Vegetable Oil Refining

Edible Oil production is able to process different qualities of products depending on the needs of the market. For some cases the clients may only need the process of Vegetable Oil Extraction, but in order to have the premium quality oil, the Vegetable Oil Refining process will be required.

iAG Holdings - Engineers & Contractors can assist your company to decide the best process requirements as well as the Contractual Setup that adapts better for every client's case.

Following are the main steps of an Edible Oil Refining process:

Degumming

Degumming reduces the phosphatides content in some crude oils (soybean, sunflower, rapeseed etc)

Neutralizing

The free acids contain in oil can be either alkali neutralize. Most oils can be "physically" neutralize in the deodoriser render this alkali treatment unnecessary

Bleaching

During this operation most colouring pigments are removed by absorption bleaching earth.

Deodorizing

Odour and taste are removed under special condition (high temperature and sparge steam)

Winterizing

Some oils like sunflower will present an un-pleasant turbidity at low temperature. This can be removed by eliminating components like waxes which solidify at low temperature.

Fat modification

Fractionation

Some fat when stored at room temperature are a mixture of low and high melting point fraction.

The fractionation is a process which separate both in order to obtain a liquid fraction which remains limpid at room temperature

Hydrogenation

This process is used to saturate the oil and increase its melting point. The hydronated product is then suitable for use as component in margarine.

Interesterification

This process modifies the physical properties of the oil by interchange between the different tryglecites. The interesterified product is then suitable for use as component for margarine and other speciality uses.