What is the purpose of deodorization in oil refining?

The main process of complete sets of oil refining equipment has degumming, deacidification, dehydration, decolorization, deodorization, dewaxing and other processes, the oil extracted through the extraction equipment to get the crude oil needs to be refined through the above process to remove impurities, improve the quality of fats and oils, to protect the safety of its consumption. The process of deodorization is used to remove some “bad smell” in the oil.

The main source of odor in fats and oils, most of the oil itself has a certain flavor, some consumers can not accept. For example, the green smell of rapeseed, soybean smell, etc., the oil factory needs to treat it, reduce or remove these flavors, to meet the taste of most consumers. There is also this part refers to the process odor formed during the processing of fats and oils, such as burnt flavor, solvent flavor, soap flavor, bleached earth flavor, hydrogenated odor, etc., the content of free fatty acids in fats and oils, when the free fatty acids in the fats and oils down to 0.01 ~ 0.03% (peroxide value of 0), the odor that is eliminated. Therefore, the depth of deodorization is often measured by the reduction of free fatty acid content.

Deodorization technology, also known as the deodorization process, makes use of high temperature and a vacuum environment to volatilize the volatile substances (e.g., fatty acid decomposition products, oxides, etc.) in the fats and oils, thereby achieving the purpose of removing undesirable odors and improving the quality of the fats and oils.

Specifically, the role of deodorization technology mainly includes:

Remove bad odor:

Fats and oils may produce undesirable odors during processing and storage, and these odors may originate from the volatile substances in the fats and oils. Deodorization technology can effectively remove these undesirable odors and make the edible oil smell more pure and pleasant.

Increasing the smoke point of fats and oils:

The smoke point is the lowest temperature at which fats and oils begin to produce smoke when heated. Deodorization can increase the smoke point of fats and oils, making them less likely to produce smoke during cooking and improving the cooking environment.

Improve the flavor of cooking oils:

Deodorization treatment can remove the odor in the oil and make the flavor of edible oil more pure and fresh, which can satisfy the consumers' demand for high quality edible oil.

Improve the safety of fats and oils:

Bad odor components in oils and fats may be potentially harmful to human health. Through deodorization treatment, these harmful substances can be effectively removed, improving the safety of oils and fats.

Extend the shelf life of edible oils:

Removing the undesirable odor components can reduce the oxidation rate of fats and oils, thus prolonging the shelf life of edible oils.

The deodorization technology of edible oil refining equipment has a significant impact on the quality of edible oil. Through the deodorization treatment, the bad odor of edible oil can be removed and the flavor can be improved; the harmful substances are effectively removed and the safety can be improved; the stability can be enhanced and the shelf life can be prolonged; and the overall quality can be improved. With the progress of science and technology and the improvement of consumer demand, deodorization technology will continue to be optimized and developed to make a greater contribution to the improvement of edible oil quality.