Macauba kernel oil has potential as a lipid ingredient in margarine and mayonnaise

Abstract

Macaúba (Acrocomia aculeata) is a native palm in Central and South America. Its fruits are oleaginous and have an almond with oil content in the range of 40-50%. This oil can be used for biofuel production but finds application in the elaboration of foods. Thus, the present work had the objective of producing mayonnaise and margarine from the macaúba kernel oil. The elaborated mayonnaise and margarine were analyzed for water activity, color, stability, firmness, and cohesiveness. The characterizations were performed at 0, 7, 14, 21 and 45 days after production and compared with commercial products. The products prepared with macaúba kernel oil had a more yellowish coloration (typical of the used oil) than the commercial ones. The water activity of mayonnaise based on macaúba kernel oil was lower than that of commercial, while a slightly lower water activity was verified in commercial margarine. In general, the stability of margarine and mayonnaise from macaúba kernel oil was only slightly lower than that of the commercial one until 14 days of storage but decreased considerably after 21 days. The texture of margarine and mayonnaise based on macaúba oil was firmer and less cohesive than commercial procucts. There is potential for the use of macaúba almond oil in the production of mayonnaise and margarine, however optimization of the formulations would be necessary to improve the stability and texture of the products.

Keywords

• emulsão. estabilidade. lipídio. vegetal