Originally, the definition of shortening was either a solid fat or a liquid oil, which could be either animal or vegetable in origin. Shortenings include butter, margarine, vegetable oils, processed oils [partially or completely hydrogentated] and lard. Over time this generalised term has treated as a more specific term. Modern-day usage, in some countries, has come to focus on hydrogenated vegetable oil as "shortening" without any reference to the other types of shortenings.
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At room temperature, Palm oil is semi-solid, coconut oil is solid, and hydrogenated coconut fat [aka Copha in Australia] is also solid. These are all vegetables shortenings.
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Coconut oil [solid] is fine with chocolate. Australian confectioners and chocolatiers have been adding copha to chocolate for decades .
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Parrafin wax, although edible, is not digested by humans [goes straight through ..] and it has been used for centuries in food production .. No problems with that one, either .. If you eat M&M's or chewing gum, you eat parrafin ..