Abstract
The red palm oil consumed in the Congo basin come essentially from small-scale production from the dura or tenera varieties (the latter being a hybrid of dura and pisifera ). These three varieties are endemic to the Congo basin. The tenera variety is characterized a thick pulp (about 50% of the nut) from which 70–90% of oil (based on fresh pulp) can be extracted. The dura variety has less pulp (30% of the nut by weight), and gives an oil yield of the same order of magnitude. The oil is extracted from the crushed pulp after a series of mixing steps in hot water at about 60 °C. When obtained from freshly harvested nuts (at most 3 days storage), this oil is rich in carotenoids (800–2600 ppm) and polyphenols (5–13 mg/g), and presents low acid values (I A P < 10). Here we describe this traditional production process, widespread in the Congo basin, and suggest innovations that substantially increase the quantity of oil extracted and significantly improve the quality of the end product.
Highlights
The palm oil tree is endemic to the Congo basin in the Gulf of Guinea
The red palm oil consumed in the Congo basin come essentially from small-scale production from the dura or tenera varieties
Africa was the principal producer of palm oil in the 1960s, but since 2000 it has been largely overtaken by Asia, in particular by countries such as Indonesia (18.3 million tons)
Summary
The palm oil tree is endemic to the Congo basin in the Gulf of Guinea. Africa was the principal producer of palm oil in the 1960s, but since 2000 it has been largely overtaken by Asia, in particular by countries such as Indonesia (18.3 million tons)The palm oil tree is exceptionally productive, with an average yield of 3.5 t of oil per hectare. The palm oil tree is endemic to the Congo basin in the Gulf of Guinea. Africa was the principal producer of palm oil in the 1960s, but since 2000 it has been largely overtaken by Asia, in particular by countries such as Indonesia (18.3 million tons). The palm oil tree is exceptionally productive, with an average yield of 3.5 t of oil per hectare. Up to 80% of palm oil is used in foodstuffs (salad oil, frying oil, margarines, fat for baking, pastry-making and other food preparations), about 19% in oil chemistry (cosmetics, soap, lubricants and greases, candles, etc.) and 1% as biomass fuel (biodiesel) (Rival, 2013)
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