What happens to hydrogenated vegetable oils when in contact with boiling water?

Question

Hydrogenated fats have been all but removed from most food products in the last year due to fears about their carcinogenic properties. They remain in some instant hot foods e.g. soups & gravy mixes.

Is this because they are safe in this format - e.g. does the hydrogenation "undo" in boiling water, or is it because no other form of fat can perform this same function?

Answer 1

Nothing, you now have oily water. Hydrogenated fats have been removed from foods because they are the source of tran fats. These are formned during the hydrogenation process. An oil is hydrogentated when it is in the presence of hydrogen gas, platinum (catalyst) and heat. The reason the hydrogentated oils typically tend to still be in soup and gravy mixes because these types of oils have longer shelf lives that natural oils. For example Crisco is a well known hyrodgentated oil. The oils in it have many differnt degrees on hydrogentation in it.. If a oil is completly hydrogentated then it becomes a saturated fat. This tends to be a solid at room temperature. While if it is partialy hyrogentated it could have the properties of somewhere between a pure oil and a solid fat. This tends to help give the particular texture and flavor of a food. Hydrogentated oils are the whole reason that ritz crackers are so flacky and tasty. If unhydrogentated oils were used for that the chances of thoes crackers spoiling alot quckier is likely.