1. Introduction
Common edible fats and oils are largely composed of triacylglycerols
(TAGs) whose composition and structure determine their
physical properties. It is well known that solid state fats may display
several crystalline forms. In various food products, the fat
phase is found, at least in part, in a crystallized form at the operating
temperature or under storage conditions. The polymorphic
state may influence the rheological properties or the stability of
the products. For instance, fat crystallization in the b’ form
improves the spreadability of margarines and in-mouth sensory
attributes like smoothness. Appropriate tempering of chocolate
allows the desired melting texture and prevents fat blooming
responsible for surface bleaching. Crystallization of TAGs is
commonly described as a two-stage mechanism: nucleation and
crystalline growth (Metin & Hartel, 2005). Nucleation can be
classified into primary nucleation, when the melt is initially devoid