Crude Palm Oil
Palm oil is quickly becoming one of the most exciting and innovative oil choices available today. For thousands of years, the oil palm has been cultivated and processed into various forms of Palm Oil that are used for baking and cooking as well as for the production of shortenings or oils.
Crude Palm oil is a product that results from the processing of the oil palm before it is further refined to remove impurities, colors and other imperfections. There are several steps that must be performed before the Crude Palm Oil is produced.
The fruit of the Oil Palm turns to a vivid shade of orange, different from their immature green or black color, upon maturation. Once the fruit is sufficiently ripened, it is harvested. The harvest is aided by the use of knives or chisels attached to long polls. The process of harvesting the fruit is ongoing as the fruit matures over the course of the year.
Once the fruit has been harvested, it is processed into oil. Large mills are employed to process the fruit. First the fruit itself is sterilized using steam. This kills microorganisms that may lead to poor oil quality. Next, the fruit is stripped from the branches. The oil palm fruit is then crushed and heated to a pulp. Finally, a hydraulic press is used to extract the oil from the crushed fruit. The result of these processes is crude palm oil.
Crude palm oil can be used in a variety of non-food related processes. It is found in many common products like candles, soaps, and cosmetics. Other uses include rubber processing and industrial lubricants. There is currently a drive towards developing biofuel through the use of crude palm oil. It is believed that fuel derived from crude palm oils will be environmentally friendly and sustainable. As production of crude palm oil continues to grow, we can expect to see more industries utilizing it in their processes.
One of the main uses of crude palm oil is, of course, for the production of refined palm oil. Several additional steps are needed in order to create “refined, bleached, deodorized,” or RBD palm oil:
- The palm oil is clarified
- Fibers are removed from the endocarp of the clarified palm oil
- The endocarp is dried, graded and cracked
- The endocarp is separated from the kernel
- The kernel is dried and packaged.
Clarified palm oil is stored in steel tanks for transportation. The clarified oil from the crude oil is used primarily as a cooking product. It is typically considered a healthier alternative to butter fate and cocoa butter.
Crude palm oil is one of the primary derivatives of the oil palm plant. It provides oil that can be used for industrial purposes, in the production of goods and may be used as a ‘green’ biofuel. Crude palm oil may be one of the most sustainable of all vegetable oils because of its long growing season. As production continues to increase, it is likely that more industries will turn to crude palm oil as a source of oil for production and manufacturing.