Abstract: Edible fat products are prepared from triglyceride oils having high levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids and low levels of saturated fatty acids. These products are useful in the preparation of both tub and stick margarines. A process is disclosed wherein a liquid triglyceride oil is interesterified to increase the quantity of solid triglycerides, the reaction mixture is then cooled to form a liquid fraction and solid fraction, removing a portion of the liquid fraction, adding additional triglyceride oil, and then continuing the interesterification under conditions of time and temperature-cycling effective to direct the interesterification toward the production of increased solid triglycerides. Preferably, oils such as corn oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, and safflower oil can be fortified with sufficient solids, without the addition of hydrogenated hardstock, to form margarines of suitable consistency.

Abstract: A sunflower-oil-based edible fat blend suitable for preparing a margarine having a pleasing texture and a high linoleic acid content are disclosed. The edible fat blend comprises at least one randomly interesterified portion and a non-interesterified portion. An essential interesterified portion, requires the inclusion of at least 30% hydrogenated sunflower oil, while the non-interesterified portion requires at least 60% liquid sunflower oil containing at least 65% linoleic acid. Optionally, a third portion can be employed which will consists essentially of randomly interesterified liquid sunflower oil. The edible fat product will contain less than 21% total of palmitic and stearic acids and from 32 to 55% linoleic acid. Both tub and stick margarines prepared from the edible fat product are disclosed.