What happens during the hydrogenation of butter?

Answer 1

Fats are hydrogenated to make them solid at room temperature. Animal fats like butter and lard are naturally hard at room temperature. Butter doesn't have to be hydrogenated, so they don't bother. Most lard is hydrogenated so you can keep it at room temperature without it spoiling, but some really fancy lard is left unhydrogenated and kept in cold storage.

Answer 2

During the hydrogenation of butter, unsaturated fats in butter are converted into saturated fats by adding hydrogen atoms to double bonds in the fatty acid chains. This process helps to increase the shelf life of butter and make it more stable at room temperature. However, it also leads to the formation of trans fats, which are considered unhealthy and can increase the risk of Heart disease when consumed in excess.

Answer 3

The molecules get closer together and move faster and the sold (the butter) changes into a liquid (the melted butter)

Answer 4

It becomes Ghee (Fatty substance) used more in India and related Asian countries.

Answer 5

Hydrogen is added to the C=C double bond of a fatty acid under heat and pressure. A finely divided metal catalyst such as zinc, copper or nickel is used to increase the amount of saturation.