Spread – what is it, composition and types, benefits and harm to the human body

The content of the article

• What is a spread?
• Structure
• Views
• Benefit
• Harm
• How is spread different from oil?

Many consider oil and spread to be homogeneous products, which is not true. Products differ in composition, useful, harmful properties, effects on the body. Since 2004, GOST means that the spread is not oil, the product does not fall into this category, but has its own requirements for taste and appearance. A distinctive feature of the oil is the price (at least 200 rubles per package). A substitute costs two or three times less.

What is a spread?

A food product based on milk and vegetable fats (from 39 to 95%) is called a spread. Translated from English, the word spread (read “spread”) means spreading or stretching. The product is not margarine or butter, as it is made not from natural cream, but on the basis of fats. Additionally, for the manufacture of a substitute used flavorings, flavors and vitamins.

Prior to July 1, 2004, GOST of Russia “Spreads and melted mixtures. General technical conditions ”(GOST R 52100-2003) the product was called in conjunction with the word oil:“ light ”,“ soft ”or“ combined ”, etc. With the adoption of GOST, the spread got its name, product category, which must be indicated on the package. This is the common name for all spreadable products (including mixtures of vegetables, cottage cheese or other products), the word “spread” is rarely used..

A quality product can be distinguished by taste and appearance, to which certain requirements are made. According to GOST “Spreads and melted mixtures. General specifications “(R 52100-2003) the oil spread should:

• to be plastic, even when chilled, to maintain the property of light spreading on bread;
• have a color from completely white to yellowish, glossy;
• have a slightly shiny, shiny, dry cut;
• be uniform consistency;
• taste and smell sweet cream, sour cream, cream or flavor of aromatic additives;
• milk and cream that have not passed the veterinary and sanitary examination and are not documented are not allowed to make the spread;
• the composition should not contain antioxidants: butyloxyanisole, tert-butylhydroquinone, butyloxytoluene, gallates.

Structure

The substitute consists of vegetable and milk fats (its type depends on their percentage: vegetable-creamy, vegetable-fatty or creamy-vegetable). The chemical composition consists of saturated fatty acids (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) and vitamin A; cholesterol is not contained in large quantities. The composition of the ingredients consists of:

• milk fat;
• natural or modified vegetable oils: coconut and palm;
• milk or cream;
• food additives (preservatives, dyes, flavor enhancers) and antioxidants (E310-E313, E319-E321).

Views

The spread differs in the percentage of fats per product with a low (from 39 to 49.9%), medium (from 50 to 69.9%) or high (from 70 to 90%) fat content. There are three types of this product:

• Vegetable and creamy. A sweet substitute for a creamy product (closer to it) with high nutritional and biological value. By consistency, it is plastic, soft, well spread on bread. The product is combined in composition, therefore it includes: palm, coconut, soybean oil, emulsifiers, natural colors, flavors, sorbic acid. Fats make up 82% of the total nutritional value. Calories: less than 670 kcal per 100 grams. The shelf life of the product is within 120 days.
• Vegetable fat. The composition of this product substitute: vegetable, animal fats, vitamins A, D, phytosterols, minerals, a small amount of butter. The last indicator affects the fact that the product has almost no cholesterol. The substitute contains a minimum of calories: 360 kcal per 100 grams. Vegetable fat butter substitute spread is used in the prevention of heart disease associated with obesity.
• Creamy Vegetable. The composition is enriched with vegetable oils. A slightly acidic solid product is rich in polyunsaturated acids, which can normalize the activity of the cardiovascular and digestive systems, biological fibers, pectin, inulin. Fat content is up to 85.5%. Shelf life – up to 3 months in the refrigerator.

Benefit

A well-made spread in accordance with all GOST rules leads to improved health. The positive qualities of an oil substitute include:

• low calorie content;
• a small percentage of cholesterol (replaces a cream product for people who monitor indicators);
• high nutritional value;
• surrogate products can be included in food when losing weight on a diet;
• the composition contains vitamins (E, D, A,);
• the composition is rich in minerals;
• high-quality compounds are enriched with acids (Omega-6);
• substitute improves health;
• digestion regulation;
• slowing down the aging of the body;
• does not contain harmful preservatives;
• preventable diseases;
• has a long shelf life.

Harm

Negative consequences of spread use occur if the product contains cholesterol, transisomeric acids and trans fats (hydrogenated). Excessive consumption can lead to diabetes mellitus, problems with blood vessels and heart, infertility, Alzheimer’s disease, oncology (in complex cases). Doctors strongly recommend consuming the product if the percentage of trans fats is not more than 8%.

Spread producers solve this issue by replacing palm or coke oils in the composition of the oils that do not contain hazardous fatty substances. Doctors focus on the content of sunflower and soy in the product, which pose a health hazard after processing. The composition of a safe product dispenses with these types of product. Substitutes obtained by enzymatic transesterification from several fats are recognized harmless..

How is spread different from oil?

GOST states that the spread does not belong to the “oil” category. This is due to the difference between them in a number of properties:

• Fats. Creamy butter is made from natural fats (percentage ratio of at least 64%), spread – half consists of vegetable fats.
• Additives. As part of the substitute, you can find palm, coconut, sunflower oil (together or one species). Saturated fats predominate in a creamy product. In 2005, WHO (World Health Organization) recommended reducing saturated fats to avoid the risk of heart disease..
• Method of production, the corresponding indicator of trans fats. The spread is based on hydrogenation, which eliminates or minimizes trans fats in the composition (this distinguishes the product from margarine). Permissible safe rate for the body is not more than 8% concentration. In a creamy product, trans fats occupy about 10% (excessive consumption, especially in summer, is prohibited).
• Calorie content. A distinctive feature in the store will be that the substitute is on average 100 kcal less calories than the oil product.
• Packaging. The easiest way to understand what kind of food is on the counter. The front or back side must indicate whether the product is oil or spread (often the word “oil” is indicated in capital letters on the package, and “spread” on the back side in small print). For the latter, the variety is indicated on the package.