The three major macronutrients are proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids (oils and fats). This book is devoted to lipids, which are an important part of life for all of us. What are these materials in molecular terms? Where do they come from? What happens to them between the harvesting of crops and the appearance of the oils and fats in different products in the supermarket? How does nature produce these molecules and can we act on nature to modify the materials to increase their beneficial properties? How important are the minor products present in the fats that we consume? Since oils and fats vary, how can we analyse them? What are their physical, chemical and nutritional properties? How do the fats that we consume affect our health and well-being in both quantitative and qualitative terms? What are their major food and non-food uses? This book provides a broad source of reference on oils and fats chemistry for graduates entering the food and oleochemical industries, postgraduate researchers and nutritionists. It offers a point of entry to the detailed literature.

The three major macronutrients are proteins, carbohydrates, andlipids (oils and fats). This book is devoted to lipids, which arean important part of life for all of us. What are these materialsin molecular terms? Where do they come from? What happens to thembetween the harvesting of crops and the appearance of the oils andfats in different products in the supermarket? How does natureproduce these molecules and can we act on nature to modify thematerials to increase their beneficial properties? How importantare the minor products present in the fats that we consume? Sinceoils and fats vary, how can we analyse them? What are theirphysical, chemical and nutritional properties? How do the fats thatwe consume affect our health and well-being in both quantitativeand qualitative terms? What are their major food and non-fooduses?This book provides a broad source of reference on oils and fatschemistry for graduates entering the food and oleochemicalindustries, postgraduate researchers and nutritionists. It offers apoint of entry to the detailed literature.

1. Oils and fats: sources and constituents.2. Extraction, refining and processing.3. Structure of fatty acids and lipids.4. Chemical and biological synthesis of fatty acids andlipids.5. Analytical procedures.6. Physical properties.7. Chemical properties related to unsaturated centres.8. Chemical properties related to the carboxyl group.9. Nutritional properties.10. Edible uses of oils and fats.11. Non-edible uses of oils and fats.ReferencesIndex