Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C11—ANIMAL OR VEGETABLE OILS, FATS, FATTY SUBSTANCES OR WAXES; FATTY ACIDS THEREFROM; DETERGENTS; CANDLES
  • C11B—PRODUCING, e.g. BY PRESSING RAW MATERIALS OR BY EXTRACTION FROM WASTE MATERIALS, REFINING OR PRESERVING FATS, FATTY SUBSTANCES, e.g. LANOLIN, FATTY OILS OR WAXES; ESSENTIAL OILS; PERFUMES
  • C11B7/00—Separation of mixtures of fats or fatty oils into their constituents, e.g. saturated oils from unsaturated oils
  • C11B7/0075—Separation of mixtures of fats or fatty oils into their constituents, e.g. saturated oils from unsaturated oils by differences of melting or solidifying points
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23D—EDIBLE OILS OR FATS, e.g. MARGARINES, SHORTENINGS OR COOKING OILS
  • A23D9/00—Other edible oils or fats, e.g. shortenings or cooking oils
  • A23D9/007—Other edible oils or fats, e.g. shortenings or cooking oils characterised by ingredients other than fatty acid triglycerides
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C11—ANIMAL OR VEGETABLE OILS, FATS, FATTY SUBSTANCES OR WAXES; FATTY ACIDS THEREFROM; DETERGENTS; CANDLES
  • C11B—PRODUCING, e.g. BY PRESSING RAW MATERIALS OR BY EXTRACTION FROM WASTE MATERIALS, REFINING OR PRESERVING FATS, FATTY SUBSTANCES, e.g. LANOLIN, FATTY OILS OR WAXES; ESSENTIAL OILS; PERFUMES
  • C11B3/00—Refining fats or fatty oils
  • C11B3/001—Refining fats or fatty oils by a combination of two or more of the means hereafter
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C11—ANIMAL OR VEGETABLE OILS, FATS, FATTY SUBSTANCES OR WAXES; FATTY ACIDS THEREFROM; DETERGENTS; CANDLES
  • C11B—PRODUCING, e.g. BY PRESSING RAW MATERIALS OR BY EXTRACTION FROM WASTE MATERIALS, REFINING OR PRESERVING FATS, FATTY SUBSTANCES, e.g. LANOLIN, FATTY OILS OR WAXES; ESSENTIAL OILS; PERFUMES
  • C11B3/00—Refining fats or fatty oils
  • C11B3/006—Refining fats or fatty oils by extraction
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C11—ANIMAL OR VEGETABLE OILS, FATS, FATTY SUBSTANCES OR WAXES; FATTY ACIDS THEREFROM; DETERGENTS; CANDLES
  • C11B—PRODUCING, e.g. BY PRESSING RAW MATERIALS OR BY EXTRACTION FROM WASTE MATERIALS, REFINING OR PRESERVING FATS, FATTY SUBSTANCES, e.g. LANOLIN, FATTY OILS OR WAXES; ESSENTIAL OILS; PERFUMES
  • C11B3/00—Refining fats or fatty oils
  • C11B3/02—Refining fats or fatty oils by chemical reaction
  • C11B3/04—Refining fats or fatty oils by chemical reaction with acids
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C11—ANIMAL OR VEGETABLE OILS, FATS, FATTY SUBSTANCES OR WAXES; FATTY ACIDS THEREFROM; DETERGENTS; CANDLES
  • C11B—PRODUCING, e.g. BY PRESSING RAW MATERIALS OR BY EXTRACTION FROM WASTE MATERIALS, REFINING OR PRESERVING FATS, FATTY SUBSTANCES, e.g. LANOLIN, FATTY OILS OR WAXES; ESSENTIAL OILS; PERFUMES
  • C11B3/00—Refining fats or fatty oils
  • C11B3/02—Refining fats or fatty oils by chemical reaction
  • C11B3/06—Refining fats or fatty oils by chemical reaction with bases
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C11—ANIMAL OR VEGETABLE OILS, FATS, FATTY SUBSTANCES OR WAXES; FATTY ACIDS THEREFROM; DETERGENTS; CANDLES
  • C11B—PRODUCING, e.g. BY PRESSING RAW MATERIALS OR BY EXTRACTION FROM WASTE MATERIALS, REFINING OR PRESERVING FATS, FATTY SUBSTANCES, e.g. LANOLIN, FATTY OILS OR WAXES; ESSENTIAL OILS; PERFUMES
  • C11B3/00—Refining fats or fatty oils
  • C11B3/12—Refining fats or fatty oils by distillation

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a process of refining edible oil rich in natural occurring carotene. More particularly, the present invention relates to a process of refining palm oil whereby substantially a large amount of the naturally occurring carotene is retained in the refined oil.
• Carotenes are yellow to orange pigments found in carrots, leafy vegetables, milk fat and egg yolk.
• the a- and b-carotenes are associated with synthesis of vitamin A in the liver and may offer some protection against cancer as well.
• the refined oil of the prior art process normally has a free fatty acid (FFA) content of less than 0.1%, carotene content of less than 20 ppm and colour of less than 3 red in a 5 1/4" cell (Lovibond Scale).
• FFA free fatty acid
• Prior art refining process of crude palm oil in summary involve deodorizing at temperatures between 24O 0 C - 260 0 C and at a pressure of 0.1 - 0.4 kPa, which result in not only the removal of unwanted fatty acids but also all carotenes being destroyed.
• Alpha ( ⁇ ), beta ( ⁇ ), gamma (y) and zeta ( ⁇ ), zeacarotene, cis a-carotene, cis b-carotene and lycopene are destroyed.
• degassing of the crude palm oil and deodorizing of the degassed oil is done within the same equipment.
• the typical operating temperature is between 240 0 C and 260 0 C.
• FFA free fatty acids
• AU-B-31084189 discloses an improved process for the refining of edible palm oil substantially without destroying the carotenes present in the oil which process comprises the step of subjecting the oil to a pressure of less than 0.008 kPa and a temperature of less than 200 0 C.
• palm oil or a product of palm oil is passed through a deodorizer, preferably at a temperature in the range 100 0 C to 200°C and at a pressure of up to 0.008 kPa.
• a deodorizer preferably at a temperature in the range 100 0 C to 200°C and at a pressure of up to 0.008 kPa.
• This deodorized palm oil has a free fatty acid content of less than 0.12%.
• MY-124490-A discloses modifications to conventional process of refining crude palm oil so that carotene content is substantially retained but devoid of other impurities.
• the modifications comprise (i) repeating neutralization step at least once at 80 0 C to remove free fatty acids from the palm oil; (ii) removing the remaining free fatty acid and other impurities by deodorization at relatively low temperatures, i.e. about 150°C; and (iii) crystallizing and fractionating the palm oil at relatively low temperature, i.e.
• the refined palm oil contains less than 0.1% free fatty acid, has a carotene content retained of about 70%, a cloud point of less than 10 0 C and an iodine value of more than 60.
• the above-mentioned Malaysian patent has several disadvantages.
• the refined palm oil contains high amount of peroxides which deteriorates the quality of the oil.
• the oil undergoes fractionation, whereby the oil is heated up to 65 0 C. This leads to an increase of peroxides in the final product or refined oil, which deteriorates quality of the refined oil as time passes.
• repetition of neutralization step incurs more oil losses, thus reducing the yield of the final product (i.e. refined palm oil).
• Repetition of the neutralization step of at least once also increases the cost of production.
• gel-like partial glyceride is formed during deodorisation, which makes it difficult to filter the oil during the fractionation and crystallization step. Thus, the entire refining process has to be repeated.
• the present invention discloses a commercial process for the production of refined palm oil rich in natural carotene.
• the process for the production of natural carotene rich refined oil comprises the steps of: (a) fractionating crude palm oil to form a liquid fraction and a solid portion;
• step (f) deodorizing the neutralized product of step (e) to remove remaining free fatty acids and other impurities contained therein, thus forming a refined palm oil that contains less than 0.1 % free fatty acid, has a carotene content retained of about 75%, an iodine value of less than 60 and a peroxide value of zero.
• the fractionation step of the present process includes heating the palm oil to 70°C for 15 minutes with constant and homogenizing stirring, followed by cooling to 19°C so that the solid portion (i.e. stearin and other solid fats) of the oil is separated from the liquid fraction (i.e. olein).
• liquid fraction (olein) and the solid portion (stearin and other solid fats) of the fractionated crude palm oil may be easily separated using physical means such as vacuum or press-type filters.
• the neutralization step of the present process is carried out at a temperature lower than 85°C.
• the preferred neutralization temperature is 65°C.
• the deodorizing step of the present process is carried out at 155°C to 165 C C in a vacuum vessel for 4.5 to 5.5 hours. Preferably, deodorization is carried out at 160 0 C for 5 hours.
• This deodorization step eliminates the presence of peroxides in the resultant refined palm oil, which increased after the fractionation step. By eliminating peroxides entirely, the resultant refined palm oil is considered to be of high quality containing less than 0.1 % free fatty acid.
• the process does not involve expensive equipments such as distiller and condenser. Further, the steps involved are simple and do not involve much cost. For example, neutralization step need not be repeated more than once as required in the prior art. Thus, the cost of production and oil losses can be minimized in the present process.
• deodorization induces the formation of gel-like partial glyceride, which makes it difficult for the oil to be filtered during the subsequent step of fractionation, thus requiring the whole process to be repeated.
• the present process solves this problem by introducing fractionation of crude palm oil as the first step.
• formation of gel-like partial glyceride during the last step of deodorization in the present invention does not possess a problem that will require the process to be repeated because the resultant refined palm oil is not subject to filtration.
• the crude palm oil is first subjected to fractionation to remove high melting point solids. This is performed at relatively low temperature to ensure the palm oil remains clear for a longer period of time.
• the crude palm oil is heated at about 70 0 C for approximately 15 minutes with constant and homogenizing stirring. It is then cooled slowly to 19°C using, for example an external flow of cooling water. At this low temperature, the liquid is separated from the solids, i.e. the remaining stearins and solid fats.
• the separation of liquid palm oil, called crude palm olein (still in red colour), from stearin may be carried out using vacuum or press-type filters.
• fractionated liquid palm oil (or palm olein) is then degummed with concentrated phosphoric acid at temperatures below 100 0 C for a period of 10 to 30 minutes.
• degumming is carried out at below 85°C for a period of 15 minutes.
• the degummed liquid palm oil (or palm olein) is further neutralized with concentrated alkali, such as sodium hydroxide. This step is carried out at a temperature below 85°C for a period of 15 minutes. It is preferred that neutralization is carried out at a temperature of 65°C.
• the amount of alkali used depends on the level of free fatty acid present in the degummed oil. Soap formed as a result of the neutralization reaction is removed from the liquid palm oil (or palm olein) by watering-washing. The palm olein is washed with water until no traces of soap can be found.
• the neutralized liquid palm oil (or palm olein) is deodorized at an elevated temperature ranging from 155°C to 165°C in a vacuum vessel for a period of 4.5 to 5.5 hours.
• deodorization is carried out at 160 0 C in a vacuum vessel for a period of 5 hours. It would be understood to a person skilled in the art that absolute vacuum may not be achievable in an ordinary or industrial vacuum vessel and therefore, there is usually a presence of small residue of pressure of 130 kPa.
• the resultant refined palm oil is still red in colour indicating that the carotene content is substantially retained. It contains less than 0.1% free fatty acid, has a carotene content retained of about 75%, an iodine value of less than 60 and a peroxide value of zero.
• Crude palm oil was subjected to fractionation to remove high melting point solids. Crude was heated to about 70 0 C for 15 minutes with constant and homogenizing stirring. It is then cooled slowly by external cool water to 19°C so that the liquid fraction is separated from the solid portion, which consists of the remaining stearin and solid fats.
• the liquid palm oil called crude palm olein (still in red colour) was separated from the solid portion by way of vacuum or press-type filter.
• the crude palm olein is then degummed using 0.04% by volume of 85% phosphoric acid at a temperature below 85°C for 15 minutes.
• the degummed palm olein is then neutralized with 4N sodium hydroxide solution at 65°C.
• the soap formed as a result of the neutralization reaction is removed from the palm olein by washing with water until no traces of soap can be found.
• the neutralized palm olein is then deodorized at 160 c C in a vacuum vessel for 5 hours. Residue pressure was recorded at 130 kPa.
• the final refined palm oil contained less than 0.1 % free fatty acid, has a carotene content retained of about 75%, an iodine value of less than 60 and a peroxide value of zero.

Landscapes

• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Oil, Petroleum & Natural Gas (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
• Microbiology (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Food Science & Technology (AREA)
• Polymers & Plastics (AREA)
• Fats And Perfumes (AREA)
• Edible Oils And Fats (AREA)

Priority Applications (3)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=42317028

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Cited By (3)

Families Citing this family (15)

Family Cites Families (10)

• 2009
  • 2009-01-08 MY MYPI20090069A patent/MY188429A/en unknown
  • 2009-12-31 EP EP09837690.8A patent/EP2373177A4/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2009-12-31 WO PCT/MY2009/000224 patent/WO2010080019A2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2009-12-31 US US13/142,672 patent/US8716505B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2009-12-31 JP JP2011545309A patent/JP5827568B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events