PALM OIL AND SUNFLOWER OIL: EFFECT OF BLEND COMPOSITION AND STIRRER TYPES DURING FRACTIONATION ON THE YIELD AND PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF THE OLEINS

Abstract

ABSTRACT The effect of blend composition of refined, bleached and deodorized (RBD) palm oil and sunflower oil and that of different types of stirrers during fractionation on the yield and physicochemical characteristics of the oleins was investigated. Blends of 80% palm oil with 20% sunflower oil, and 60% palm oil with 40% sunflower oil were fractionated at 21C, and the oil samples were agitated with stirrers 1, 2, 3 and 4. The results showed that the highest yield was obtained with 60% palm oil and 40% sunflower oil blend when stirrer 2 was used to agitate the sample. There was a significant difference in iodine value (IV) of samples agitated with stirrers 3 and 4. The difference was not significant when stirrers 1 and 2 were used. Blending palm oil with sunflower oil followed by fractionation produced oleins of much higher IV than either commercially available regular palm olein or superolein. The major fatty acids in the oleins obtained after fractionating blend of 80% palm oil and 20% sunflower oil were palmitic (31.8–33.2%), oleic (38.1–39.3%) and linoleic (21.6–24.1%) acids. With higher amount of sunflower oil of 40% in the oil blend, the amount of palmitic acid significantly decreased (25.1–26.3%). After fractionation, the blend containing 60% palm oil and 40% sunflower oil produced liquid fractions which were lower in dipalmitoyl‐oleoyl‐glycerol (POP), palmitoyl‐oleoyl‐stearoyl‐glycerol (POS), palmitoyl‐dioleoyl‐glycerol (POO) and dipalmitoyl‐linoleoyl‐glycerol (PLP) compared to the blend containing 80% palm oil and 20% sunflower oil. The blend with a higher level of sunflower oil at 40% produced oleins of much lower cloud point (3.5–3.7C) than the blend containing only 20% sunflower oil. The type of stirrer did not have any significant effect on the cloud point.