Manufacturers are more likely to adopt the hydrogenation process because they can produce more oil at a lower cost compared to production through other approaches. Hydrogenated oils are also cheaper compared to their replacement, for example, coconut oil or butter is more expensive than margarine. Some applications also, especially baking, requires hydrogenated oils and cannot easily be replaced by liquid vegetable oils.
Hydrogenated products have longer shelf life and are stable. It makes transportation of the products to distant locations more feasible and therefore the products can be available to everyone. The products are less likely to go stale and this is important to consumers. It also makes it unnecessary to refrigerate the products for a longer period.
Hydrogenated oils are used in fast-food outlets and restaurants because they give food a rich flavor and texture and can be reused in commercial fries. Cooking with hydrogenated oils makes foods, such as fries or chicken nuggets, crispy. It also lightens the color of oil and allows for deep frying at high temperatures. For example, soy oil used for cooking and salads is partially hydrogenated to improve its flavor without changing its chemical composition.
Rancidity is the unpleasant taste or smell of decomposing fats or oils and occurs mainly in unsaturated oils. Oils are vulnerable to rancidity because of their chemical composition which makes them spoil when exposed to oxygen. Through hydrogenation, contents of highly reactive unsaturated acids, such as linolenic acids, are removed thereby preventing most of the oxidative rancidity that may otherwise occur especially after the oil has been used for frying. Hydrogenation prevents rancidity by removing oxygen and adding hydrogen at the sites of unsaturation.