Waris Selesa Palm Oil Mill, Sabah, Malaysia

Production, Transportation, Refining and Distribution of Palm Oil

What is actually involved in bring it to supermarkets and homes? It can be purchased in bottles and is popular in countries that have embraced it as a cooking oil. Some of us might not be aware that it can also be present in many of the products that we enjoy eating. Even many of the popular scented soap brands use Palm Oil as a major ingredient in the manufacturing process. Palm is plentiful and a major source of vegetable and cooking oil. If you happen to live in countries like Malaysia and Indonesia, you cannot help but notice that certain parts of the countryside are populated with millions of palm trees. Palm Oil has become a major commodity on the world market and it is a growing industry and can even be used to produce biofuel.

First of all the Palm Trees have to be picked. It is actually the seeds that contain the oil. These seeds are then crushed in a Mill and separated by process systems to produce something called CPO (crude palm oil).

Once the mill is satisfied with the quality of the oil it can be transported to refineries. If it is being transported by land it will most likely be kept in large containers on trucks. These trucks will deliver the product to refineries who will process it even further into purer oil. When palm oil is being delivered to refineries it is either sampled manually or goes through electronic "palm oil quality monitors"

CPO Refineries are always watching the price of the commodity which is also traded on the stock market so timing can be important.

Finally, these refined products are sold to agents and distributors in smaller quantities who then use the palm oil as a base product or a component of goods that will be found on supermarket shelves and used in homes.

Palm competes with other types of oil such as Canola and Sunflower Oil. The distribution of palm oil and palm oil related products will depend mostly on the preferences of end manufacturers of products which also can be influenced by consumer preferences. Palm for cooking is highly respected in countries like Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia where it is commonly found in restaurant food. There are many benefits to using Palm Oil in these locations but one of the major benefits is that it will be competitively priced compared to other types of vegetable oil which might be costlier to import.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6147210

Review - The Palm Oil Miracle

The Palm Oil Miracle, Dr. Bruce Fife, 2007, ISBN 9780941599658

This book is all about palm oil, a seemingly "miracle" vegetable oil that has been used for thousands of years, and is currently being used around the world. But it is generally unknown here in America.

The reason for America's unfamiliarity with palm oil is that, for the last 30 years, Americans have been subjected to a huge amount of corporate propaganda (what else is new?). The culprit is the domestic vegetable oil industry. They have convinced the average citizen that tropical oils, which are high in saturated fat, are a leading cause of high cholesterol and heart disease. Supposedly, poly- and monounsaturated fats are the way to go. If that's true, why are the rates of heart disease much higher in America than in the rest of the world?

Many medical studies have shown that palm oil can protect against a huge number of common ailments (the book references over 300 studies). For instance, it can protect against cancer, heart disease, it improves blood sugar control, it supports healthy liver and lung function, it helps protect against mental deterioration, like Alzheimer's Disease, and it helps strengthen bones and teeth. The book goes into detail about why saturated fat is better than unsaturated fat, and why palm oil is so healthy. Believe it or not, fat is an essential nutrient; the human body needs a certain amount of it every day. Those who are on a low-fat diet are doing more harm than good to themselves.

Palm oil is used in cooking, baking and deep frying, and can be used in place of margarine or vegetable oil. It can be used as a dietary supplement, and is non-toxic even in large amounts. It is even a natural anti-aging and anti-wrinkle moisturizing skin cream. The book also includes recipes that use the oil, to cook and see for yourself.

Here is a fascinating book that is full of useful information for anyone. If the medical profession can only suggest a long and expensive course of treatment for whatever ails you, consider reading this book. What have you got to lose?

Paul Lappen is a freelance book reviewer whose website, [http://www.deadtreesreview.com], has over 800 reviews on all subjects, with an emphasis on small press books.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5395025

Vitamin E - Did You Know Palm Oil Is Packed With This Nutritional Supplement?

Vitamin E: The briefest of introduction!

A combination of 8 related molecules known as tocopherols constitute the Vitamin E. The most biologically active amongst them are Alpha-Tocoperols and they are responsible for most of the benefits the body receives from the absorption of this particular nutritional supplement It is a stable fat-soluble vitamin, which means that our body can easily break down its potency and nutrients. The daily allowance for Vitamin E, as recommended by the US FDA is measured at 8 to 10 milligrams (15 IU) per day. There are a number of experts however who recommend a much large daily dosage such as Dr. William Shute. (In his widely acclaimed Book of Vitamins, he suggests a daily dose of at least 800 (up to 1600) IU.) This high dosage is thought to play a beneficial part in the prevention of arterial degeneration, which is a devastating vascular damage caused by diabetes.

Vitamin E: How is it beneficial. (If you must know something, then let it be the following!)

According to a research conducted by the folks at Yale University, the unwelcome physical decline that goes hand in hand with aging can be positively affected by a daily intake of this substance. This doesn't mean old folks who were finding difficult to get out of bed will all of sudden be able to leap out in one graceful jump but research did show a gradual rebuilding of vitality which transferred over to a better overall health.

Vitamin E and Diabetics:

In a Swedish Study, Vitamin E therapy as a treatment for diabetes was put forward and supported. The findings includes suggestions such as an advisable daily intake dose of 200 IU of vitamin E over the course of two weeks. The study suggests that Vitamin E helps decrease the insulin requirements of Diabetic patients.

Breast Cancer and Vitamin E: In a society ravaged with an alarming number of women diagnosed with Breast Cancer, vitamin E, taken in proper form appears to be a considered method of reducing the risk of this illness. A number of studies have demonstrated that the risk of contracting Breast Cancer double for women with low levels of vitamin E when compared with those who take the recommended minimum requirements. These studies indicate that some Vitamin E components found in food may be the reason for the reduction in Cancer of the Breast incidence .
There are two classes of Vitamin E:

1. Tocopherol, the form usually found in supplements
2. Tocotrienol, found in food. For example palm oil .

Foods rich in Vitamin E are:

• Oils: vegetable oils such as palm oil, sunflower, corn, soybean, and olive oil.
• Good sources of vitamin e are egg yolk, margarine, Parmesan,cheddar,chickpeas, soya beans, avocados, olives, carrots, parsnips, red peppers, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, sweet corn, and watercress.
• Other sources can be found in fish, goats milk, whole grains,wheat or cereal germ, oatmeal, whole grain products peanut butter, fruits, vegetables, milk and all whole raw or sprouted seeds. Because of the hectic life we seemingly lead in this modern world

Did you know?Vitamin E supplements and all Dietary supplements are measured in international units (IU) .

Did you also know that the word 'Vitamin" is the combination of two words proposed by Dr. Cacimir Fun who in 1911 talked about "Vita Amine" when referring to a new food substance used in the cure of beri-beri.

Several decades later, the final "e" was dropped and a new word was created: Vitamin! Vitamins as micro-nutrients were actually discovered earlier (1887) when Dr.Eijkman who was studying a disease in Indonesia called beriberi realized that fowl who were fed with polished rice developed the disease whereas those fed on crudely milled rice did not.

Nutrition has always been the best source for our supplemental needs. Vitamin E is not different and can be found in all the food sources mentioned above. If you choose to take Vitamin E in supplemental form, our best advise would be Organic Vitamins.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/974921

Palm Vitamin E Tocotrienols Benefits

Palm vitamin E tocotrienols significantly help increase immunity or to inhibit disease in our bodies. Vitamin E was first isolated and recognized nearly 60 years ago. It is fat soluble, widely distributed in foods and can even be stored in our bodies. As a result, vitamin E deficiency rarely occurs in mammals. It is present in all our tissues and cells and protects against the ravages of oxidative damage by free radicals formed in our body. It also plays an important role in the regulation of our immune system. In recent times, vitamin E has been discovered playing its role as an inhibitor of cell proliferation.
Vitamin E occurs in substantial amounts in oils and fats. Generally, the higher the polyunsaturated fatty acid content of oil, the higher the vitamin E requirement. An average ratio of vitamin E to polyunsaturated fatty acids of about 0.6 mg/g is highly desirable.
Vitamin E mostly occurs as alpha, gamma, and delta tocopherol. The composition of vitamin E in palm oil is, however, quite different. Only about 30% of its composition is tocopherol, whereas the rest occur as tocotrienols (alpha, gamma and delta) which are again different isometric forms of vitamin E.
Apart from palm oil, rice bran, wheat germ and barley germ oils are good sources of the tocotrienols.

Benefits of Vitamin E Palm Tocotrienols
Tocotrienols have a chemical structure that is slightly different from the tocopherols.
Research has already determined that this structural difference, while allow it to perform all the classic functions of vitamin E, additionally confers important biological and physiological properties that are not noticeable in tocopherols.
Good manufacturing practice ensures that a substantial amount of palm vitamin E is retained in palm olein, commonly used as cooking oil in our Asian cooking. When crude palm oil is refined, a portion of its vitamin E is concentrated as a by-product, called palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD).
Now, innovative technologies allow the recovery of this palm vitamin E as a concentrate that contains about 30% tocopherols and 70% tocotrienols. Palm vitamin E is now commercially available in Malaysia and other regions.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4982433

Palm Oil Based Oleochemicals

Palm Kernel Oil - A Good Household Remedy for Children's Ailments

From the recent trend of medicinal research, which has to do with plants and their extract, and the results obtained and published so far, one can say that nature (God of creation) has bestowed on man all he has need of. Palm kernel oil for instance, is used in African (Nigeria) medicine to treat a number of ailments that affect infants- such as convulsion. Every little plant we see around us is likely to contain one or more substance (components) that is a likely cure one or more ailments. Although research has shown some of them to be poisonous. For instance, there is a claim by the Yoruba's in Nigeria- West Africa, that the roots of maize can be used as a poison.

Palm Kernel oil (PKO), which is obtained from Oil palm tree is the second oil that can be extracted from the tree. While palm oil is extracted from the mesocarp- the fleshly cover of the oil palm seed, PKO is extracted from the endocarp- the nut itself after breaking. Of all the about 200 edible oils, PKO and Coconut oil (CNO) are the only two that contains lauric acid, hence they are called lauric oil. Both palm oil and palm kernel oil are obtained from the same tree known as- Elaeis guineensis. The two trees producing PKO, CNO and Palm oil are also similar in that they are both called palms, even though they of different species. Traditionally, the production of PKO involves the following: the nuts obtained after palm oil production is cracked to obtain the kernels, the kernels are then heated in a clean pot until the oils are extracted from the kernels, and the oil is then poured out (decanted) from the pot into clean bottles for use or sale. In some part of Nigeria 750ml of the oil cost N200 Nigerian currencies, which is about 1.5 U.S dollars. The oil obtained is dark min color.

PKO can be used to treat ailments like cold, catarrh, cough, convulsion, skin infection and stomach upset among others disorders that affect children (as well as adults).

• For catarrh, cold and convulsion, particularly in children; simply rub the oil all over the child's body consistently- say thrice a day for about 7 days and be sure the ailment will be gone in about 10 days. In the course of doing this evidence abound that the skin of such child will be prevented from being infected by some skin pathogens.

• For cough and stomach upset/ disorder, taking a 5ml twice daily orally will suppress the cough and stomach disorder. In addition to this is the fact that it serves has a purgative, this may not be unconnected with the oily nature of the extract although the phytochemical constituents may also be responsible for this effect.

• Lastly, though like a superstitious believe is the claim of its use in some parts of Akwa-Ibom in Nigeria, as a repeller of witches. The claim is that when burned the aroma of the oil drives away witches.

In conclusion, the traditionally extracted Palm Kernel Oil is of great medicinal value not only for children but also for adults, and it's healing potential for the ailments mentioned earlier is an indication of its antimicrobial properties for the microbes causing some of those ailments.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6286908

Exports of Palm Oil & Palm Kernel Oil

Palm oil is the most traded oil in the world. In 2011, its exports reached almost 39.04 million tonnes of which Malaysia’s share was 46%. To add value to crude palm oil and make it ready for human consumption, Malaysian manufacturers have installed the most extensive and efficient refining and fractionation facilities. This had been most successful during the years of 1974 to 1999, when the exports of processed palm oil grew from 0.9 to 8.9 million tonnes. In 2011, Malaysia’s export of palm oil rose to 17.99 million tonnes, after reaching a high of 16.66 million tonnes in 2010. Similar trend in export of palm kernel oil was seen in the same period, with the volume reaching 1.17 million tonnes in 2011.

Palm Oil Biofuel to Curb Oversupply

by Linda Yulisman, The Jakarta Post | Headlines | Thu, January 10 2013, 11:45 AM 

Indonesia, the world’s biggest palm oil producer, is mulling a move to produce biofuel to manage abundant local supplies.

Deputy Trade Minister Bayu Krisnamurthi said on Wednesday that the move would become a “fundamental solution” to curb an oversupply of the commodity in the overseas market that, has in part, contributed to falling international prices.

“We are trying to convince various stakeholders that if we can convert up to 3 million tons of palm oil into biodiesel, it will be a game changer in the market,” he said.

The government has allocated a subsidy of Rp 3,000 (31 US cents) per liter for biodiesel, with a total allocation of 900,000 kiloliters. It is hoped that the subsidy will promote the use of renewable energy sources and cut dependence on fossil fuels.

The endorsement of biofuel, either biodiesel or bioethanol, started in 2008 following increases in the price of fuel. The government issued a ministerial decree that required the blend of all oil-based fuels with biofuels.

However, domestic biofuel consumption never reached the designated annual targets. In 2010 consumption only stood at 223,041 kiloliters, far lower than the target of 1.73 million.

The domestic industry, on the other hand, has seen robust overseas demand for biofuel with exports last year topping 1.4 million tons, particularly to the European Union (EU), where the member countries are bracing to apply a new renewable energy directive. Bayu said that the local absorption of palm oil for bio diesel would also create healthy competition with its top rival, Malaysia, the second biggest palm oil producer.

Indonesia introduced a new tax policy in late 2011 that cut export tax on refined palm oil products from 25 percent to 10 percent to encourage local producers to export value-added products.

The new structure complements a progressive tax on the export of crude palm oil (CPO) that begins when the commodity’s price is more than $750 per ton. Exporters are required to pay an export tax of 1.5 percent for every $50 increase in the price from the ceiling.

After its local palm oil industry had been affected by Indonesia’s policy, Malaysia responded in October last year by cutting the export tax to between 4.5 percent and 8.5 percent from 23 percent, a move that cut down stocks by encouraging exports.

“The gap between the export tax of Indonesia and Malaysia will range between 2.5 percent and 3 percent, which will be around $25 per ton. It will make a difference, but will not lift up prices because the problem lies in supply,” Bayu explained.

Bayu added that the government expected the local palm oil industry to enlarge the capacity of its storage tanks from around 2.5 million tons, which can only hold a one-month stock supply, to 8 million tons to save three-month stocks.

Palm Oil Refining: Part One

 

Refining of Crude Palm Oil: Part 1

In Part 1 of this lecture I explained the reasons for refining crude oil and described the differences between physical and chemical refining. Refining is designed to remove free fatty acids (FFA), gums (phosphatides) trace elements (iron, copper) and other minor undesirable components that have adverse effect on the quality of oil.

Presented by Prof. Abd Karim Alias
School of Industrial Technology
Universiti Sains Malaysia

History: Producing Palm Product at Dahomey

Bending & checking the Palm Kernel early 19th century at Dahomey

*** Dahomey was an African kingdom in the present-day Republic of Benin which lasted from 1600 until 1900. Dahomey developed on the Abomey Plateau in the early 1600s and became a regional power in the 1700s by conquering key cities on the Atlantic coast. For much of the 18th and 19th centuries, the Kingdom of Dahomey was a key regional state, eventually ending tributary status to the Oyo empire and being a major location for the Atlantic slave trade, possibly supplying up to 20% of the slaves to Europe and the Americas. In 1894, the kingdom became part of French West Africa as part of the territory of French Dahomey (which also included Porto-Novo and a large area to the north of Dahomey). French rule lasted until 1960 when the independent country took the name Republic of Dahomey, to be changed to Benin in 1975.

Process Schematic at Palm Oil Mill Factory

Red Palm Oil - Soap Making Oil and More!

Red Palm Oil, African Oil Palm, is cold pressed from the fruit of the Elais Guineensis palm tree. It should not be confused with Palm Kernel Oil, which is pressed from the seeds, instead. This palm tree can grow up to 65 feet, with leaves, dense clusters of flowers and large bunches of dark, orange-reddish, colored fruit. Each fruit is the size of a large plum with a fleshy outer layer and a seed, (palm kernel), inside. This tree flourishes in humid tropical weather and is native to west tropical Africa.

Red Palm Oil has numerous healthful benefits! It is a powerhouse of nutrition! It contains more nutrients than any other dietary oil. Its dark red vibrant color comes from carotenes such as: alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and lycopene. These nutrients are the ones that give carrots, tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables their rich colors. In addition it contains, at least, ten other carotenes, vitamin K benefits, CoQ10, squalene, phytosterois, flavonoids, pheolic acids and glycolipids. It's rich with the benefits of vitamins A and E! For example, it contains fifteen times more pro-vitamin A carotenes than carrots and three hundred times more than tomatoes! This oil is one of the richest sources of natural vitamin E! It contains natural antioxidants benefits too!

This oil is different, somewhat, from regular Palm Oil. It's not refined and bleached. It contains more carotenoids, tocophenols and tocotrienols, with non-hydrogenated natural saturated fats, (50%), and unsaturated fats, (50%). The main type of unsaturated fat in Red Palm Oil is oleic acid, which is predominant in Olive Oil, as well. Virgin Red Palm Oil is unrefined. It's 100% pure and natural. This virgin oil has no coloring or additives. It retains a high rich content of vitamins A and E! It has the fragrance of violets with an earthy scent. It taste similar to olive oil. It's used a variety of ways: to eat in foods, for cooking, for cosmetics or for making homemade soap!

HEALTH BENEFITS:

It can be blended into mayonnaise, salad oil or other foods. A tablespoon of Red Palm Oil is a recommended dose when used for a dietary supplement. It can improve blood circulation and protect against heart disease.

SKIN CARE BENEFITS:

Red Palm Oil offers multiple skin care benefits! It has moisturizing and healing properties. It's beneficial for eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis, dry, sun damaged or premature aged skin. This oil is handcrafted into many commercial and homemade skin care products. The vitamin E benefits and vitamin A benefits make this oil a popular skin care choice!

MAKING HOMEMADE SOAP:

As a soap making oil, it produces a nice hard bar of soap with a stable lather. It blends well with other soap making oils, such as: coconut and olive oil. In your homemade soap recipes you may want to naturally color your soap a warm yellow-orange tint. You can achieve this by adding a small amount of it to your base oils or superfatting at trace. This oil has a shelf life of, approximately, eighteen months. Store it in a cool, dry and dark location. Its level of saturated fat will help resist rancidity.