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Introduction
Edible vegetable oils—derived from plant-based oilseeds—are a renewable and non-polluting resource with a wide range of food and industrial applications. These oils are widely used in cooking, frying, and salad dressings, and are increasingly utilized in industries such as paints, lubricants, soaps, and biofuels.
As a food processing consultant or food manufacturing consultant, understanding the oil extraction and refining process is crucial to optimizing efficiency, quality, and compliance within food factories.
Evolution of Edible Oil Processing
Before the 19th-century industrial revolution, oil was extracted through basic methods such as cleaning, crushing, heating, and pressing. With technological advancement, solvent extraction and refining methods revolutionized the process. This allowed for:
- Higher oil recovery from seeds (e.g., soybeans)
- Better oil clarity, taste, and stability
- Industrial-scale production
Modern food plant engineering incorporates solvent extraction, chemical refining, and physical refining to produce high-quality oils tailored to market demands.
A. Commercial Process of Manufacturing Edible Vegetable Oil
In a typical edible oil processing plant oil is extracted from the seed first using mechanical extraction (expeller press) process followed by chemical extraction (hexane extraction) process. By using both methods less than 1% of the oil is left in the meal. Then the left out residual meal is sold as an animal feed raw material. Following are the steps involved for the processing of vegetable oil:
1. Harvesting and Cleaning of Oil Seeds
- Seeds are harvested like other crops.
- Post-harvest, cleaning and dehulling remove impurities to ensure quality oil.
2. Mechanical Processing
- Seeds are crushed and conditioned with heat.
- Oil is extracted via expeller press, and residual press cake is collected for further processing.
3. Solvent Extraction (Hexane Method)
- Cake is flaked, mixed with hexane, and heated.
- Oil and hexane are separated; hexane is recycled, and oil is recovered.
- The remaining meal is sold as animal feed—a sustainable practice.
4. Oil Refining Process
The oil undergoes multiple refining steps for improved flavor, color, and shelf life. These include:
Degumming
- Hydrates and removes phospholipids.
- Centrifugation eliminates impurities.
Neutralization
- Removes free fatty acids using sodium hydroxide.
- Reduces soap levels via hot water wash or silica treatment.
Bleaching
- Eliminates residual soap, pigments, and oxidation byproducts.
- Uses activated clay, silica, or carbon.
Deodorization
- Performed under vacuum at 180–270°C.
- Removes volatiles and imparts bland taste and extended stability.
Conclusion
The edible vegetable oil industry has evolved into a complex, high-tech sector. With the integration of engineering consulting and food industry project management, manufacturers can achieve cost-effective, high-quality, and sustainable production.
PMG Engineering, as a leading food processing consultant, supports businesses in setting up world-class oil processing units with a focus on design excellence, regulatory compliance, and sustainable growth.
References
1. https://tinyurl.com/8jr4e3zk
2. https://tinyurl.com/dnaa2dxs
3. https://tinyurl.com/m3jc2m36
4. https://www.eatthis.com/cooking-oils/
5. http://www.bioline.org.br/pdf?cg12023
6. https://extension.psu.edu/processing-edible-oils
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