Effect of Adsorbent from Activated Rice Husk Charcoal on The Characteristics of Crude Palm Oil (CPO); A Preliminary Study

Abstract

The quality of crude palm oil (CPO) needs to be considered to ensure the food safety of further processed products. Several characteristics of CPO such as water content, free fatty acids, Cl, and Fe are known to be precursors for the formation of toxic compounds such as 3-Mono Chloro-1,2-Propane-Diol (MCPD) in further processed products. A study was conducted to determine the effect of activated rice husk charcoal used as an adsorbent in improving the quality of CPO. The activation process includes immersion in potassium hydroxide and sodium chloride solutions, washing to neutral pH (pH 7), filtering, and burning using a furnace at 300°C for 2 hours. The activated husk charcoal was then reduced its size into 100 mesh. The activated husk charcoal was then applied to CPO by adding 1% to the CPO, then heated until it reaches temperature of 50 and 60°C followed by stirring for 30 and 60 minutes, then deposited for 10 minutes before it was filtered. The results showed that the adsorbent obtained through the activation process using potassium hydroxide with a contact time of 60 minutes on CPO could reduce free fatty acids up to 21.87%, Fe 31.97%, moisture content 96,3% and Cl 91.15%. The application of activated husk charcoal on CPO also showed a significant effect on the water content, viscosity, and color of CPO. These results can be used as an alternative treatment for handling CPO in reducing the formation of toxic compounds such as 3-MCPD in CPO-derived food products.