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Butter, margarine, nutrition, and baking

Posted by admin in Coasun Articles on May 5, 2009 | no responses

As a baking fat used as a shortening we believe butter has much to offer from nutritional and functional perspective.
Baker’s margarine contain either high melting partially hydrogenated fats or palm oil, more correctly referred to as palm fat, to solidify margarine at room temperature. Unfortunately partially hydrogenated fats are loaded with artery clogging trans fats and palm oil is loaded with high levels of palmitic fatty acids which are also implicated as major contributors to atherosclerosis, heart disease, prostate cancer and many other serious life threatening diseases.
Finally butter is beginning to make a come-back and recover from the bad wrap received in the 1960′s through 1990′s. In our opinion butter was unfairly targeted as a dangerous food high in saturated fats. We have learned however that all saturated fats are not bad. This is supported by the vast majority of research although some interested groups, primarily from the palm oil industry have disputed the general consensus.

The World Health Organization suggests that palm oil should not be consumed. Palm oil contains high levels of palmitic acid.

 

In contrast butter contains significantly less saturated fat from palmitic acid (approximately 24%) whereas palm oil contains over 44%.

Pie shell

Pie shell

Butter also contains a number of healthy constituents such as:

  • Vitamin A, E, K and D
  • Trace minerals
  • Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)
  • Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids
  • Glycospingolipids
  • Cholesterol – needed for nervous system and brain development in infants and children
  • Carotenoids

Butter is a highly useful and functional baking fat or shortening. It’s high price and bad image have unfortunately limited it use.

Coasun Inc. is currently exploring a new and healthy butter based shortening using its patented technology to further improve the nutrtional profile of butter by reducing palmitic fat and improving functional characteristics. We believe butter can replace palm oil as a healthier cost competitive baking fat for commercial bakeries.

Croissant

Croissant

So far we have established that Coasun’s shortening alternative made with butter results in delicious cookies, muffins, cakes, pie shells, tart shells, brownies, scones, biscuits, and even pastries such as croissants.

We will continue to keep you posted and update our latest findings on this site.

A highly informative website dedicated to Butter can be found at: http://www.webexhibits.org/butter/index.html

Butter

Butter

Now, here is a debate that has raged for decades … which is healthier, butter or margarine?

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