Picture Credit: Quin Engle

Vegetable Oil Refining Process Methods

What is Oil?

Oils are extracted from plant sources. They plays a vital role in providing nutrition by enhancing the flavor of food, improving the texture, and conducting heat while cooking. common vegetable oils are sunflower oil, palm oil, safflower oil, soybean oil, peanut oil, and olive oil. Reducing the risk of heart diseases and protecting brain cells etc.

Refining Process

• Degumming
• Neutralization
• Bleaching
• Deodorization

Degumming Process

It is the primary stage of the refinement method that works to get rid of impurities of the oil. Phosphatides area unit gift in edible oil extracted from soya bean bean, and edible seed oil. These impurities got to be removed at early stages of refinement because of their emulsifying properties. If the degumming method is unheeded, the danger of moldering and darkening of the oil will increase because of thermal instability.

Neutralization Process

In the neutralization method, the free fatty acids are removed by victimization alkali like sodium hydroxide. once sodium hydroxide reacts with free fatty acids during a tank, it results in the formation of soap stock that settles at rock bottom of the tank that is then removed.

Bleaching Process

Cooking oil is usually bleached before being used in cooking. The oil is heated to a certain temperature and then allowed to cool. This process removes the odors and color from the oil, which makes it suitable for cooking. After heating the oil, it should be stirred constantly to prevent its overheating and discoloration. While stirring, you can add any ingredients that you want to use in your dish. After adding these ingredients, you can put your cooking pot on a stove or in an oven. When cooking with bleached oil, it is important to keep track of the time that it takes for your food to cook so that it does not overcook during cooking time.

Deodorization Process

Cooking oil can be a contaminant when it is not properly cleaned and sanitized. Cooking oil should be deodorized and decontaminated in order to be used for future cooking and preparation. The process of how to clean and sanitize cooking oil is called "deodorization." First, the oil must be filtered through a filter paper or metal mesh. The filter paper will allow any particles in the oil to pass through, while metal mesh will keep out larger particles such as sand or dirt. Next, the oil is heated on high heat until it begins to boil. Once boiling begins, the temperature should continue to rise until it reaches 250 degrees Fahrenheit (120 degrees Celsius). Next, cold water is added into the hot oil at a rate of approximately 1 Gallon per minute until all bacteria have been killed within one minute. This process takes approximately five minutes total time. After deodorization has been completed, it must be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized before reusing again for cooking purposes.