BTMA-Basics of vegetable oil refining.

Basics of vegetable oil refining

 Vegetable Oils Refining at an refinery plants is essential for vegetable oils and fats, as well as animal oils and fats, so that they can be used in cooking and for frying food. Chemically the term "tri-glycerides" refers to oils also known as "Fatty-Acid Glycerin Esters" (FAGE). One Glycerin molecule is combined with three Fatty-Acid molecules make one FAGE. Oils are mixtures of different FAGE types. They can be distinguished according to the length of the carbon chain in the Fatty Acids as well as the amount and position of double bonds within Carbon chains within Fatty Acids. The more double bonds between carbon atoms, the more is the quantity of "unsaturated" fatty-acids in the fat-acid profile of the oils. "Unsaturated" oils and fats are considered to be more beneficial over "saturated" oils and fats from a health standpoint.

 What are Vegetable Oils & Fats?

 Vegetable Oils come from a wide range of grains, seeds and nuts. The most popular types of oil-bearing nuts and seeds include Canola, Castor, Coconut, Corn (Maize), Cottonseed, Mustard, Olive, Palm the Palm-Kernel Peanut (Groundnut) and Rapeseed. Safflower, Soybean, and Sunflower. Other essential specialty oils come through Almond, Avocado, Cashew, Grapeseed, Jatropha, Pecan, Pine, Shea and Walnut. There are literally hundreds of seeds and nuts readily available in different regions of the world.

 What are Animal Oils and Fats?

 Animal oils come from various animals. The most common kinds of oils and fats are Chicken-Fat (Chicken) and Fish-Oil (Fish) and Lard (Pigs) as well as Tallow (Cows). Each of these fats and oils is available in categories of edible and non-edible and a variety of grades within each category.

 Why is Vegetable Oil Refined?

 Animal and vegetable Oils and fats are contaminated with impurities like moisture and solids (Insolubles) Gums (Lecithins) and Free Fatty Acids (FFA) and Waxes and compounds composed of Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium, Calcium, and other metals. These impurities have to be eliminated in order to increase the effectiveness in the oil. Other attributes that oils possess (such as color smell, taste, and odor) can also be considered to be impurities by the modern consumer. They are eliminated through several steps, including degumming (to eliminate gums) neutralizing (to eliminate FFA) as well as bleaching (to get rid of color) and deodorizing (to get rid of the smell and taste) as well as dewaxing or winterization (to take away waxes).

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