KNOWLEDGE YOU CAN USE

KNOWLEDGE YOU CAN USE
Melt-in-your-mouth Chocolate May Not Be Such a Sweet Idea

Food chemists have figured out how to make chocolate that melts in your mouth. Is that a good thing?

Question 2.13

Q: Why are some fats “liquidy,” like oil, and others solid? The less saturated a fat is, the more “liquidy” it is at room temperature. Most animal fats are saturated and are solid at room temperature. Best example: butter. Most plant fats are polyunsaturated and are liquid at room temperature. Best example: vegetable oils.

Question 2.14

Q: Can oils be made more solid? It’s possible to increase the saturation of plant fats. Just heat them up and pass hydrogen bubbles through the liquid. In creating partially hydrogenated plant oils, this process reduces the number of carbon-carbon double bonds and makes the oil more solid. (It’s easy, it’s cheaper than just using butter, and it increases foods’ shelf-life.)

Question 2.15

Q: Does that improve their taste? By precisely controlling the level of saturation in plant fats, it is possible to create foods that are solid but have such a low melting point that they quickly melt on contact with the warmth of your mouth. This seems great, but . . .

Question 2.16

Q: Is there a downside? The saturation of vegetable fats creates trans fats, due to the position taken by the newly added hydrogen atoms in the molecule. Trans fats increase levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and decrease HDL (“good”) cholesterol, narrowing blood vessel walls and increasing the risk of heart disease and strokes.

Conclusion: Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils can give food a perfect texture and a pleasing feel in your mouth. But the creaminess comes with a high cost when it comes to your health.

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