FATS AND OILS

CONTENT

1. Sources of Fats and Oils
2. Physical and Chemical Properties of Fats and Oils
3. Reaction of Fats and Oils – Saponification, Hydrogenation and Acid Hydrolysis of Fats and Oils)
4. Uses of Fats and Oils

Sources of Fats and Oils

Fats and oils occur naturally in living things. There are two main sources, namely:

1. Tissues of animals

Marine (water) animals, like fish, provide fish oil and cod-liver oil, while terrestrial (land) animals provide butter, land and fallow.

2. Fruits and seeds of plants

They contain edible fat and oil such as cocoa butter, fat, palm oil, coconut oil, cotton seed oil, olive oil, corn oil, ground nut oil, sunflower seed oil, olive oil, corn oil and soya bean oil. They are called vegetable oils.

Physical and Chemical Properties of Fats and Oils

Physical Properties of Fats and Oils

1. Pure fats and oils are coloured or white and almost odourless.
2. Fats and oils do not have sharp boiling or melting points because they are complex mixtures of two or more different triglycerides (esters).