Chemistry of Fats, Oils, and Emulsifiers

Lipids are loosely defined as substances that do not dissolve in water. Fats, oils, emulsifiers, and flavor oils (peppermint oil and orange oil, for example) are all classified as lipids. Flavor oils are discussed in Chapter 17.

Fats are, strictly speaking, lipids that are solid at room temperature. The term fat is also commonly used to refer to any lipid, whether fat, oil, or emulsifier. For example, the amount of fat listed on food labels includes the amount of solid fat, liquid oil, and emulsifier present in the food product (Figure 9.1).