METHOD FOR REFINING AN EDIBLE OIL
The present invention relates to a method for refining an edible oil comprising the steps of - degumming crude oil,
- subjecting the oil to a heat treatment,
- removing unwanted components, in particular colour imparting substances or decomposition products and the like and - deodorizing the oil.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Such a method is known, for example from JP 51/109908 in the name of Asahi Denka Kogyo KK. In this method palm oil is first treated with an acid, followed by neutralization in order to neutralize the acid which is added in the preceding step. The oil, being freed from insoluble substances, is subjected to a heat treatment at 180°C - 270°C in the absence of oxygen but in contrast to the other
process steps not in vacuo. The heat treatment is carried out in order to decompose colour imparting substances, in particular carotenoids and colour precursors. Subsequently, the oil is treated with an adsorbent in order to remove unwanted components, followed by removing the insoluble substances with the adsorbent from the oil. Finally, the oil is deacidified and deodorized by sparging with steam at 180°C - 270°C.
JP 54/088904 describes a refining method where acid treated palm oil is heated at ≥ 100°C under reduced pressure but in the presence of a decolouring agent. Steam distillation is carried out after removal of the decolouring agent. The heat treatment has the effect that the carotenoids and colour precursors in the edible oil are effectively decomposed.
Bleaching earth is the usually employed decolourizing agent. However, spent bleaching earth gives rise to a disposal problem and, moreover, bleaching earth is a rela- tively expensive material.
Moreover, oil which is heated in the presence of bleaching earth shows, however, serious defects: a high amount of polymerized oil, colour fixation, unacceptable taste stability and oxidation instability.
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a process according to the preamble of claim 1, in which the removal of the unwanted components, in particular the colour imparting substances, is at least equal if not better than obtained with the methods according to the prior art and which effect is accomplished using less adsorbent, particularly bleaching earth.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a process for refining an edible oil comprising the steps of
degumming crude oil, subjecting the oil to a heat treatment at 170°C 300°C under vacuum conditions, removing unwanted components and - deodorizing the oil, which process is characterised in that during the heat treatment the oil is substantially free from adsorbent.
DETAILS OF THE INVENTION
The use of bleaching earth before the deodorisation treatment is optional. hen using bleaching earth, its amount can be limited to less than 1 wt.% and often to less than 0.5 wt.%. This is less than the amounts used in the prior art methods: e.g. 2-4 wt.% in the method according to JP 51/109908. The bleaching earth treatment even can be dispensed with when applying the invention for refining oils to be used for specific applications such as for margarine manufacture: a mere filtration is sufficient in order to clear the oil.
In order to improve further the removal of colour imparting substances the heat treatment is preferably continued for 30 minutes or more. Preferably the heat treatment is carried out at 180°C - 270°C. In order to prevent the formation of trans fatty acids the lower temperatures are preferred. However, when the temperature is lowered, the heat treatment need to be prolonged in order to obtain the same bleach result.
According to a preferred embodiment the heat treatment comprises successive heating phases, at least one of which is in the 170°C - 300°C range. A preferred temperature regime is: - about 270°C during 10-50 minutes,
- about 240°C during 1-3 hours and
- 140°C - 180°C during 2-14 hours.
Preferably, the heat treatment comprises sparging with a heated inert gas, for example nitrogen. Sparging not only destroys the colour imparting substances, but also removes the degradation products from the oil.
An additional advantage of the method according to the present invention is a substantially reduced colour reversal of the obtained oil in comparison with tradition¬ ally treated oils. According to traditional methods colour reversal can be limited only when relatively large amounts of expensive bleaching earth are used.
The invention is suitable for all coloured oils, but particularly for palm oil. Since oils are liquefied fats, in the context of this specification oils comprise the fats which although solid at ambient temperature are liquid at the temperature of the heat treatment.
The usual way to measure the colour of palm oil is establishing the Lovibond colour values, particularly the red (R) and yellow (Y) values.
After refining according to the invention using only 0.25 wt.% of bleaching earth, palm oil may exhibit a Lovibond value as low as 1.8 (R) . For attaining such value with prior art methods at least 2.25 wt.% of bleaching earth is needed.
The extent of polymerization is apparent from the E268 extinction value. Palm oils which have been cleared by traditional bleaching treatments have a E268 value which always is higher than 1.00.
Edible oils or fats are usually degummed first in order to remove phosphatides and some other minor components, such as metal compounds, sugars and proteins from the crude oil. Advantageously, the degumming step comprises an acid degumming method. The acid degumming method comprises
adding an edible acid, like e.g. phosphoric acid, citric acid or maleic acid, to the oil whereby non-hydratable phospholipids, mainly present as Ca and/or Mg-salts of phosphatidic acid and phosphatidyl ethanol amine, are rendered hydratable with water. Hydrated phospholipids will coagulate as a so-called gum-phase (lecithine) , which is removed from the oil together with metal contaminants.
Advantageously, the oil is subjected to a filtration step before the heat treatment, thereby still further lowering the content of phospholipids in the oil.
It is preferred to use a chemically inactive filter aid for said filtration step, e.g. one which advantageously comprises vegetable fibres. A suitable filter aid is
Lignocel™ which consists of organic vegetable fibres left in their natural state. For the filtration 0.5 wt.% of Lignocel™ may suffice. Alternatively a silica gel such as Trisyl™ may be used. Furthermore it is also possible to use spent bleaching earth as a filter aid.
When using the process according to the invention, not only an economical advantage is obtained but in compariosn with the prior art also an oil with better properties: less polymerization and colour reversion, better taste stability, more resistance to oxidation and a decreased tendency to foaming, particularly when used for deep frying. Moreover, the desired bleaching effect is produced with a much reduced amount of expensive adsorbent. The addition of adsorbent in some cases can even be dispensed with at all, while nevertheless a clear oil is obtained.
The present invention comprises also a refined clear edible oil obtainable by the refining method according to the present invention and which oil is characterized by a Lovibond red value which is less than 3, while the E268
extinction is not higher than 1.0, preferably not higher than 0.8.
The present invention will be further elucidated by reference to the following examples:
Example 1
Comparison sample (A) of crude palm oil (a mixture originating from Sumatra and New Guinea) was degummed using 0.08 wt.% of a 50% phosphoric acid solution, then bleached with 2 wt.% of Tonsil Standard FF™ and finally deodorized by steaming at 270°C for 2 hours.
Another sample (1) was subjected to the same treatment, but in this case the bleaching step was preceeded first by a filtration step using 0.5 wt.% of Lignocel HB 120™, where the oil after admixing with the Lignocel was dried for better adherence of the impurities to the filter aid. Then the oil was submitted to a heating treatment under vacuum conditions first at 270°C for 30 minutes and then at 240°C for 1.5 hours. For the bleaching step the oil, when cooled to 110°C, was admixed with 0.25 wt.% of Tonsil Standard FF™.
Table I shows the Lovibond colour values immediately after steaming and after colour reversion. Table II shows the E232 and the E268 extinctions before and after the refining treatment. The Lovibond values were established using a PFX 990 type measuring instrument. For colour reversion both samples were allowed to stay in a dark place for 24 hours at 60°C. After said period the Lovibond colours (R) and (Y) returned, as shown in table I. The samples 1 and A although having about the same Lovibond red values, differ substantially in their E268 values. This clearly distinguishes the oils refined according to the present
invention (sample 1) from the oils refined according to the prior art methods (sample A) .
Table I
Lov.R (1) LOV.R (2) LOV.Y (1) Lov.Y (2)
1 1.8 2.0 16.4 19.1
A 1.7 2.2 27.0 32.0
1) after steaming 2) after colour reversion
Table II
E232 (3) E232 (4) E268 (3) E268 (4)
1 1.9 2.4 0.59 0.56
A 1.9 0.59 0.59 1.28
3) before refining 4) after refining treatment
Example 2
Two samples (B and 2) of the acid degummed palm oil of example 1 were subjected to a treatment as described in example 1.
Comparison sample B was subjected to a bleaching step using 5.0 wt.% of Tonsil Standard FF, followed by a deodorisation step at 270°C during two hours.
Sample 2 was first subjected to a filtration step using 0.5 wt.% of Lignocel HB 120™, followed by a heat treatment step under vacuum conditions during 30 minutes at 270°C and during 1.5 hours at 240°C. Subsequently, the sample was
cooled to 110°C and bleached with merely 1.8 wt.% of Tonsil Standard FF and deodorised at 270°C for two hours.
Table III shows the Lovibond colours after steaming and after colour reversion. These colours are comparable for both sample B and sample 2 (which has been subjected to the refining' method according to the present invention) . Therefore, by applying the refining method according to the present invention an oil with a satisfactory colour can be obtained using a considerably reduced amount of bleaching earth.
Table III
Lov. R ( 1) Lov. R (2 ) Lov. Y (1) Lov. Y (2 )
2 1 . 1 1. 1 7. 8 9 .4
B 1 . 1 1 . 1 11. 6 15 . 0
1) after steaming 2) after colour reversion
It appears that the process of the invention yields an oil with the same Lovibond red colour as the comparison oil but obtained with a 64% reduced amount of bleaching earth. The Lovibond yellow colour was even better. Both samples showed the same good (red) colour stability.
Example 3
Oil for margarine manufacture
An acid degummed palm oil sample 3 was filtrated with 0.5 wt% of Lignocel HB 120™ and heated under vacuum conditions during 30 minutes at 270°C and during 1.5 hours
at 240°C. The palm oil sample was once again filtrated using 0.5 wt% of Lignocel HB 120™.
Table IV shows the Lovibond colours immediately after steaming and after colour reversion.
Table IV
Lov.R (1) Lov.R (2) Lov.Y (1) Lov.Y (2)
3 2.4 2.5 30.0 31.0
1) after steaming 2) after colour reversion.
Since for margarine applications a Lovibond red value not more than 3.0 is sufficient, the palm oil obtained without using any bleaching earth, is suited for margarine manufacture.