Specialty fats products

The characteristics of specialty fats products are very different from the fat in general such as margarine, shortening, pastry fat, filling / cream fat, and the othes. In general, its application are divided into three groups: (i) the molded products such as chocolate bars and pralines, (ii) coated / enrobed products, ie, chocolate coatings / non-chocolate wafers, biscuits, nuts, fruits and other and (iii) filling or center in the confectionery product.
This characteristic is related to the crystal structure, in which brown fat has a structure of β (beta) with the crystal density arrangement and melting point is high, the speed of crystal growth is relatively slow, but has a very stable crystalline construction. On the other hand, other types generally have a form of β'(beta-prime) that has the opposite properties. The distinction of its structure is very difficult to distinguish from its melting point, and the parameters that can describe the typical characteristics of brown fat is solid fat content (SFC). SFC profile of specialty fats should be sharp and steep, where at temperatures less than 25 degree C they should have SFC more than 68% to ensure the hard and brittle texture, as well as at temperature of 35 degree C should have SFC less than 5% to ensure no waxy taste in the mouth when chocolate consumed.
They are sometimes called by confectionery fat, hard butter, or cocoa butter alternatives (CBA). In general, specialty fats are divided into 3 groups, namely: Cocoa Butter Equivalent (CBE), CB Replacer (CBR), CB Substitute (CBS).

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The potential of coconut-based industries in Indonesia

If you walk to the island of Sumatra (Indonesia), surely you will often find coconut trees everywhere. So far the use of coconut in Sumatra is still very limited both by residents and local governments. Generally, coconut is only used as food ingredients (coconut milk) or beverages (coconut ice) which are economically value-added is low. It is not too much different from their use in general in Indonesia, which was still preoccupied with food and beverage products. This is actually very unfortunate. Because of the potential of coconut to enhance the welfare of the community and to expand employment is quite promising.

Actually, various commercial products from coconut bioindustry are highly diverse, not only food and beverage products. These include the utilization of liquid smoke (as an alternative preservative to substitute formalin), Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO), biodiesel, adsorbents, cooking oil, soap products, coconut coir fiber, charcoal briquettes (a substitute for coal ), nata de coco, activated carbon, and others. With adequate capitalization of the government or private, all of the products can be a potential bioindustry.
Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO)
Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) or pure coconut oil is one of f coconut products that have been known to be very good for health. This oil is produced by squeezing fresh coconuts to get the oil without cooking. The advantage of this process is the oil obtained can hold up to two years without becoming rancid. The VCO contains almost 50% lauric acid (C-12) causes the health effects of the VCO is similar to breast milk. This is due to lauric acid in the human body is converted into monolaurin. Monolaurin itself is as antiviral, antibacterial and antiprotozoa. Monolaurin could damage the lipid membranes of viruses such as HIV, influenza, hepatitis C, and cytomelagovirus.
Biodiesel Oil
Utilization of coconut which is also not less interesting is as a feedstock for biodiesel. From research by students from Brigham Young University, to get 1 liter of biodiesel needed 10 pieces of coconut and produce glycerin as a by-products. This glycerin is used for the manufacture of soap. In Indonesia, the assessment of biodiesel from coconut has been carried out by the BPPI or Agency for Industrial Research and Development, Ministry of Industry. In the assessment is known that oil can be used as an alternative to diesel (coco diesel). A liter of diesel can be obtained from the processing of six coconuts. The trial coconut diesel has also been tested on Mitsubishi vehicles and reach distances of up to 20 thousand miles nonstop, and passed the test. When endurance test (performance) held the vehicle suffered only 4% power down.
Edible Oil Products
Cooking oil from coconut based on the scientific study of is the safest and most healthy. Medium-chain fatty acid content (middle-chain fatty acids / MCFA), which reaches 92% is high compared to most other vegetable oils. MCFA is directly absorbed in the body by the intestinal wall without going through the process of hydrolysis or enzymatic. And also, when the coconut oil used for frying, its chemical structure will not change at all because 92% of the fatty acid is in the form of the saturated fatty acid Meanwhile, other vegetable oils will be thick, if the oil used for frying, because the process of polymerization (clotting) occurs. Additionally, coconut oil also does not produce trans fatty acids and free radicals that are toxic (poison) and carcinogenic (causing cancer).
Soap Products
Glycerin is a byproduct of the coconut oil industry. Glycerin is a clear liquid, odorless and has a sweet taste. Glycerin used in industry as raw material for making soap. Because of its nature as a humectant, so that the glycerin serves as a skin moisturizer in the soap. In a household scale, soap can be made with ingredients that are affordable and can be obtained in chemicals stores.
Conclusion
Actually there are many other high quality products from coconut that can not be described further in this article due to various limitations. The use of coconut as raw material for cosmetics, white copra, knick-knacks art, the manufacture of shampoo, margarine, activated carbon, the raw material for medicines, and so forth. Because so manifold benefits of this coconut, it is not surprising if the coconut got the nickname as a tree of life.
With a view on the potential development of the coconut in Indonesia, Coconut should get more attention and become a superior commodity in Indonesia. It'd be nice if the producers do not meet the current world market that tends to palm oil, but they creates its own market based on coconut products, so the next few years, along with the quality and quantity of coconut products is increasing, a new trend in the world would be created: the transition of export and import to coconut products and derivatives.

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The types of Cocoa Butter Alternatives and its physicochemical properties

Cocoa butter (CB) is a solid fat (melting point 32-35oC) with yellow light color and obtained from the seeds of cacao (Theobroma cacao), while some countries impose limits more specific, namely as a result of the pressing of cocoa nib after being separated from the shell (the process of winnowin). CB has a unique physicochemical characteristics, because its composition of triglyceride almost 80% dominated by three symmetric triglyceride (saturated-unsaturated-saturated) with oleic acid at sn-2 position, namely palmito-oleo-stearin (POS, 36-42%), stearo -oleo-stearin (SOS, 23-29%) and palmito-oleo-palmitin (POP, 13-19%).

As a consequence, the CB is hard and brittle below room temperature, but when eaten, CB completely melted in the mouth with a soft creamy texture and a soothing sensation. Therefore, in Confectionery industry, particularly chocolate-based products, the CB is an essential raw material that contributed to the textural and sensory properties of products.
However, there are many limitations associated with the use of CB, such as the supply is erratic, variability in quality, not suitable for application in hot climates and the prices are relatively expensive and fluctuate in comparison with other fats. In addition, that the chocolate products that fully utilize the CB requires tempering and prone to blooming. Therefore, efforts were made to develop a specialty fats as an alternative to the use of cocoa butter, both to replace in part or in whole of cocoa butter, which is known as Cocoa Butter Alternatives (CBA) that is also referred to as specialty fats, Confectionery fats or hard butter. CBA is usually classified into three types based on chemical composition and compatibility with CB, which is Cocoa Butter Equivalents (CBE), Cocoa Butter Substitutes (CBS) and Cocoa Butter Replacers (CBR).
CBE has physicochemical properties similar to the CB and is fully compatible with CB. CBE is designed to replace or be mixed with CB in any proportion without causing significant changes in the final quality of chocolate products, both its properties of melting, crystallization and rheology. While CBS is generally of lauric based fat which is not compatible with CB and have different chemical properties at all with CB, but some physical properties are similar, so CBS is only used as a replacement of CB. Meanwhile, the CBR has a similar distribution of fatty acids with CB, but its triglyceride structure is different, so, the fat can be compatible with CB in a small ratio only. CBR is generally based on non-lauric fats which have properties in between the CBE and CBS, so it is usually referred to as non-lauric CBS. CBE has a functionality which is highest among the three types of CBA. Therefore, the price of CBE is the least expensive among the three fat and CBS is the most inexpensive.
Palm oil and lauric oils can be used as a source of important raw materials in the development of the hard butter to get an economical cocoa butter alternative. Under the category of hard butter, lauric oils, particularly palm kernel oil and coconut oil, can be processed by interesterification and hydrogenation to produce lauric cocoa butter substitutes (CBS) that is good to eat and cheap.
Palm oil, has also been known to serve as raw materials in all types of cocoa butter alternatives, because the palm oil contains essential symmetrical triglycerides in the formulation of cocoa butter equivalent (CBE).

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The Prospects of Palm Oil as the Substitute For Crude Oil (Biofuel) in Indonesia

Demand for palm oil is increasing at the beginning of May, due to crude oil prices rising have reached its record at $ 114.83 a barrel on May 02, 2011.
If crude oil prices were high then in addition to corn, palm oil can be used as the abundant source of "biofuels" or fuel from crops. So that, the palm oil price will increase steadily.
Palm oil as a substitute for crude oil is the most efficient oil produced in the world, which only takes 0.26 hectares of land to produce one ton of oil, while soybean, sunflower and rapeseed requires 2.22, 2.00, and 1.52 hectares, respectively, for producing the same.
Besides humans nowadays want to be healthy, so they want to reduce the animal fat consumption, , palm oil is used as an alternative cooking oil, because in addition to vegetable oils, its levels of trans fat are also low.

Palm oil prices in Malaysia Market, seen rising, from the July 9, 2010 the price is only MYR 2.237, then it is constantly increasing and new record had experienced its highest price at MYR 3.766 on January 7, 2011, and MYR 3.710 on Feb. 11. It had dropped to its lowest price on March 25 2011 at MYR 3.150, and on May 2 was reached MYR 3.3293 and is predicted to rise when almost all commodities price especially crude oil price increases.
Seeing the growing need of palm oil as the substitute as crude oil, the demand from India, China and the EU will more increase.
Indonesian palm oil production, according to the Head of Marketing and Promotions Gapki (Indonesian Palm Oil Association), Susanto in a press conference at the Gapki Office, Sudirman Park, Jakarta, said that on January 27, 2011, will increase 1.5 million tons or 22.5 million tons in 2011, compared to 2010 (20 , 8 million tons).
This calculation is based on prediction of the additional production from fields planted area of 400 thousand ha in 2007, which is now entering a period of crop. With estimates of productivity 2.5 ton / ha / year, then the land can produce 1 million tons of CPO. In addition, there is still land planted in 2005 and 2006.
From the total Indonesian production of palm oil by 22.5 million tons, according to Susanto, domestic CPO consumption as much as 5.5 million tonnes while the remaining of 17 million tonnes is planned for export.
According to the survey of Indonesia's palm oil production reported by the USDA (United Stated Department of Agricultural) until the end of 2010 estimates as follows: Indonesia 23,600 metric tons and Malaysia 18,000 metric tons.
Gapki (Indonesian Palm Oil Association) based on data from January to December 2010, the volume of Indonesian CPO exports edged up by 127,498 tons or be 15,656,349 tons, compared to the previous year which amounted to 15,528,851 tons. According to Executive Director Gapki, Fadhil Hasan, national CPO export growth driven by increases in the purchase of three major customers: India, China and the EU.
In 2010, the number of CPO and its derivative products export to India as much as 5,793,077 tons of which increase from the 2009 amounted to 5,630,199 tons. Meanwhile, EU countries increase the amount of the purchase of CPO and its derivative products from Indonesia amounted to 3,728,677 tons.
Furthermore, China imported CPO and its derivatives from Indonesia amounted to 2,410,337 tons. Then, Bangladesh buy CPO and its derived products to from Indonesia amounted to 629,529 tons. USA buy CPO and its derived products to from Indonesia amounted to 172,167 tons. Then, Pakistan imported 87,379 tons of CPO. There is also, exports of Indonesian palm oil and derived products to the rest of other countries amounted to 2,889,182 tons.
Fadhil Hasan said the Indonesia national CPO export volume is still dominated by crude palm oil rather than derivative products. From the total exports of 15.6 million tons was still dominated by exports of crude palm oil (CPO), which reached 8,779,940 tons and the remaining derivative products amounted to 6,876,405 tons.
Peasant production in Indonesia increased to meet the global demand driven by demand for biofuels, so that the Indonesian government want to make Indonesia as the largest palm oil producer.
Meanwhile, to meet domestic and overseas need for biodiesel then there are some large factories biodiesel refinery, such as PT. Asianagro (biodiesel refinery), PT. Bakrie Group (biodiesel plants and new plantation), Surya Dumai Group (biodiesel refineries) and global companies such as Cargill (sometimes operate through CTP Holdings of Singapore, to build new refineries and factories in Malaysia and Indonesia, expanding the company's Rotterdam refinery to handle palm oil, plantation acquisition in Sumatra, Kalimantan, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea Peninsula) and Robert Kuok Wilmar International Limited (the plantations and 25 refineries throughout Indonesia, to supply raw materials for a new biodiesel refinery in Singapore, Riau, Indonesia, and Rotterdam).
The development of oil palm plantations, is a contradiction because the dilemma of forest destruction that became the source of water and green earth (humus) so bad for global warming, and resulting in the occurrence of forest fires. The owners of palm plantation should be able to find a solution so that it remains able to develop their palm plantation. It's not an easy task, but they must to do that.

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Introduction to palm oil processing

The palm fruits is a popular source of vegetable fat as the high production of palm oil in Southeast Asian countries, even palm oil became the main agricultural commodities and seeded in Indonesia, next to coconut oil. This is caused by several factors, among others: 1) a source of income for millions of family farmers, 2) the State foreign exchange resources, 3) starting from the plantation, processing industry, through marketing its products to be excellent providers of employment, 4) and industrial estates palm oil processing is stimulated the growth of new economic centers, 5) driving the growth and development of downstream processing industries based on processing of CPO in Indonesia, for example: butter, cake / biscuit, glycerin, soaps, and detergents.

Palm Fruit
Palm trees (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) are much cultivated in plantations, among which is the type of Dura, Pisifera, and Tenera. Tenera is the result of crosses of this type of Dura and Pisifera, has a high oil content (22-23%) and its tree is not very high but is more earlier to bear fruit.
Palm fruit consists of exocarp (outermost skin), mesocarp (fibers, similar to coconut fibers), endocarp (shell), and the kernel (palm kernel). The processing of palm fiber (endocarp) by extraction produce crude palm oil, while the processing part of the kernel (core) produce palm kernel oil. CPO with advanced processing technology of fractionation can separate into at least two major fractions namely stearin (solid form at room temperature) and olein (liquid form at room temperature). Stearin further processing by downstream processing industries will produce many kinds of product such as margarine, soap, candles, cocoa butter substitution (a kind of substitute for cocoa butter), vegetables ghee (vanaspati), shortening, etc.., while the olein processing generally produces raw materials for the purposes cooking oil, although there are also other products such as margarine, shortening, vegetables ghee (vanaspati), fatty acids and glycerol (glycerin). Other products from palm oil processing is red palm oil, where the content of carotenoids in red palm oil to remain high during the processing. Carotene is known as functional compounds, which are as natural antioxidants as well as pro-vitamin A. Further refining process such as degumming, refining, bleaching, and deodorization, reduce the content of tocopherol. Saturated fatty acid content of palm oil, palm kernel oil, and coconut oil in a row 50, 86, and 92%.
Palm Fruit crops
Fruit development period starts from the growth, accumulation of triglycerides, maturity, period cooking, and the decomposition of palm oil. Bunches of oil palm when already mature, will be marked with orange yellow of palm fruit pericarp and partially separated from the stem.
Palm oil plantations at the age of 4 years has begun to bear fruit, and at age 25 is not economical anymore. Young plants produce bunches weighing 2-3 kg / bunch, while the old plants: 80-10 kg / bunch.
Immature palm fruit should not be much harvested, while ripe palm fruit must be harvested. Palm oil processing from immature fruit yields only a very low oil. The crops (palm bunches and fruit) are collected in the shade and easily transported. In transport, palm bunches or palm fruits should be maintained so do not be injured or bruised, because on the fruit wounds or bruises, development of free fatty acids tended to rapidly increase during oil processing. The crops should be immediately brought to the factory to be weighing and sorting bunches, as a preliminary stage prior to the processing of palm oil. Sorting aims to determine the quality of crops (raw material). Weighing aims to calculate the yield, determine the efficiency of extraction of oil processing, as well as determining wage of picker. After the sorting, spraying water is done on the palm bunches to clean soil or other dirt on the bunches.

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Copra processing

Processing of copra basically is drying or lowering moisture content of coconuts to the moisture content expected. General characteristic of copra processing, mainly in traditional way are:
1.The quality is not constant
2.The short life span

Traditional Processing and Its Characteristics
Traditional processing is the way that inherited from one generation to next generation without any changes, even in procedures and steps of processing, or utilities used in the processing.
Characteristics of traditionally processed copra are:
1.Steps of traditional processing has not fully based in the real processing that happened in those steps.
2.Utilities used in the processing are usually not suitable, or can not fully lead the process to the formation of material’s properties desired by the consumer or the user.
3.Condition of processing are usually not quantitatively checked.
4.Planning made in the process is not really considering about the economic analysis.

Raw materials
Raw materials used in the copra processing are coconut meat. In the age of 160 days, meat of coconut (endosperm) is begin to form, in the age of 300 days reach the maximum age, and in the age of 12 months the coconut become ripe (the average weight is 3-4 kg).
The composition of the coconut (optimal ripe) is coconut fiber (35%), coconut shell (12%), meat (28%), and coconut water (25%). The level of the coconut water is about 50%. The best composition of copra (the best quality copra composition) is water (6-7%) , oil (63-64%), protein (7-8%), carbohydrate (15%), mineral (2%), and fiber (3-4%). Processing of young coconut meat and the over ripe one will produce copra with low quality of production.

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