• How is FFB graded in palm oil mills?
  • In oil palm, the FFB received at palm oil mills is graded for ripeness and other criteria that may affect the milling process and oil extraction rate (OER). However, there is no estimate of the oil content of the FFB received.
  • How much does a palm oil FFB weigh?
  • An average size FFB weighs about 20-30 kg and contains 1500-2000 fruits (Fig. 1). The FFBs are harvested according to harvesting cycles and delivered to the mills on the same day. The quality of crude palm oil is dependent on the care taken after harvesting, particularly on the handling of the FFBs. Figure 1.
  • What contributes to FFA build-up in crude palm oil production?
  • Another key contributor to FFA build-up is loose fruit (LF), which is collected following FFB harvesting and is commonly processed together with FFB into crude palm oil (CPO) at the mill. The aim of this study was to identify pivotal points of FFA formation during the process of crude palm oil production.
  • How is palm oil extracted from FFB?
  • The extraction of palm oil from FFB involves numerous phases of processing. Among these are sterilization, bunch stripping, digestion, oil extraction, clarification, and purification. Each process has its specific unit operations. Various types of waste are generated by these extraction and purification processes.
  • How is the efficiency of palm oil mills evaluated?
  • Similarly, the efficiency of mills in terms of their ability to extract starch or sugar can be evaluated if the quality of the product entering the mills is known. In oil palm, the FFB received at palm oil mills is graded for ripeness and other criteria that may affect the milling process and oil extraction rate (OER).
  • What are the by-products of palm oil extraction?
  • The extraction of crude palm oil (CPO) results in several by-products, both solid and liquid, such as empty fruit bunch (EFB), palm kernel shell (PKS), mesocarp fibre (MF), and palm oil mill effluent (POME). At 67%, POME is the most abundant by-product of the CPO production process.