Palm Kernel Stearin : General Description

Palm kernel stearin is the high premium product from the fractionation of palm kernel oil. The sharp solid fat content (SFC) profile indicates its suitability for use in confectionery fats. The products produced in Malaysia are consistent in quality and properties. They can be utilized directly or after further improvement by hydrogenation to an even firmer product. Palm kernel stearin, as with other palm kernel products, forms eutectic mixtures with pure cocoa butter, and thus can be mixed with the latter in confectionery products in small amounts. The characteristics of palm kernel stearin are shown in Table 9.

Palm Kernel Olein : General Description

Palm kernel olein is the liquid fraction of palm kernel oil obtained when the oil is fractionated. The chemical characteristics are given in Table 8. The solid fat profile shows that the olein melts by about 25°C, compared to palm kernel oil which melts at 28°C–30°C. The oil can be hydrogenated, giving a sharper melting profile, enabling its use in coating fats. The oil is also very useful for margarine fats when interesterified with palm stearin.

Palm Kernel Oil : General Description

Palm kernel oil is obtained from the kernel of the oil palm fruit. Its composition and properties differ significantly from palm oil. Palm kernel oil is similar to coconut oil in terms of composition, and is produced by mechanical extraction of the kernels which are pre-dried in palm oil mills through a partial vacuum process. The quality of the oil is excellent, with free fatty acids of the crude oil generally below 2%. It is light yellow in colour and is refined physically to produce a very light coloured oil used for both edible and inedible purposes. The oil is also semi-solid at ambient temperatures. It can be further fractionated to yield a high value fraction - such as palm kernel stearin with good melting properties. The sharp melting profile also indicates that the oil is highly suitable for confectionery applications. Due to its rapid crystallization behaviour, it is often used in enrobing or dipping products. The composition of the oil is shown in Tables 6 & 7.