, margarine stays fresh longer. Accordingly, dishes prepared on its basis also differ in this feature. This product is much cheaper. It is easier to spread on baked goods. But the benefits of margarine are directly related to the quality of the substances from which it is made.
Beware, it can be dangerous!
Margarine, whose composition is mostly composed of trans fats, has a harmful effect on the functioning of the heart. Also, for the production of this product, waste products of chemical origin are used, which can cause quite severe harm to health. It's no secret that vegetable fats are the raw material for the manufacture of margarine. And modern manufacturers get them from genetically modified soy, which can also provoke the appearance of very strong allergic reactions.
What is margarine made from?
Among buyers, the opinion has spread that oil is used to produce margarine. But, of course, these are just fantasies of too impressionable people who love to convey various rumors and conjectures to the public. To debunk this myth, we will tell the reader what the dairy product actually consists of. The composition of margarine according to GOST includes oils of vegetable origin and/or fats of fish and marine mammals. It is also allowed to add animal fats and dairy products to it.
Margarine is a water-oil emulsion that contains at least 39% fat by weight. For the production of the product, liquid hydrogenated oils of vegetable origin and fats of marine mammals (also in liquid form) are used. In slightly smaller quantities, it may contain animal rendered fats, butter and milk fat.
What else is margarine made of? It contains substances such as preservatives, water, emulsifiers, salt, food coloring, antioxidants and flavors. Ingredients that improve the taste of the butter substitute can also be present. These include whey, sugar, milk and pasteurized or powdered cream.
It's tastier with "Pyshka"
This dairy product is especially popular with housewives. This hype is caused primarily by the fact that the composition of Pyshka margarine compares favorably with the absence of hydrogenated fats, which are the most harmful ingredient of any product in this category. The butter substitute under the indicated trademark is a quality product with a uniform consistency, which has a positive effect on baking.
The full composition of margarine "Pyshka" is as follows:
- 75% refined deodorized vegetable oils and fats;
- water;
- dry whey;
- emulsifiers;
- salt;
- citric acid;
- natural dyes;
- vitamins;
- flavoring.
Is there any milk?
It is quite difficult to distinguish butter from milk margarine in appearance. They are similar in composition, digestibility by the human body, taste and aromatic properties. Milk margarine (the composition is presented in the article) contains 82-84% fat, protein in an amount of from half to one percent, as well as calcium, potassium, vitamins A, B and E, magnesium. In the process of making this butter substitute, fermented milk is added to it. Such an ingredient makes it possible to maximize the similarity of milk margarine and butter. Pre-pasteurization of milk before it is added to fat, and its further fermentation with lactic acid bacteria provides margarine with a smell and taste of this product.
Oh, cream, cream!
The composition of creamy margarine includes oils of vegetable origin and animal fats. During the production of the product, the emulsification method is used. This process refers to the mixing of fats with a liquid containing water. For example, with pasteurized cow's milk. This product should not contain more than twenty-five percent butter. Even taking into account the manufacturers' arguments that butterfat is of the highest quality, it cannot be compared with real butter.
However, this product has unique properties. First, it differs in universality of application. Secondly, margarine (we have already specified the composition) is enriched with vitamins of groups A, B, PP and E. It also contains elements such as choline, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus and potassium. That is why the creamy product is actively used in industrial enterprises and at home.
Table margarine
This variety appeared in the thirties of the last century. These were hard hungry times. Scientists have invented a new product that is cheaper than butter. Table fat began to be added not only to the dough, but also to other dishes. But despite this, this dairy product remained a second-class product. With the advent of the 1990s, when butter became a scarce commodity, table margarine regained popularity. Not only a domestic product appeared on the market, but also a foreign one.
Table margarine, the composition of which is edible fat, milk, salt, sugar, dyes and refined oils of vegetable origin, is divided into two grades. This is a sandwich and dining room. It also comes in solid types and soft bulk (they are packed in plastic jars).
How to choose the best product
No matter what is said about the harmfulness of margarine, we still continue to use it. The only exception is children, to whom it is not recommended to give it in principle. For small eaters, the amount of butter substitute that they get while eating pastries is enough. Therefore, when buying margarine, you need to learn how to choose it.
The highest quality product is the one on the packaging of which is marked "R 52179-2003" and the GOST symbol. Such a product must be wrapped in foil, it protects it from the effects of foreign odors, humidity and light. The label should also contain information about the composition of margarine. Give preference to a product that does not contain GMOs. A dye is added to the fat, on which the shade of the original product directly depends. If the dairy product has a yellow color, then it has vitamins, a white tint indicates that the product is not colored, and a product containing dyes will have a light yellow color.
Let's immediately dispel the old myth of what margarine is made of. Not from oil. And oil products have never been used for these purposes.
However, even without "black gold" there are enough prejudices that make it a mysterious product.
For some, it is an alternative to "harmful" animal fats and, above all, butter; for others - a "relative" of grease with all the consequences.
And the results are truly impressive. And they are backed up by research. But more on that later.
Let's figure out what margarine is, what its composition is, what it is made of, what is dangerous, we will find benefits, whether they should replace animal fats and how to behave.
What is margarine and its history
This is a fat emulsion, which is produced from vegetable and animal fats that have undergone modification.
It was invented to replace cow butter, but not because it is harmful, but because it is expensive.
In the 1960s, French Emperor Napoleon III issued a call to scientists, seasoned with generous rewards, to come up with a product that was both cheap, nutritious and similar to butter. The goal is to saturate a large and voracious army.
The resulting emulsion product was called oleomargarine. , from the name of which the extra letters were subsequently “torn off”.
The history of his world domination is complicated. Either manufacturers were forced to buy an expensive license, or they were subjected to “draconian” taxes, or they were forbidden to paint in more pleasant colors other than white or pink.
However, he proved tenacious and, in the end, conquered the world. His "help" was especially actively addressed during times of wars and crises ("cheap and cheerful").
Now margarine is most actively used in the confectionery and baking industry. , which together account for two-thirds of total consumption. Another quarter "leaves" the preparation of ice cream. 8% ersatz oil people eat in its pure form.
Types of margarine
Unlike cow butter, there are many varieties of it. And each of them solves its own problems:
- MT - solid - used in the food industry;
- MM - soft - for direct consumption;
- MTK - in the confectionery industry;
- MTS - for puff pastry and products from it;
- MZhK, MZHP - liquid - for baking and deep-frying.
Hard margarine is considered the most harmful. But others are not far behind.
Composition of margarine
Various vegetable oils are used for production: sunflower, soybean, rapeseed, corn, palm, cottonseed, peanut, olive, cocoa and others. It also contains animal fats.
A more pleasant taste and appearance is achieved with the help of milk powder, flavourings, food additives, emulsifiers, starch, sugar and salt.
It is impossible to spread a sandwich with an ordinary fatty emulsion, as it looks like vegetable oil. But, as in the joke, the student came up with a way to hammer a worm into the ground, they also found a way to form solid bars out of the mixture.
For this, hydrogenation is used. During a complex process, hydrogen is introduced into fatty acid molecules.
The benefits of margarine
It is cheap and satisfies hunger well.
The composition contains vitamins A, E, nicotinic acid and various trace elements (phosphorus, sodium, iron, magnesium), saturated and unsaturated fatty acids.
Does not delaminate when heated, so it is good for baking.
Harm margarine
In the United States, 80,000 health workers were monitored for 14 years. And it turned out that lovers of fast food, which is mainly cooked on margarine, are much more likely to experience heart disease and death from them.
Hydrogenation produces harmful trans fats (trans isomers)!
Why is margarine dangerous?
- Trans fats , the number of which reaches 40%, alien to our body .
a) He does not know how to recognize and neutralize them, and therefore “fearlessly” introduces them into the structure of cell membranes, like ordinary saturated fats. As a result, the work of cells, and hence the whole organism, is disrupted.
b) Transisomers increase and cause cardiovascular disease, as well as cancer, Alzheimer's disease, infertility, diabetes, obesity, immune problems, diseases of the musculoskeletal system, premature birth and many, many more health disorders.
c) Scientists have calculated that just 5 grams of trans fat per day doubles the risk of a heart attack.
- For production use the cheapest and low-quality vegetable oils subjected to destructive treatment.
- Metal particles get into it. used as a catalyst for chemical processes.
- To give a disgustingly grayish mass a presentation , it is bleached, tinted, emulsified, cleaned of an unpleasant odor, flavored, starched and flavored with flavoring additives.
How to protect yourself
- Stop buying "light butter" for making sandwiches.
- When buying baked goods, cookies, confectionery, processed foods and other products, carefully read the labels so that they do not mention hydrogenated fats.
- Cook homemade cakes exclusively in butter.
- Do not buy suspicious ready-made dough, which may contain trans fats.
We are not in Napoleon's army. Therefore, it is foolish to put in the first place stuffing the stomach with products that are cheap in price, but expensive for health. Think and draw conclusions, because we have one health.
Margarine is a food product based on water, vegetable oil and flavored emulsifiers. Margarine is widely used in cooking.
Sometimes margarine is used instead of butter, but this should not be done. This product is made from various fats: animal and refined, additionally hydrogenated. In order for this product to acquire its characteristic taste, flavors such as whey, milk powder, sugar, salt, as well as other food additives and flavors are added to its composition.
What is margarine made from?
The main raw material for the production of this product is a mixture of vegetable and animal fats. Most often from animal fats, whale fat is used. The vegetable composition of margarine includes cottonseed, sunflower and. These fats undergo hydrogenation, that is, they are transferred from a liquid state to a solid state. By deodorization, they eliminate the specific smell and taste of the product, which is characteristic of the fat of marine animals and some vegetable oils.
According to the state standard, margarine can be for industrial processing, table and sandwich.
Composition of table margarine
Depending on the composition of margarine, methods of its processing, taste and culinary purpose, margarine is kitchen and table. Margarine is also divided into creamy, dairy-free, dairy and dairy animals. This division occurs depending on the use of raw materials.
Table margarine is of the highest, first and second grade. It also has a fat content. High-fat margarine contains 80-82%, reduced fat content - up to 72% and low-calorie - from 40 to 60%. Low-calorie margarine also includes halvarin and spread spreads.
Composition of lean margarine
Lean margarine contains emulsified fats and water. Margarine for fasting is considered a dairy-free table product. On such margarine is the designation "In the post." Creamy, table dairy and table dairy animal margarine is not used in fasting.
Composition of creamy margarine
Such margarine is obtained by emulsification, that is, mixing vegetable natural fats and fats converted from a liquid state into a solid state with fermented, pasteurized milk and with the addition of 25% butter.
Composition of table milk margarine and table animal margarine
Unlike cream margarine, dairy table margarine does not contain butter.
Dairy table margarine contains up to 25% hydrogenated whale oil. This fat differs from other animal fats and vegetable oils in better digestibility and higher calorie content. Thanks to careful deodorization and refining, this nutritious fat is freed from a specific smell and taste.
High-quality table margarine has a uniform, dense and plastic consistency. It should not have an extraneous taste and smell.
Composition of kitchen margarine
The raw material for kitchen margarine is animal and vegetable fat. To prepare it, all fats are first melted and then mixed in different proportions, according to the recipe. Depending on the raw materials used, kitchen can be vegetable and combined.
Vegetable kitchen margarines include vegetable fat and hydrofat. The latter is prepared on the basis of refined vegetable oil, which is turned into a solid state by hydrogenation. As for vegetable fat, it contains 20% mixture of natural vegetable oil and 80% hydrogenated vegetable oil.
Margarine- edible fat obtained by emulsifying a mixture of vegetable oils and animal fats that have undergone certain processing (hydrogenation, refining), with fermented milk or water, followed by cooling and mechanical processing of the emulsion until a product of the required consistency is obtained.
In terms of calories, taste, smell, appearance and consistency, margarine is similar to butter. Its chemical composition is close to that of butter. The digestibility of margarine is 97-98% and is equal to the digestibility of butter and lard.
Margarine is widely used in the confectionery, baking and other food industries, as well as in catering establishments and home cooking for preparing dough products, hot and cold dishes, and is used for sandwiches.
Margarine "Special" sandwich Rosglavzhirmaslo Gorky oil and fat plant
For the production of margarine in the USSR, vegetable oils (sunflower, cottonseed, sesame, etc.) and animal fats were used as the main raw materials: butter (not lower than the 1st grade), rendered pork, beef, whale and other fats (not lower than the highest varieties). Vegetable oils were used in natural refined and hydrogenated form. In addition to fats, natural and skimmed milk (fresh and canned), natural fresh pasteurized or dry cream, as well as table salt, beet sugar, flavoring and flavoring agents, food colorings, vitamins and emulsifiers were used. Purified phosphatides, as well as preparations obtained from densified glycerol and fatty acids, were used as emulsifiers.
Table margarine "ERA" (Soyuzmargarinprom, 1973)
The production of margarine consisted of the following main operations: preparation of fats and milk, mixing of the raw materials provided for in the recipe, emulsification of fats with milk (or water for dairy-free margarine), cooling, emulsion processing, packaging and packaging of the finished product. The industrial production of margarine in the USSR was mechanized. Margarine plants were equipped with equipment that allows the entire production process to be carried out in closed, continuously operating apparatus, subject to all necessary sanitary and hygienic conditions.
Margarine
For the production of margarine, vegetable oils, as well as liquid (at normal temperature) animal fats (whale, fish) were subjected to hydrogenation (treatment with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst) to acquire a greasy or solid consistency. In order to purify, remove impurities and smell, vegetable oils, as well as hydrogenated fats, were subjected to refining (purification). At the same time, mechanical and alkaline cleaning, hydration (removal of protein and mucous substances), washing, decolorization, deodorization (removal of aromatic substances) and filtering of fats were carried out. The quantitative ratio of various fats in the mixture prepared for the production of margarine fluctuated within the limits established by the recipe, depending on the melting point and consistency of the mixture. Dyes, vitamins and emulsifier were introduced into the fat mixture. Milk for the manufacture of margarine was used fermented with special types of lactic acid bacteria, some of which enrich milk with B vitamins. Salt and sugar were added to fermented milk. Milk gives margarine the taste and aroma of butter, and also increases its shelf life..
In the process of emulsifying fats with milk (water), the latter is distributed in the form of tiny balls in the mass of fat, forming a strong non-separating emulsion. Cooling the emulsion was intended to turn it into a dense mass, which was then subjected to mechanical processing to make it homogeneous.
Margarine. Glavraszhirmaslo Ministry of Light and Food Industry of the USSR (Artist E. Miniovich, 1952.)
Depending on the raw materials used for its manufacture and the technology of the process, margarine was divided into the following types: milk, cream, dairy-free and powdered (dry). Milk and cream margarines, depending on the ratio of fats in the raw mixture and flavoring substances added during its manufacture, were in turn divided into chocolate and confectionery margarines, and milk margarines were also divided into animal and table margarines.
The quality of margarine had to meet the requirements of GOST 240-57.
Margarine
According to organoleptic indicators, margarine had to meet the following requirements: the taste and smell were clean, well-defined, corresponding to the taste and smell of butter, and for dairy-free margarine, the color had to be uniform throughout the mass, for uncolored margarine - from white to light yellow, for dyed - light yellow or yellow; consistency at a temperature of 15 ° dense, homogeneous, plastic; the cut surface is shiny, dry in appearance.
The quality of margarine was assessed by organoleptic indicators using a hundred-point system. In accordance with the data of the organoleptic evaluation, margarine is divided into the highest and the 1st grade. The distribution of points was made as follows: taste and smell - 50, texture and appearance - 25, color and color - 10, salting - 5, packaging - 10 points. The scoring was carried out according to the GOST 240-57 table. Depending on the amount of points received, margarine was assigned to the corresponding grade. The quality score for premium margarine was to be at least 93 points, incl. in taste and smell - at least 44 points, and for the 1st grade - 89 and 41 points, respectively.
Dairy animal margarine
Margarine was not allowed to be sold with a score for taste and smell below 41 points or with a total score below 89 points; with a taste of bitterness or paint; with a greasy, rancid, metallic, fishy or other foreign taste and smell, as well as with a taste of stearin; a pronounced salty or sour taste and smell or a pronounced taste of vegetable oil; with flowing moisture, with a floury, curdled consistency; moldy or contaminated.
Composition of margarine (in %)
Packaging of margarine in cardboard boxes, as well as plywood drums, was not allowed for sea, river and mixed rail-water transportation, as well as for transportation associated with reloading from broad gauge to narrow gauge and vice versa, and for deliveries to the Far North and the Arctic.
Dairy animal margarine
The net weight of margarine had to be the same in all boxes of the lot. Margarine in small packages, wrapped in parchment, was produced in net weights of 100, 200, 250 and 500 g. Deviations from net weight are allowed for packaging in 100, 200, 250 g ± 1.5%, for packaging in 500 g ± 1, 0%. Packaged margarine was packed in plank, plywood or cardboard boxes. At the bottom of the barrel or the end side of the box, a stamp was applied indicating: the name of the manufacturer, the name of margarine, its variety, net and gross weight, production date, serial number, place and number of GOST.
Plank box used for packaging margarine (Lviv Zhirkombinat)
The label of the packaged product should have indicated: the name of the manufacturer, the name of the margarine, the variety, the net weight, the date of issue, the composition of the margarine (the date of issue of the margarine was stamped by a composter).
It was necessary to store margarine in refrigerated and darkened rooms or refrigerators, with constant circulation and air flow, at a temperature of +2 to -2 ° and a relative humidity of 75-80%. In warehouses, boxes and barrels were stacked at a distance of 50-70 cm from the outer walls. When storing margarine, it was necessary to systematically inspect the container; in case of mold on the surface, it was necessary to thoroughly clean it with clean rags. For long-term storage in a warehouse, boxes and barrels should be turned over every 10-15 days.
For packaged margarine, the guaranteed shelf life at temperatures from +4 to +10°C was set to no more than 30 days. In the store, margarine could be stored for no more than 3 days in summer, and no more than 5 days in winter. For stores where products are stored in cold chambers at temperatures below 8°, winter storage periods were applied throughout the year.
Margarine "Special" sandwich Soyuzmargarinprom MPP USSR Moscow Margarine Plant
Margarine today is used by housewives not only for baking, but also as a substitute for sandwiches. Is it worth eating? What does quality margarine taste like, and how much harm does it cause?
Margarine, whose composition is constantly changing, appeared in France when Napoleon ordered the creation of a product that would be cheaper than butter and would satisfy the price and quality of the middle class. From there, this artificial fat spread throughout Europe and today occupies a large niche in food production.
Margarine: composition and production process
This product is based on vegetable oil, in addition, it contains animal fats and milk. The oils used in the production of margarine must go through a refining process, so they must have a neutral taste and smell. It is the fatty base that provides the plasticity of the product. Milk gives margarine a creamy taste, for this it can be fermented. But still, the amount of milk to give a creamy taste is not enough, so flavorings are used. In order to get a stable emulsion, an emulsifier is introduced into the mass, and a dye is added to give color. Of course, not without salt and sugar.
Stages of margarine production:
- First, the fat base is prepared, it is created in such a way that its melting point is about 33 degrees, then this composition is heated and a dye is added to it.
- Milk is prepared separately with the addition of all soluble components (salt, sugar, flavorings), then the two compositions are mixed into a coarse suspension.
- After that, the suspension enters a special apparatus, which turns this composition into an emulsion that can hold its shape.
- The margarine then cools and crystallizes.
- The last stage is packaging and packing.
Today there is another kind of margarine - spread. It is made for sandwiches and remains soft even after cooling. In terms of composition, the spread is more useful than margarine, its composition is regulated by law, the spread should contain no more than 8% trans fats, but margarine does not have such standards, and therefore it is not always possible to control its quality.
Margarine: types
Three types of margarine are mainly produced:
- The hard (cooking) margarine most often used for baking, it has an unattractive appearance (does not contain dyes) and contains a lot of animal fats.
- Sandwich margarine, which includes a mixture of animal and vegetable fats, is very popular. They are most often replaced with butter due to the relatively low cost.
- Vegetable margarine is the most useful of all available types today. It is made from vegetable fats (soybean, cottonseed, olive), carries the smallest amount of fatty acids and is free of cholesterol. The most useful is palm-based margarine and since they do not contain trans fats.
and benefit
When heated, the saturated acids that make up margarine undergo changes and become not entirely useful for humans, so you cannot replace all fats in your diet with margarine.
Margarine, whose composition provides a stable structure, is very convenient to use in cooking, which is what housewives all over the world do. Dishes with a high content of margarine are fatty, oils give a more pleasant taste, but make the food less healthy.
Those who replace butter with margarine in the hope of losing weight are partly mistaken. This is due to the fact that the number of calories in these two products is almost the same, but the ratio of saturated ones is different. Trans fats increase the risk of atherosclerosis, so margarine is not recommended for people with heart disease.
Nutritionists advise replacing margarine with any vegetable oil.