PHYSICAL PROPERTIES ARE IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTICS OF FATS THAT DETERMINE THEIR USE IN VARIOUS FOOD APPLICATIONS FROM BAKING AND CONFECTIONS TO PLANT-BASED FOODS. PHYSICAL PROPERTIES ARE DRIVEN BY THE CRYSTALLIZATION KINETICS OF FATS, AND IT IS THEREFORE ESSENTIAL TO UNDERSTAND THE FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE CRYSTALLIZATION KINETICS TO OBTAIN DESIRED PHYSICAL PROPERTIES.THE HYPOTHESIS OF THIS RESEARCH IS THAT INTRINSIC PROPERTIES OF FATS SUCH AS CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, VISCOSITY, SURFACE TENSION, HEAT CAPACITY, AND DENSITY, IN ADDITION TO THERMODYNAMIC FACTORS SUCH AS SUPERCOOLING, DRIVING FORCE, AND ACTIVATION FREE ENERGY OF NUCLEATION PLAY IMPORTANT ROLES IN FAT CRYSTALLIZATION AND THEREFORE IN TAILORING PHYSICAL PROPERTIES. TWO OBJECTIVES WILL BE PURSUED TO TEST THIS HYPOTHESIS. IN OBJECTIVE 1 CUSTOM-MADE SAMPLES WITH DIFFERENT TYPES (LAURIC, PALMITIC, AND STEARIC FATTY ACIDS) AND CONTENT (30, 50, AND 70%) OF SATURATED FATTY ACIDS WILL BE PRODUCED VIA ENZYMATIC INTERESTERIFICATION TO ALLOW FOR THE USE OF SAMPLES WITH CONTROLLED AND SYSTEMATIC CHANGES IN CHEMICAL COMPOSITION. IN OBJECTIVE 2, THE EFFECT OF THERMODYNAMIC FACTORS AND INTRINSIC PROPERTIES OF THESE FATS ON THEIR CRYSTALLIZATION KINETICS AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES WILL BE EVALUATED.THIS PROJECT ADDRESSES THE PROGRAM NOVEL FOODS AND INNOVATIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGIES (A1364) BECAUSE IT AIMS TO IMPROVE THE KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF FATS TO INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY AND USE IN FOOD SYSTEMS.RESULTS FROM THIS STUDY WILL BENEFIT LIPID PRODUCERS BY PROVIDING KNOWLEDGE TO EFFICIENTLY OPTIMIZE PROCESSING CONDITIONS TO TAILOR THE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF FATS FOR SPECIFIC FOOD APPLICATIONS: FROM BAKING AND CONFECTIONERY TO PLANT-BASED FOODS.