Shortening composition and emulsifier system therefor

Claim 1

A COMPOSITION OF MATTER COMPRISING: (A) FROM ABOUT 3 TO 5 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF AN ESTER OF GLYCERINE CONTAINING FOR EACH MOLE OF GLYCERINE RESIDUE FROM 0.5 TO 3 MOLES OF LACTIC ACID RESIDUES AND ONE MOLE OF FATTY ACID RESIDUE OF C-12 TO C-20 FATTY ACIDS AT LEAST ONE-HALF OF WHICH BEING PALMITIC ACID RESIDUE, AND (B) FROM 0.2 TO 5 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF AN ACIDIC EMULSIFIER SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF (1) AN ACIDIC CETYL CITRATE COMPOSITION CONTAINING NOT MORE THAN ABOUT 1% OF MONOCETYL CITRATE, (2) AN ACIDIC STEARYL LACTYL TARTRATE IN WHICH AT LEAST ONE OF THE ACID RADICALS OF TARTARIC ACID IS ESTERIFIED WITH STEARYL ALCOHOL AND AT LEAST ONE OF THE HYDROXY GROUPS OF THE TARTARIC ACID IS ESTERIFIED WITH LACTIC ACID, SAID STEARYL LACTYL TARTRATE COMPOSITION HAVING AN ACID NUMBER OF 25-35, (3) AN ACIDIC STEARLY ALCOHOL ESTER OF DIACETYL TARTARIC ACID, (4) AN ACIDIC ESTER OF A MONOGLYCERIDE OF A C18 ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBON MONOCARBOXYLIC ACID HAVING A MOLECULAR WEIGHT OF AT LEAST 282 AND DIACETYL TARTARIC ACID, AND (5) MIXTURES OF SAID ACIDIC EMULSIFIERS, SAID ESTERS (3) AND (4) HAVING AN ACID NUMBER CORRESPONDING SUBSTANTIALLY TO THE ACID NUMBER OF THE HALF-ESTER.