Unsatrurated oils can be hydrogenated by adding hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst, at a room temperature of 60C. The process opens up the double bonds in the oil. This causes them to harden, as the new hydrogenated substance has a higher melting point. As completly hydrogenating makes the oils denser, it is common that the oils are only partially hydrogenated to make it a better consistency for spreading. It is primarly used as it increases the shelf-life of a product such as biscuts. However the only problem with patially hydrogenated oils is; they have lots of trans fats which research suggest is very bad for you as they incrase blood cholesterol, and increases the risk of heart disease.
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