PALMOILMAGAZINE, JAKARTA – De-acidification presents a promising solution to the limitations associated with the deodorization method. It stands out as the easiest, simplest, and most cost-effective process for addressing these challenges.
In the crude palm oil (CPO) processing, deodorization serves as a crucial step aimed at eliminating free fatty acids (FFA), the compounds responsible for unpleasant odors, without causing damage to the oil through hydrolysis.
This deodorization process significantly impacts the quality of the final product, influencing its organoleptic characteristics, stability, nutrient content, and functional properties.
Meeting market demands, such as minimizing the formation of trans fatty acids and preserving tocopherol or tocotrienol content, poses challenges in developing more efficient deodorization technologies. These technologies aim for relatively low operational costs, high yields, and more affordable equipment.
Deodorization is the removal process by using the heat (steam) (> 200oC) in the vegetable oil within high temperature, certain time, and low pressure which is the physical process. Some components will be easy to evaporate and vanishing but the chemical and thermal effect might occur.
The vanishing of FFA from palm oil represents the simplest phase but it is difficult in the refining process for it determines the quality of the end product. The deodorization process could influence the economic of the oil production for the inefficient process will have big influence of the next operational process.
De-acidification is the method which could solve the limitation of the available process.
The alternative approach which could be done to de-asidification method of palm oil is the enzymatic biological de-acidification, re-esterification de-acidification (chemical modification), membrane de-acification, super critical liquid extraction de-acidification, and solvent de-acidification.
(now it becomes Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional/BRIN).
