Process for the preparation of edible fat-continuous emulsions

1. A process for manufacturing an edible water-in-oil emulsion, comprising the steps of:

a) providing a water-phase;

b) providing a liquid oil;

c) providing a fat powder comprising hardstock fat;

d) providing a hardstock fat in liquid form;

e) mixing the fat powder comprising hardstock fat, the hardstock fat in liquid form, and the liquid oil to form an oil-slurry, wherein the hardstock fat in liquid form is completely liquid before contact with the fat powder; and

f) mixing the oil-slurry formed at step e) with the water-phase to form the water-in-oil emulsion;

wherein the provided fat powder is not subjected after production to a temperature at which a substantial part of the fat powder melts, and the water-in-oil emulsion is fat-continuous and comprises 10 to 85 wt. % of a dispersed water-phase and 15 to 90 wt. % of total fat.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the fat powder is a fat powder produced by supercritical melt micronisation.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the hardstock fat in liquid form is provided at step d) by mixing hardstock fat with at least part of the liquid oil at an elevated temperature, wherein said temperature is at least 50 degrees Celsius.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the temperature of the liquid oil at step e) is from 5 to 25 degrees Celsius.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the hardstock fat in the fat powder has the following solid fat profile:

N20 from 65 to 95;

N35 from 25 to 55.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the hardstock fat in liquid form has the following solid fat profile:

N20 from 5 to 90;

N30 below 60.

7. The process of claim 1 , wherein the fat powder comprising hardstock fat and the hardstock fat in liquid form are each added in an amount of from 4 to 25 wt. %, based on the weight of total fat.

8. An edible fat-continuous water-in-oil emulsion produced by the process of claim 1 , said emulsion comprising 10 to 85 wt. % of a dispersed water-phase and 15 to 90 wt. % of total fat, wherein the hardstock fat comprises at least 2 wt. %, based on the weight of total fat, of a first hardstock fat with the following solid fat profile:

N20 from 65 to 95;

N35 from 25 to 55;

and further comprising at least 2 wt. %, based on the weight of total fat, of a second hardstock fat with the following solid fat profile:

N20 from 5 to 95;

N30 below 60.

9. The edible emulsion of claim 8 , wherein the first hardstock fat has the following solid fat profile:

N20 from 65 to 95;

N35 from 25 to 55.

10. The edible emulsion of claim 8 , wherein the second hardstock fat has the following solid fat profile:

N20 from 5 to 90;

N30 below 60.

11. The edible emulsion of claim 8 , wherein the amount of the first hardstock fat and the amount of the second hardstock fat are each 2 to 25 wt. based on the weight of total fat.

12. The edible emulsion of claim 8 , having a Quotient-A of 0.92 to 0.3.

13. The edible emulsion of claim 8 , the emulsion including crystalline fat, wherein the emulsion has a Quotient-B of at least 0.18, wherein Quotient-B is the Full Width at Half Maximum (FWHM) value of the emulsion divided by a specific number, wherein said number is the D-value of the first order long spacing of the crystalline fat of the emulsion from which 39 is subtracted.

14. The edible emulsion of claim 8 , wherein the emulsion has a Stevens value of from 80 to 500, as measured at 5 degrees Celsius; and a dispersed water-phase with a D3,3 of from 8 to 3 and an e-sigma of at most 1.7.

15. The process of claim 3 wherein the temperature is at least 60 degrees Celsius.

16. The process of claim 3 wherein the temperature is at least 70 degrees Celsius.

17. The process of claim 1 , wherein the hardstock fat in liquid form is completely liquid when placed into contact with at least part of the fat powder.

18. The process of claim 1 , wherein the hardstock fat in liquid form is completely liquid when placed into contact with all of the fat powder.