Effects of neutralization combined with steam distillation on the formation of monochloropropanediol esters and glycidyl esters in palm oil under laboratory-scale conditions

ABSTRACT Formation of process contaminants during product processing is an important food safety issue. In particular, the focus has been on 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol esters (3-MCPDEs), 2-monochloropropane-1,3-diol esters (2-MCPDEs), and glycidyl esters (GEs), which may be generated during the edible oil refining process. In this study, the effects of using a combination of neutralization and deodorization with increased steam injection on 3-MCPDE, 2-MCPDE, GE and chlorine containing compound levels in refined palm oil were investigated. Crude palm oil was subjected to neutralization (with NaOH), followed by deodorization with increased steam dosage (up to three times more than standard condition). This combined procedure enabled a >80% decrease in 3-MCPDE, 2-MCPDE, GE and chlorine containing compound levels in refined palm oil. It is an effective and practical approach for mitigating 3-MCPDE, 2-MCPDE and GE formation during palm oil refining.