• What is crude palm oil refining?
  • To prevent iron oxidation, the storage tank is lined in a suitable protective coating. The oil at this stage is called the crude palm oil (CPO). The aim of refining is to convert the CPO to quality edible oil by removal of objectionable impurities to the desired levels in the most efficient manner.
  • Why is refining palm oil important?
  • The processing of palm oil, from fruit pulp to refined oil, is detailed, highlighting the importance of refining in maintaining quality and extending application ranges. While palm oil offers health benefits because of its rich fatty acid composition and antioxidant properties, its production poses significant environmental challenges.
  • How is refined palm oil produced?
  • To produce refined palm oil (RPO), the objectionable impurities in the CPO are removed to obtain the required levels using two main methods: chemical or alkali refining and physical refining methods. Either of these is followed by fractionation as a final purification process to separate the oil into stearin and olein components.
  • What is the raw material for the production of crude palm oil?
  • The raw material for the production of crude palm oil is the ripped fruit of the oil palm plant. The physical composition of the palm fruit bunch is provided in Table 7.8 and illustrated in Fig. 7.1. Oil palm bunch and its fruit
  • Can palm kernel oil be processed?
  • Crude, degummed bleached, or fully refined palm kernel oils can be processed with this technology (Calliauw et al., 2005) (Table 12-M). The saturated fatty acid content is increased from ¡«80% in the palm kernel oil to 93¨C96% in the palm kernel stearins; the lauric and myristic fatty acid contents go up to 80%.
  • What are the basic operations associated with palm oil processing?
  • The basic unit operations associated with palm oil processing include fruit sterilization, fruit loosening/stripping, digestion, oil extraction and clarification. Fruit sterilization denotes heat rendering and moisture absorption. The aim is to inactivate the lipolytic enzymes in the fruit mesocarp.