The invention relates a confectionery product comprising chocolate, wherein the chocolate has a fat phase comprising 60.0-99.9% by weight of triglycerides, 40.0-99.0 by weight of triglycerides having C16-C20 saturated fatty acids in the sn-1 and sn-3 positions of the triglyceride and oleic acid in the sn-2 position of the triglyceride, wherein the chocolate has a texture ratio of between 0.8 and 1.1, wherein the texture ratio determines the increase between an initial texture value and a subsequent texture value, wherein the initial texture value is measured prior to a temperature treatment and wherein the subsequent texture value is measured subsequent to the temperature treatment, wherein the temperature treatment is obtained by providing five samples said chocolate and storing these at 25+/0.5 degrees Celsius for 24 hours and then inserting them into a temperature cabinet and subjecting them to a heat treatment at a high temperature of 37+/0.5 degrees Celsius for 10 hours followed by a low temperature of 25+/0.5 degrees Celsius for 24 hours and wherein the initial and the subsequent texture values are measured on a texture analyzer.

Disclosed are human milk fat (HMF) substitutes, processes for preparation thereof, uses thereof, and fat blends and formula containing the HMF substitutes. A fat base composition of the invention includes a mixture of vegetable-derived triglycerides, with less than 50% of the fatty acid residues bonded at the sn-2 position being saturated; and/or with the amount of saturated fatty acid residues bonded at the sn-2 position of the glycerol backbone less than about 43.5% of the total amount of the fatty acid residues. Typically, substantially all of the saturated fatty acids bonded at the sn-2 position of the glycerol backbone are palmitic acid residues. Also disclosed are substitute HMF compositions including a blend of at least 25% or at least 30% of the fat base composition of the invention with up to 75%, or respectively up to 70%, of at least one vegetable oil. Processes for preparing the fat base compositions and blend are also disclosed. Further disclosed are infant formulas including the fat base composition or substitute human milk fat composition.

Disclosed are human milk fat (HMF) substitutes, processes for preparation thereof, uses thereof, and fat blends and formula containing the HMF substitutes. A fat base composition of the invention includes a mixture of vegetable-derived triglycerides, with less than 50% of the fatty acid residues bonded at the sn-2 position being saturated; and/or with the amount of saturated fatty acid residues bonded at the sn-2 position of the glycerol backbone less than about 43.5% of the total amount of the fatty acid residues. Typically, substantially all of the saturated fatty acids bonded at the sn-2 position of the glycerol backbone are palmitic acid residues. Also disclosed are substitute HMF compositions including a blend of at least 25% or at least 30% of the fat base composition of the invention with up to 75%, or respectively up to 70%, of at least one vegetable oil. Processes for preparing the fat base compositions and blend are also disclosed. Further disclosed are infant formulas including the fat base composition or substitute human milk fat composition.

Provided herein are estolide compositions having high oxidative stability, said compositions comprising at least one compound of formula:

##STR00001##

in which n is an integer equal to or greater than 0; m is an integer equal to or greater than 1; R.sub.1, independently for each occurrence, is selected from optionally substituted alkyl that is saturated or unsaturated, and branched or unbranched; R.sub.2 is selected from hydrogen and optionally substituted alkyl that is saturated or unsaturated, and branched or unbranched; and R.sub.3 and R.sub.4, independently for each occurrence, are selected from optionally substituted alkyl that is saturated or unsaturated, and branched or unbranched. Also provided herein are uses for the compositions and methods of preparing the same.

Provided herein are estolide compositions having high oxidative stability, said compositions comprising at least one compound of formula:

##STR00001##

in which n is an integer equal to or greater than 0; m is an integer equal to or greater than 1; R.sub.1, independently for each occurrence, is selected from optionally substituted alkyl that is saturated or unsaturated, and branched or unbranched; R.sub.2 is selected from hydrogen and optionally substituted alkyl that is saturated or unsaturated, and branched or unbranched; and R.sub.3 and R.sub.4, independently for each occurrence, are selected from optionally substituted alkyl that is saturated or unsaturated, and branched or unbranched. Also provided herein are uses for the compositions and methods of preparing the same.

Provided herein are processes for preparing estolides and estolide base oils from fatty acid reactants utilizing catalysts. Further provided herein are processes for preparing carboxylic esters from at least one carboxylic acid reactant and at least one olefin.

Animal and seed based triglycerides are oils used in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, animal feed, energy generation, etc. These triglycerides or glycerol esters are a mixture of triglycerides and free fatty esters (FFA) along with unsaponifiables and gums (MIU). FFA may range from very low, 1% or less, to more than 40% in some rendered animal oils. Corn oil from the wet or dry process of ethanol production may have from 7 to 15% FFA. The varying amount of FFA presents numerous process issues for downstream users of these oils especially in the production of biodiesel, fatty acid methyl ester (FAME). FFA about 1 or 2% requires esterification as well as transesterification for the production of FAME. What is needed is a method to perform Glycerolysis. This disclosure describes an improved catalyst system as well as process equipment and operating conditions to allow economical commercialization of Glycerolysis.

The present invention refers to a method for ore or both of improving sleep in a subject and treating at least one sleep problem in a subject. The method comprises administering to the subject an edible lipid composition which comprises a vegetable-derived fat source, wherein the fat source is a triglyceride fat source comprising triglycerides with 15-55% palmitic acid moieties out of the total fatty acids, and wherein the level of palmitic acid moieties at the sn-2 position of the glycerol backbone is at least 30% of total palmitic acid.

The present invention refers to a method for ore or both of improving sleep in a subject and treating at least one sleep problem in a subject. The method comprises administering to the subject an edible lipid composition which comprises a vegetable-derived fat source, wherein the fat source is a triglyceride fat source comprising triglycerides with 15-55% palmitic acid moieties out of the total fatty acids, and wherein the level of palmitic acid moieties at the sn-2 position of the glycerol backbone is at least 30% of total palmitic acid.

Provided is a powdered fat and/or oil composition for chocolate, containing a fat and/or oil composition in a powder form wherein the fat and/or oil composition contains: 65 to 99% by mass of a XXX triglyceride having fatty acid residues X, each with x carbon atoms, at positions 1 to 3; and 35 to 1% by mass of one or more types of X2Y triglycerides each having a fatty acid residue Y with y carbon atoms in place of one of the fatty acid residues X of the XXX triglyceride, provided that a total triglyceride content is 100% by mass, where x number of carbon atoms is an integer selected from 8 to 20, and y number of carbon atoms is each independently an integer selected from x+2 to x+12 and satisfying y22.