Nutritionally improved milk fat products

Saturated fatty acids are generally regarded as atherogenic and official recommendations suggest decrease of such fatty acids in edible fats. Milk fat has a high content of a number of saturated fatty acids, therefore a modification with vegetable oils has been introduced. However such mixtures may eventually pose technological problems due to different melting characteristics.
The aim of the project was to study the nutritional effects of butter modification, not only with simple blending but also with interesterification, a process which may overcome the above mentioned technological problems. Enrichment with stearic acid, a saturated fatty acid supposed to have less atherogenic effect, was also studied. Young male volunteers ingested different fat mixtures and the influence on blood lipids was followed. In a parallel experiment carried out with rats the effect on vital organs has been validated.
It was shown that a modification with vegetable oils improved the nutritional effect of butter, but no special effect of stearic acid was shown for the young volunteers. It might be the case for persons with high cholesterol values. The interesterification process did not influence the fatty acid composition of important organs, nor the blood lipid patterns of the young men.
Ph-D project for Claus C. Becker. Results published in the thesis: Butter oil based spreads.Thesis defended Dec.17th 1997.
Results are under publication.