Do you know that 80% of production is destined for human consumption? with the balance going to animal feed and to various industrial uses (Jackquemard, 1998). Read on...
INDUSTRIAL
USES
In food industries, palm oil is the
choice for manufacturing solid fat products such as ice cream and
confectioneries, soaps, cosmetics, detergents, inks, epity resins and animal
feeds, palm oil olein and stern are popularly used world wide in making
margarine, shortenings, confectionery and in frying snack foods. It has been
used as a fuel during the Second World War; many engines were driven by crude
palm oil either pure or mixed with diesel oil. Quite apart from the issues of
technical feasibility, the use of palm oil as green, renewable energy resource
will depend on many other political economical factors (Jacquemard, 1998).
DOMESTIC USES
Palm oil is semi-solid oil and is
needed on much food preparation. It is consumed as margarine, as a base vegetal
fat, as an edible frying oil and as various special purpose fats. Its
non-cholesterol quality and digestibility make it popular as a source if
energy. Palm oil has high content of a natural anti-oxidants and deep frying
medium. It also gives fried products a longer shelf-life, while its blade taste
brings out the natural flavours of food.
MEDICINAL
USE
Palm oil is highly beneficial from a
nutritional stand point. Refined palm oil produces good quality and contains
sufficient tocoplurocs and tocotrienols. Crude palm oil is rich in carotenoids
helping to protect against certain eye diseases by increasing vitamin A in the
blood.
Palm oil is minimally processed oil that is rich in antioxidants and naturally contains tocopluols and toccotrinosl (Vitamin E) and corticoids (Vitamin A) which gives the oil its red colour. These natural anti-oxidants act as scavengers of protective role on cellular aging atherosclerosis, cancer, arthritis and Alzheimer disease, (Cottrell, 1991). Palm oil is the riches source of caroithoid that has higher bio-availability of anti-oxidant nutrients (Proportion of nutrients that are usable by the body) that other vegetable source. It is a particular important dietary oil for people who are not taking an excellent vitamin E supplement and full- spectrum carothoid nutritional supplement. (Cottrell, 1991). Palm oil remains stable when used for cooking.
FRYING
WITH PALM OIL
Since
making throads into the market in the early 1980s, palm oil has been increasing
by used in frying due to their techno-economic advantage over other oils. It is
estimated that several million tones.
Palm oil is one the largest consumed vegetable oils in the world.
Palm oil is one of the largest consumed vegetable oils in the world. In Nigeria, the application of palm oil in food depends on the food habits of the people. Traditionally, the oil is used either for cooking or frying, during frying of foods, oil or fat is kept at elevated temperatures (175-2000C) and exposed to air, water and chemical components of the food being fried. The condition leads to thermal, oxidative and hydrolytic decomposition of the fat. As the oil begins to oxidize, smoke and volatile components contribute to off-flavours, dark colours, greasy texture and foaming of the oil. Many criteria have been proposed to determine the state of frying fats but none has been entirely satisfactory (Hadel and Guerriei, 1990). Some researchers have used sensory evaluation of flavour, colour or odour of the oil or food to determine when to discard an oil. Others have used chemical tests including measurement of free fatty acid, perioxide value, and polar compounds, among others (Okogeri et al., 2006).
ADULTERANTS
An adulterant is a substance which
should not be contained within other substances (e.g. food, beverages, fuels)
for legal or other reasons. The addition of adulterants is called ADULTERATION.
The word is appropriate only when the addition s unwanted by the recipient.
Otherwise the expression would be FOOD ADDITIVE deliberate addition to toxic adulterants to food or other products of human consumption is known as
poisoning.
Various
adulteration reports have been published on different websites and literature
for instance, Akunyili (2004) stated that even 1% changes in the quality of
Nigerian palm oil is not recommended. In most cases, the producers usually do
the adulteration in order to increase the quality of the oil that is being
produced. Carrot, paw-paw, lime, red dye etc are some of the adulterant
normally utilized by most commercial dealer on palm oil as a method of
increasing the quantity of palm oil.