Chemistry-Plant oils

Extracting vegetable oil 

• Vegetable oils can be extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits by pressing or by distillation
• Vegetable oils produce nutrients and a lot of energy. They are important foods and can be used to make biofuels
• Unsatured oils contain carbon-carbon double bonds (C=C) and so they decolourise bromine water

Cooking with vegetable oils

• Vegetable oils are useful in cooking because of their high boiling points
• Cooking in oil increases the enegry content of foods and changes the flavour, colour and texture of the food
• Vegetable oils can be hardened by reacting them with hydrogen at 60 degrees with a nickel catalyst. This makes them soilids at room temperature that are suitable for spreading

Everyday emulsions

• Oils do not dissolve in water but oils and water can be used to produce emulsions. These have special properties
• Emulsion made from vegetable oils are used in many foods
• Emulsifiers stop oils and water from seperating into layers
• Emulsifiers have molecules in which one part is hydrophobic and on epart is hydrophilic

Food issues

• Vegetable oils are high in energy and provide nutrients
• Vegetable oils are beliebed to be better for health than saturated fats
• Emulisifiers improve the texture of foods enabling water and oil to mix. This makes fatty food more palatable and tempting to eat