Canola oil is a vegetable oil derived from Rapeseed that is low in erucic acid. It has a relatively low amount of saturated fat, a substantial amount of monounsaturated fat with roughly a 2:1 mono to poly unsaturated fats ratio.
Despite being GM oil, canola oil scores high for coronary health as it contains less saturated fat than any other oil. It is higher in the omega-3 fatty acid, alpha linoleic acid (ALA) that is important to intake in the diet.
| S.No. | PARTICULARS | PARAMETERS |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | FREE FATTY ACID (As Oleic acid) | 0.4 – 1.2% |
| 2 | IODINE VALUE | 105 – 120 |
| 3. | UNSAPONIFIABLE MATTERS | 0.5 – 1.2 |
| 4. | TOCOPHEROLS | 700 – 1200 PPM |
| 5. | SULFUR | 3 – 25 PPM |
| 6. | CHLOROPHYLLS | 5 – 50 PPM |
Objectives of Refining
- Removal of undesired products from crude oils.Free fatty acid s (FFA) , Phospholipids (gums), Oxidized products, Metal ions, Colour pigments.
- Preservation of valuable vitamins. (Vitamin E or tocopherol – natural antioxidants)
- Minimize oil losses
- Protection of the oil against degradation
Refining of canola oil
Canola oil is refined by alkali neutralization process which undergoes in following steps.
- Neutralization
- Bleaching
- Deodorization
Alkali Refining
Canola oil is refined by alkali neutralization process which undergoes in following steps.
- GUMS Conditioning & Neutralization :- Transformation of the non-hydratable phospholipids into their hydratable form by breaking down the metal/ phosphatide complexes with a strong acid followed by alkali treatment to neutralize the fatty acids and removal of soap by centrifuge.
- Washing :- Removal of residual soaps by treatment with hot water and separation with centrifugal separator
- Drying :- Removal of moisture under vacuum.
Deodorization of Canola Oil
Deodorization is a multi-step process comprising
- De-aeration
- Heating
- Deodorization cum De-acidification
- Cooling
Pre-treated oil is processed to remove the odour, fatty acids and other micro constituents. Deodorization is essentially a steam distillation process whereby volatile odoriferous components like free fatty acids and flavoured substances are stripped from the relatively non-volatile oil at temperature below those damaging the oil. Deodorization helps in eliminating many off flavors and off- colors in the feed. Deacidification-cum-Deodorization is carried out at 230 – 250°C under high vacuum of the order of 1.5 torr with sparging steam for about 60 minutes. This makes the oil free from odoriferous compounds and free fatty acids.
