The Role of Advanced Sterilizers in Palm Oil Processing: A Crucial Step to Ensure Food Safety and Oil Quality Stability

When it comes to palm oil processing, the difference in handling between palm fruits and palm kernels in small - scale production lines is significant. Palm fruits, which are the primary source of crude palm oil, require a different set of processes compared to palm kernels. In small - scale production, palm fruits are usually collected and sorted first. Around 70 - 80% of the palm fruits are used for oil extraction, while the remaining part is used for other by - products. Palm kernels, on the other hand, are separated from the fruits and processed separately, with a yield rate of about 10 - 15% of the total palm fruit weight.

The core processes in palm oil processing, including pre - treatment, pressing, degumming, deacidification, decolorization, and deodorization, each have their own technical points. During pre - treatment, the palm fruits are sterilized and threshed. The sterilization process can reduce the activity of lipase in the fruits, which is crucial for maintaining the quality of the oil. In the pressing stage, mechanical presses are used to extract the oil from the palm fruits, with an extraction efficiency of about 85 - 90%.

Degumming is to remove impurities such as phospholipids from the crude oil. Usually, water or acid is used for degumming, and the degumming efficiency can reach over 95%. Deacidification is to remove free fatty acids from the oil. Through processes like alkali refining, the acid value of the oil can be reduced to a very low level. Decolorization uses activated carbon or bleaching earth to remove pigments from the oil, and the color reduction rate can be up to 80 - 90%. Deodorization is the final step to remove odorous substances from the oil, and it is carried out under high - temperature and vacuum conditions.

The advanced sterilizer plays a key role in ensuring food safety. It can kill various microorganisms in the palm fruits and oil, such as bacteria, yeasts, and molds. The sterilizer uses food - grade stainless - steel materials, which are not only corrosion - resistant but also meet food safety standards. For example, in a small - scale production line, the sterilizer can achieve a sterilization rate of over 99% within a certain time and temperature range.

The setting of temperature control and time parameters has a significant impact on the consistency of oil quality. If the temperature is too high or the time is too long, it may cause the oil to oxidize and deteriorate. On the contrary, if the temperature is too low or the time is too short, the sterilization and quality improvement effects may not be achieved. For example, in the deodorization process, maintaining a temperature of 220 - 240°C for 60 - 90 minutes can effectively remove odorous substances while maintaining the stability of the oil quality.

Combined with the ISO9001 standard, the quality control system runs through the entire process. From raw material inspection to the final product packaging, every step is strictly controlled. For example, in the raw material inspection, the moisture content, impurity content, and fatty acid composition of the palm fruits are strictly monitored. During the production process, the parameters of each process are recorded and adjusted in real - time to ensure product quality consistency.

In a real - world factory case, a small - to - medium - sized palm oil production line achieved high output under low - energy - consumption conditions. By optimizing the process parameters of the advanced sterilizer and other equipment, the energy consumption was reduced by about 30% while the output increased by about 20%. This shows that the advanced equipment can not only ensure product quality but also achieve cost - effective production.

The advantages of this equipment are obvious. It uses advanced sterilization technology, which can ensure food safety and maintain the stability of oil quality. The food - grade stainless - steel material makes the equipment durable and meets food safety requirements. The low - energy - consumption and high - efficiency production mode can help customers reduce production costs and increase profits. For customers, they can get high - quality palm oil products with stable quality, which can enhance their competitiveness in the market.

If you want to know more about how our advanced palm oil processing equipment can bring value to your business, immediately view the equipment details and get a customized solution.