MINNEAPOLIS — As bakers have left partially hydrogenated oils (p.h.o.s) and shortenings behind, they have had to adjust to the new challenges replacement fats and oils have brought to the table. Common issues with non-p.h.o.s included a lack of temperature tolerance as well as limited drop-in solutions that could work with a range of products. In an effort to address these challenges and quality concerns that come from them, Cargill launched its PalmAgility line of palm-based shortenings.

“Bakery customers face a variety of challenges with standard palm shortenings from transportation to storage to performance,” said John Satumba, R.&D. director for Cargill’s global edible oils business in North America. “PalmAgility’s virtue is that it is a single solution that helps address these multiple bakery performance needs.”

With the technical expertise of more than 1,500 food scientists and a proprietary technology, Cargill was able to create an all-purpose shortening, filling fat shortening and donut frying shortening that has a wider temperature range. This enables bakers to store these ingredients without fear of brittleness, which may lead to processing and quality issues.

“One of the key concerns with brittle shortening is the difficulty in the creaming process, which is really critical in baking applications,” Mr. Satumba explained. “The lack of proper homogenous incorporation of the fat in the dough would lead to inconsistencies in the quality of the finished product.”

PalmAgility’s more robust temperature tolerance prevents the brittleness that causes these inconsistencies. Its smoother, creamier texture also enables a faster mix time on top of homogenous ingredient incorporation. The faster crystallization rate also increases control and reduces the spread of fillings.

While the PalmAgility line is being launched with three products — all-purpose shortenings, filling fat shortenings and donut frying shortenings — Cargill intends on expanding the line of shortenings into other applications.

“Increasingly, bakery producers want customized solutions that address their specific challenges such as temperature tolerance or melting point,” Mr. Satumba said. “We’ll continue our research and development efforts to expand our PalmAgility line to better meet those needs.”