PRODUCTION OF COOKING OIL WITH HIGH BETA CAROTENE CONTENT

• Main Author: Bayu Arya Putrawan, Komang
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/75605
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

<p align="justify"> In addressing the issue of vitamin A deficiency, one alternative that can be utilized is the production of high beta-carotene cooking oil from Crude Palm Oil (CPO). Beta-carotene is a provitamin A that is converted into vitamin A by the body. During the process of cooking oil production, the beta-carotene present in CPO degrades due to the bleaching and deodorization stages. Both of these stages aim to reduce the Free Fatty Acid (FFA) content that can affect the oil quality. In addition to these stages, there is an alternative method called glycerolysis, which is commonly used as a pre-treatment for CPO in biodiesel production. This process reduces the FFA content in CPO by reacting glycerol and free fatty acids to form triglycerides. This method has been proven to lower the FFA content and preserve the quality of beta-carotene in CPO. The method is performed using a basic catalyst, low operating temperature, and sufficient reaction time to prevent degradation of beta-carotene. However, the glycerolysis method is not widely used in the processing of CPO into cooking oil. Therefore, this research aims to investigate the influence of operating conditions and the characteristics of the resulting Refined Red Palm Oil (RRPO). The results of the study indicate that to achieve optimal characteristics of cooking oil, the process should be conducted with stirring speed ? 250 rpm, a glycerol-to-FFA mass ratio of 4:1, and a catalyst concentration of 1% w/w. This process results in an 89.61% reduction in FFA conversion with a final FFA content of 0.75%. On the other hand, for stirring speeds ? 750 rpm, a glycerol-to-FFA mass ratio of 3:1, and a catalyst concentration of 0.5% w/w, the process yields a minimal reduction in beta-carotene content of 16.78% with a final beta-carotene content of 581.09 ppm. Although the glycerolysis method has not yet reached the FFA content specified by the National Standard of Indonesia (SNI), it is effective in reducing FFA levels and maintaining the beta-carotene content in the resulting RRPO.