the authors of the present invention have developed an alternative spread with a high proportion of olive oil preserving all the beneficial characteristics thereof . the product of the present invention has consistency and plasticity characteristics at room temperature that make it suitable as a spread for food use as a substitute for butters or margarines . the versatility of the elaboration process allows partially or totally substituting the olive oil used in the elaboration of the spread with other vegetable oils . as is known , edible vegetable oils have a vital function in our organism and form one of the most important energy sources , which is essential for maintaining the balance of lipids , cholesterol and lipoproteins circulating in the blood ; they provide vitamins a , d , e and k and essential oils that our organism is not capable of producing ; and furthermore , they have the capacity of enhancing many of the sensory characteristics of foods , such as the taste , aroma and texture . therefore it can also be of interest for the consumer to find spreads containing other vegetable fats such as sunflower , soybean , corn , rapeseed or canola , safflower , peanut , avocado or cottonseed fats . all these oils also have a lipid profile with a high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids ( omega 6 series ) and antioxidant substances such as tocopherols . the use of these oils in the elaboration of spreads broadens the color and taste range for this type of product . the invention provides an olive oil spread characterized in that it comprises between 70 - 85 % olive oil , between 1 - 6 % emulsifiers , between 0 - 2 % thickeners and between 12 . 5 - 29 % water , and wherein the oil has not been subjected to any hydrogenation or hydroxylation treatment . in a preferred embodiment of the invention the spread comprises between 75 - 80 % olive oil , 2 - 5 % emulsifiers , 0 . 2 - 1 % thickeners and between 15 - 20 % water . the main element of the emulsion is the olive oil , which furthermore acts as the dispersed phase of the emulsion . the olive oil used can be selected from virgin olive oil , extra virgin olive oil , refined olive oil , olive oil , olive - pomace oil or mixtures thereof . in a particular embodiment of the invention , the spread is elaborated by substituting part of the olive oil with a vegetable oil . the substitution can be partial or total . this means that from the total oil content of the spread of the invention , the percentage of vegetable oils can vary between 0 - 100 % with respect to the percentage of olive oil . in the context of the present invention , the vegetable oils that can be included in the elaboration of the olive oil spread are selected from sunflower , soybean , corn , rapeseed or canola , safflower , peanut , avocado or cottonseed oils . the emulsifiers or emulsifying agents have the function of favoring and facilitating the emulsion between the water ( continuous phase ) and the oil ( dispersed phase ) due to the fact that they have a hydrophilic end and another hydrophobic end . in the present invention , the emulsifiers are selected from mono and diglycerides of fatty acids , esters of the mono and diglycerides of fatty acids , sucrose esters , sucroglycerides , polyglyceride esters of fatty acids or mixtures thereof . the preferred embodiment of the invention contemplates the use of sucrose esters . the thickeners present in the product of the invention have the purpose of providing the desired texture and consistency . the percentage of thickeners according to the invention provides rheological characteristics to the product that make it suitable for its use as a margarine spread . the thickeners suitable for preparing the spread of the present invention are selected from locust bean gum , guar gum , tara gum , agar - agar , carrageenans , alginates , xanthan , gellan , high methoxyl ( hm ) pectins , low methoxyl ( lm ) pectins , microcrystalline cellulose ( mcc ), mcc - na , methylcellulose , modified starches or mixtures thereof . as an optional element , the spread of the invention can contain a preservative or antioxidant to prevent the oxidation and rancidity thereof . both hydrophilic antioxidants , such as citric acid , potassium sorbate or ascorbic acid , and hydrophobic antioxidants , such as tocopherols , are contemplated among the preferred preservative and antioxidant components . when seed oils are used , the tocopherols contained therein will act as antioxidants in the product . the present invention also contemplates the option of adding spices or other food ingredients , such as for example , garlic , onion , rosemary , etc . the invention relates to the method for preparing the emulsified spread comprising : a . dissolving the emulsifiers and thickeners in water by means of stirring to form the continuous phase of the emulsion b . incorporating the olive oil ( dispersed phase ) on the continuous phase at a speed between 1500 to 6000 rpm in an emulsifier apparatus . in a preferred embodiment of the invention , the emulsifiers and thickeners are dissolved in water at a temperature between 30 and 60 ° c . the speed of the emulsifier apparatus is an important factor in obtaining a correct emulsion . obtaining an emulsified product with the characteristics suitable for its use as a spread according to the present invention can be done within a range of 1500 to 6000 rpm , although it is preferred to use a rate of 5000 to 5700 rpm and more preferably a rate around 5400 rpm . in those embodiments in which a vegetable oil other than olive oil is included , the oil can be incorporated in the emulsifier apparatus at the same time or can be previously premixed such that the mixture of the oils is incorporated on the continuous phase . another aspect of the invention relates to the application of the spread . a preferred use of the spread of the invention is in food as a substituent of butters and margarines . these are less healthy fat sources , therefore the main use of the product of the invention is for spreading on pan , cookies , cakes and any type of food commonly used for spreading butters and margarines . in addition to this application as a spread , the spread of the invention can be used to cook and generally as a gastronomic element . when subjected to a heat source , the spread of the invention melts and acquires a liquid texture which makes it suitable for several culinary applications . another remarkable application of the product of the invention is the cosmetic use thereof . the spread of the invention can be used as an ingredient in the elaboration of creams , unguents , lotions , gels , shampoos and other products of the cosmetic industry . two formulations were prepared according to the invention with the following percentages of each element : f1 80 % extra virgin olive oil 16 . 4 % water 3 % sucrose ester 0 . 4 % xanthan gum 0 . 2 % guar gum f2 : 75 % extra virgin olive oil 22 . 3 % water 2 . 5 % sucrose ester 0 . 2 % xanthan gum f3 : 85 % extra virgin olive oil 12 . 5 % water 2 . 5 % sucrose ester in the elaboration of spreads f1 , f2 and f3 first a mix was made with all the powder components . in the case of f1 , sucrose ester , xanthan gum and guar gum were mixed ; for f2 , sucrose ester and xanthan gum were mixed ; and for f3 , only sucrose ester was used . then each of the “ mixes ” was dissolved in distilled water at 50 ° c . with stirring . a paste making up the continuous phase of the future emulsion was thus formed . finally , blanqueta extra virgin olive oil ( dispersed phase ) was incorporated in the emulsifier apparatus at a controlled rate and at a stirring rate of 5400 rpm . in any of these formulations the olive oil can be partially or totally substituted with other vegetable oils such as the aforementioned ones . in formulations f1 , f2 and f3 the olive oil can be substituted with sunflower oil , the product obtained has a whiter color than when using olive oil . the obtained emulsions f1 , f2 and f3 were subjected to a series of tests to determine their rheological characteristics . the flow curves at 30 ° c . were obtained for the rheological characterization . the developed formulations had a pseudoplastic behavior . the curves were adjusted to the ostwald - de waele model , the following values of n ( flow index ) and k ( consistency index ) being obtained : the obtained values correspond to a product of consistency and plasticity suitable for its use as food spread . furthermore , the product remains stable at room temperature , i . e ., it does not need refrigeration .
the present invention belongs to the field of food spreads , more specifically it relates to an emulsified spread based on olive oil that is not subjected to hydrogenation or hydroxylation , as well as to a method for preparing it . optionally , the olive oil of the composition can be partially or totally substituted with any other vegetable oil . the spread of the present invention does not require cold storage .