Benefits of castor oil

Benefits of castor oil is to replace diesel oil as the generate electrical power. The tree can be cultivated in almost all regions of Indonesia. So, this help people to meet the energy needs of remote areas and this power can be produced by the communities that need electricity. Research about this new commodity has been conducted by Dr. Ir Robert Manurung MEng, lecturer in the Department of Industrial Chemistry Institute of Technology Bandung (ITB), accompanied by Eiichi Kobayashi Masanori Nagayama and from New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), under the Japanese Government agency that helps the research of new energy sources. Castor oil is obtained from Jatropha curcas L. which is a bush family of Euphorbiaceae. Within five months, this drought-resistant plants is starting to bear fruit, full productive at the age of five years old, and its productive life reach 50.
In fact, a coal mining company and a Japanese manufacturer of heavy equipment operating in Indonesia have developed new business opportunities in the form of the production of fuel from castor oil. The capacity is expected about 8,000 tons per year by 2012. This natural power resources is expected to live 100 units of mining dump trucks with a capacity of 90 tonnes used in coal mines in South Kalimantan. The biodiesel from jatropha would replace 20 percent of fossil fuel use which can not be recycled. To obtain the planned capacity of 8,000 tons per annum, this requires 4,000 hectares of cultivation land.
In addition, benefits of castor oil is to improve people's welfare, especially in areas with low natural resources. If each farmer were given the right to manage three acres of dry land, with a density of 2,500 trees per hectare and the productivity of 10 000 kilograms beans per hectare and the price of IDR 500 per kilogram of seed, of a family farmer can earn IDR1.25 million per month from the beans. Castor oil can be obtained by simple direct expelling or pressing so that an investment of IDR 3-4 million is sufficient to produce 40 liters of oil per day. Unlike other biodiesel, it does not need any additional ethanol or methanol. Its use could also be 100 percent, no more diesel fuel to be mixed, said Manurung.
In terms of health, jatropha vegetable oil also has anti-microbial properties of pathogenic bacteria, which in the form of soap, it is more active soap to get rid of the bacteria S. aureus and E. coli than any other vegetable oil-based soap. According Aprilian Salis, from PT Pertamina DOH Kalimantan, if properly managed, the benefits of castor oil could reach 30 to 40 percent of total fuel consumption in Indonesia.

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Unsaturated fatty acid

Unsaturated fatty acid (UFA), such as monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), can have positive health benefits when consumed in sufficient quantities. Actually there so many fat types and certain types have benefits for heart health?
Classification of fats and oils can be viewed from several aspects, one of which is its saturation aspect. They can be distinguished based on its double bonds. Saturated (SFA) if it doesn’t has any double bond and unsaturated if it has one, two or three double bonds.
Examples of unsaturated fat
There are so many kind of agricultural product which contain high UFA, such as sunflower, canola, olive, soybean, peanut, flax seed, and fish oil.
The examples mentioned above, more specifically also contain high essential fatty acids - linoleic acid (Omega 6), alpha linoleic acid (Omega 3) and arachidonic acid. The scientists found that they proved to have several important benefits such as helping the body burn the fat, lower bad cholesterol (LDL), helps in the lubrication of joints, prevent strokes, maintaining blood pressure, and optimize brain health.
Unsaturated fat benefits
Is good fat really exist? We always have long been told to limit the amount of fat in our diet in order to keep our cholesterol levels. The fact is, we need a certain amount of them in our diets. It helps us absorb essential vitamins like A, D, E, and K
A study by Grundy from the Faculty of Medicine, California, USA, proves that the body's cholesterol levels may go down if the diet contains more MUFA and PUFA than SFA. Dietary SFA for a month proved to raise cholesterol levels. While the dietary MUFA, dropped it sharply, including LDL and HDL. In dietary PUFA, LDL and total cholesterol decreased, while HDL relatively unchanged.
PUFA are known to increase the intelligence and the immune system of children under five. Long chain unsaturated fatty acid (especially the omega - 3 DHA) have been shown to play an important role in the prevention and treatment of blocked arteries (atherosclerosis), thrombosis, hypertriglyceridemia, and high blood pressure. It has the potential for prevention and treatment of asthma, arthritis, migraine, and some types of cancer which is prostate, breast and colon cancer.
Unsaturated fat types
Most of UFA are fatty acids containing one double bond in their hydrocarbon chain. Fatty acids with more than one double bond are unusual, mainly found in vegetable oil, and called by PUFA. Polyunsaturated triglycerides tend to form oil.
PUFA can lower total blood cholesterol, especially LDL. If you want to consume this, you can be choose fish, seafood, safflower oil (Carthamus tinctorius), and sun flower oil. MUFA can reduce the presence of bad fats in the blood, such as cholesterol. By consuming them, HDL rises and LDL cholesterol goes down. So, it is good to be eaten for health. It is contained in olive oil, canola oil peanut oils, meat, fish, poultry, and avocado.
Unsaturated fat health risk
Although it is considered as a good fat, excessive consumption of UFA remain dangerous. If the total fat intake is more than 30 percent of food consumed, fat deposits in the body will increase. It increases the risk factor of increased blood fat that can cause heart and blood vessel disease. UFA forms the cell wall of the body. Consumption of high UFA should be followed by adequate intake of antioxidants such as vitamin E.
SFA, UFA, and trans would enhance the body's calorie. The public still considers only SFA which is bad for health, which are widely found in meat and its derivative products and fried foods. Each 1 gram of fat contains 9 calories, whereas 1 gram of starchy produces only 4 calories.
In addition to long chain SFA, trans fats is also bad for health. These are produced through industrial processes, such as margarine and cooking oil. In food packaging, it is called as hydrogenated fat. They do not only increase LDL, but also lowers the amount of good cholesterol. Unlike the SFA that only increase LDL.
The role of unsaturated fatty acid need to be studied further to ensure the influence of food and agricultural products that contain these components on human health.

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Emulsifier as antioxidant in food

Emulsifier as antioxidant in food can play an important role to stabilize the fat or oil in the product against oxidative damage during storage. In oil-in-water emulsion systems (oil-in-water), Oil globules are surrounded by emulsifier molecule membrane so as to prevent the joining of globules. In addition, emulsifier membrane which is as interfacial region (interfacial region) can also act as a barrier to protect oil from oxidation processes induced by transition metals or free radicals.
The mechanism of oxidation of oil in the emulsion system is very different from the oil oxidation in bulk form due to the phenomenon of interfacial layer. The process of oxidation in the system is the oxidation of the interface (interfacial oxidation), which is a reaction that depends on the speed of diffusion of oxygen and its interaction with unsaturated fatty acids, metals and free radicals. So It is a phenomenon of interfaces which is strongly influenced by the properties of the interface itself. An understanding of the interfacial layer to be interesting to explain this phenomenon because of its nature as a physical barrier that alter the interaction between oil and water-soluble prooxidant..
Electric charge on the emulsion layer interface can be modified through the use of anionic surfactants, cationic or nonionic. The difference of electric charge becomes a challenging research because it affects the attraction or electrostatic repulsion of emulsifier to prooxidant and antioxidants which can speed up or slow down the oxidation reaction.
Role of emulsifier as antioxidant in food is also explained as follows. Long polar groups of surfactant and the addition of surfactant above the Micelles Critical Concentration or CMC to form micelles in aqueous phase is expected to hold and dissolve more prooxidant components which approach the interface, thereby increasing the oxidative stability of oil. Although some studies showed that the interface layer electric charge becomes an important factor in the oxidative stability of oil in water emulsion, but only little is known about how the other properties of the interfacial layer effect on the oxidative stability.
Partition behavior of the component effects on its reactivity at oil-in-water emulsion system. Nonpolar antioxidants in the fat globules are more effective in inhibiting oxidation than polar antioxidants which is significantly dissolved into the continuous phase. Emulsions containing surfactant micelles above the CMC produces the continuous phase. Micelles will be able to break and dissolve the antioxidant components or prooxidant approaching fat globules into the water phase of the system so it is expected to provide better oxidative stability. This mechanism is expected to be the new perspective to escort the oxidative stability of oil in water emulsion.
Selection of an appropriate emulsifier such as long-and short polar groups and the concentration of emulsifier used will affect the mechanism of oxidation of oil. Utilization of surfactant micelles to solubilize prooxidant to the water phase can be understood as an antioxidant technology because it can attract ions of transition metals from fat globules into the water phase. This method can provides more effective way to improve the oxidative stability of emulsion-based processed food products. Thus, the role of emulsifier as antioxidant in food is important in addition to its function as an emulsion stabilizer.

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Palm oil uses

Palm oil uses covers a very wide field, ranging from food, health, oleochemicals, etc.. Unlike the other oil-bearing plants, its trees provide us two (2) types of products. Both can be processed into various types of derivative products. In the harvested bunches, we can get skin and bunches (29%), seeds or kernel (11%), and fruit flesh / fibers (60%). Pressing process of its fruit flesh (mesocarp) will produce (i) crude palm oil or CPO and its kernel (endosperm) will give us (ii) crude palm kernel oil or CPKO. Both have unique chemical characteristics and different nutrition.
Food and non-food application
It has the potential to be used in various applications. In practice, CPO is further processed or fractionated into olein which is raw material for cooking or frying oil. For other food purposes, it is widely used as shortening, margarine, vanaspati, cocoa butter substitutes, and other various ingredients. Its applications for non-food purposes also continues to grow, especially for oleochemicals, i.e. fatty acid, glycerin, etc., and various material for chemical industries, eg for the pharmaceutical industry. However, its main application is still for food stuff.
Palm oil uses in the food product formulation will provide better durability, because it is very stable against the process of rancidity and other oxidative damage. For that reason, it is the best for cooking or frying. They have a tendency to get crystallized in the form of small crystals, so that it can improve the performance of creaming when used in cakes and margarine formulations. Its palmitic acid content is very good for the aerated mixing of fat and sugar, for example in the baking process.
As fat products
They are good to be used to make vanaspati or vegetable ghee, which contains 100% vegetable fat; and then it can be used to substitute cocoa butter and butter milk. Bread produced from shortening from palm oil, has a better texture and durability. It is also widely used for the cream biscuits production, especially since its solids content and relatively high melting point.
With temperature regulation and fractionation techniques, it will obtain a variety of fractions with different characteristics and with a specific application purposes, in addition to olein and stearin fraction. One of popular method is double fractionation to result the superolein and the middle fraction (palm mid fraction/ PMF). PMF is used for manufacturing Cocoa Butter Equivalent (CBE) which has much higher economic value and used as a substrate for enzymatic reaction to yield CBE. On the world market; it can be priced to about USD480/ton. It is referred as specialty fats and has a very useful melting point for example if it is used as raw material for the manufacture of chocolate bars. Chocolate bars will remain solid at room temperature, but it soon melted in the mouth when chewed.
Palm oil uses could be developed even further in the future along with the rise of research to produce derivative products such as biodiesel.

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Fats and oils benefits

Fats and oils benefits as essential organic compounds to life of many living things, include:
1. Provide savory flavor and aroma of the specific
2. As one of the components of the cell wall materials and biomolecules
3. Effective energy source compared with protein and carbohydrates. They are completely oxidized to produce 9 calories/gram, while protein and carbohydrate produced only 4 calories per 1 gram of protein or carbohydrate.
4. Because of their high boiling point, then oil is usually used for frying foods in which the ingredients are fried would lose most of its water content and become dry.
5. Fats and oils benefits are to provide layered, soft, and smooth consistency in the manufacture of bread.
6. Giving a soft texture in the manufacture of ice cream
7. Vegetable oil is the main ingredient of margarine manufacturing
8. Animal lipids are the main ingredients of milk and butter manufacturing
9. Essential fatty acids prevent blockage of the blood vessels.
10.Some types can be processed into renewable fuel or biofuel to replace the fuel from petroleum.
11. As a raw material for petrochemical (glycerol, etc..), pharmaceutical/supplement industry
12. Their outstanding change in total solid at various temperatures allows its use in chocolate bars that need good melting properties when it is chewed in the mouth.
Thus, fats and oils benefits include many aspects, ranging from nutrition, physical and sensory properties of food, health, food processing, etc.

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Red palm oil as source of vitamin A

Red palm oil as source of vitamin A and E will be the next business prospects of the health sector for more advanced vegetable oil industry. Indonesia as the world's biggest producer of crude palm oil (CPO) has the opportunity to generate new products of healthy vegetable oils. At least 10 million children and millions of poor people in Indonesia still lack Vitamin A, which is beneficial for the eyes health and keep the cell regeneration, immunity, and reduce the risk of cancer and lupus.
Meanwhile, according to nutritionist Prof. Dr. Muhilal, the active form of vit. A consists of retinol, retinal, retinoic acid. Sources of retinol is a liver, food of animal origin. Source of pro vitamin A (carotene) is green vegetables, yellow vegetables, yellow flesh fruit. Palm oil, he said, contains a very high provit. A, but discarded in the process of making cooking or frying oil. To overcome the problem of lack of vitamin A deficiency (VAD), there are four ways. It is consist of food-based interventions, supplementation, food fortification and public health interventions. It is also described that among other food-based interventions is conducted with red palm oil (1963-1969). In that period, children under five years old given one teaspoon of red palm oil per day showed significant increased vitamin A status.
What is the difference between CPO, cooking oil and red palm oil as source of vitamin A ?
CPO is the world's highest-producing carotenoids. The CPO at the first phase of processing showed a solid red color contains beta carotene and provit. A as much as 600-1000 mg per kg or ppm. Carotenoids as a provit. A is easily absorbed by the human digestive tract mucosa cells and then converted into retinol with the potential conversion of 98%. This makes the potential of red palm oil as a source of vitamin A which is much more effective and cheaper than other sources.
The CPO processing into frying oil involves the destruction of the provit. A large-scale cooking oil to obtain a clear or slightly yellow in color. This treatment process, referred to as purification, also destroys vit. E which is also contained in the CPO. If the CPO production in Indonesia reached a minimum production of 16 million tonnes per year, while provit. A carotenoid content of 550 ppm, then the amount of provit. A, which is destroyed at least 7700 tons per year. That quantity can meet the needs of at least 30 billion people per year with the calculation of the average demand per person of 700 mcg of retinol equivalents per day.
Therefore, research and product development of red palm oil as source of vitamin A should be one focus for researchers and industrial plantations in Indonesia.

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Health benefits of olive oil

Many people do not know the health benefits of olive oil. The leaves are bright green and its ripe fruit is blackish purple in color and very rich in vitamins A, B1, B2, C, D, E, K, and iron.
- Increase metabolism
Eat 1 / 2 cup of its fruit each day can prevent obesity. The efficacy is derived from monounsaturated fats that can accelerate fat burning and prevent changes sugar into fat. In addition, in the British Journal of Nutrition said, monounsaturated fatty acids stimulate cholecystokinin, a type of appetite-suppressing hormone which sends satiety signals to the brain.
- Revitalize the immune system
They are rich with fat-soluble vitamin E, which protect cells from free radicals which are harmful. These antioxidants strengthen the immune system, reduce illnesses such as colds and flu to 30%, according to researchers at Tufts University in Boston. It is very helpful to reduce the risk of breast abscess because it is rich in Vitamin E. Their Vitamin E content contained was found to lower LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol), blood pressure, and the risk of heart disease.
- The other health benefits of olive oil is to smooth the skin
Eating its fruits which is the source of oleic acid, helps reduce the appearance of fine lines. This fatty acid can help our skin to be more elastic and protects our elastin of skin from damage. Rub olive oil on your face and avoid the eye area. After one minute, remove with warm water. It serves as an anti-aging mask.
- Increases blood circulation
They are an excellent source of polyphenols, antioxidant compounds that help prevent dangerous blood clots. A study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology linking these compounds with elevated levels of nitric oxide, a molecule that increases the heart healthy blood vessel dilation and blood flow.
If you like eating food in the Mediterranean Sea area, of course familiar with the olives that are often mixed in the menu. These were processed in various forms, there are dried, pickled or extorted to be taken oil, which is then mixed into the diet so it has a distinctive taste, however, not only as a flavoring, the health benefits of olive oil for thousands of year also proved to be one of the secrets of caring for the human body.

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Airplanes flight using cooking oil as fuel ?

Thomson Airways will become the first British airline passengers which fly using biofuel - in this case cooking oil - when operating the service to fly to Spain on July 28. The airline said that it plans to operate flights from Birmingham to Palma, after receiving a final security clearance. According to the Daily Mail, the flight will operate on a 50/50 mix of Jet A1 fuel and esters of the hydroprocess and fatty acids (Hefa) - made from used cooking oil.
The airline plans to operate weekly flights to Spain using biofuels from September, initially on the same route and switch to Birmingham-Alicante during the winter schedule.
"Because biofuels more commercially available, Thomson Airways plans to expand the use of sustainable biofuels in its fleet over the next three years," said Chris Browne, Managing Director of Thomson Airways.
Earlier, on Wednesday, the Dutch airline KLM has been operating the world's first scheduled flight using the Boeing 737-800 biokerosene carrying 171 passengers across from Amsterdam to Paris, using a mixture of jet fuel and the same cooking oil is planned to be used by Thomson.
Trucks using cooking oil as fuel
After a short time ago the European airlines to use aircraft as fuel oil, now turn the truck in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) using the same fuel.
As quoted by the Associated Press on Monday (04/07/2011), now turn to the United Arab Emirates who use fuel oil, which this time is supplied by well-known fast food company, McDonald.
Dubai-based company, Neutral Fuels, announced that it has reached an agreement to process cooking oil from McDonald's outlets in the UAE to be 100 percent biodiesel fuel, for sending food trucks of McDonald in the United Arab Emirates. Neutral Fuels has tested biodiesel fuel last year and began to cultivate it from the cooking oil from McDonald's since the end of May.
"This is very interesting because in the Arab region has never been anyone tried to use this fuel," said Karl W. Feilder, Chairman of the Neutral Group.
"This is the first time we can produce a fuel which is 50 percent cleaner than normal diesel and has lower carbon content, because it comes from the residual cooking oil," he added.
Parties McDonald said that the move is part of their plan with the UAE in terms of new energy sources.
"McDonald's UAE has demonstrated strong commitment in terms of the environment," said Rafic Fakih, Managing Director of McDonlad UAE.
Neutral Fuels said that they have the capacity to produce 1 million liters of biodiesel a year, and those results can also be duplicated.
Although not described in detail how much biodiesel can be produced from 80 McDonald's outlets in the UAE, but Neutral Fuels said that the amount is sufficient to run the vehicles in the country.

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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 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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Virgin Coconut Oil (Vco): Technology Of Processing, Quality And Benefits

Codex Alimentarius (the organization under FAO that work along with WHO that concern on the food standard), defined that the virgin coconut oil is oil or food fat produced without changing the oil, the oil is produced only with mechanical process and minimal heat usage. Otherwise, the pure coconut oil is the coconut oil that in its process does not use chemical substance or extreme heat, so the coconut oil produced still keeps its real fitochemical structure that undergo a natural process so the taste and the smell of the oil is unique. This virgin coconut oil is different with the usual coconut oil made from the copra; the virgin coconut oil is made from old fresh coconut picked from the coconut tree.

The Technology of VCO Process
The making process of virgin coconut oil all is done in a low temperature (room temperature) and does not undergo heating process. There are many alternative technologies in making virgin coconut oil, but there are two main processing technologies that developed a lot today they are wet grinding and the fermentation or enzymatic. The separating processes used in the wet grinding process are the boiling, the freezing and the centrifugation process. In the other side, the process of making the virgin coconut oil by fermentation process is developed through three advanced processes they are multi steps heating, enzymatic and the luring process.
The making process of virgin coconut oil by fermentation is begins with the grating process of the coconut, and then continued with the milking process so the coconut milk is obtained. The coconut milk is then fermented from 24 until 36 hours. In the mean time, there is a separation of the water and the oil. Because the making process does not use heating process, besides producing Medium Chain Fatty Acid (MCFA), the existence of vitamin E and the contained enzymes in the fruit still can be keep.
Quality Of VCO
One of standards that can be used as a reference for assuming the quality of the virgin coconut oil is the standard from the Asian and Pacific Coconut Community (APPC). APPC is an organization of the world government of 15 main countries of coconut producers that consist more than 90% of the coconut production and product export of coconut all over the world. In the standard of virgin coconut oil based on APCC, it is mentioned that the virgin coconut oil should has clear appearance. Besides, the other parameter of the virgin coconut oil quality that related with the oil oxidation is the free fat acid and the number of peroxide. The level of free fat acid should not be more than 0,5%, and the level of peroxide should not be more than 3 meq/kg oil. Beside that, in the virgin coconut oil, there should be no bad smell or strange smell.
The composition of the fatty acid composition is also become the quality standard of the virgin coconut oil. The high laurite acid level in the virgin coconut oil becomes the characteristics of this product. The laurite acid is the fatty acid that mostly found in the virgin coconut oil. The good level of laurite acid based on APPC (2005) is 43 – 53%. A research from Sebelas Maret University of Surakarta, Indonesia that works on the virgin coconut oil from the process using the fermentation with many kinds of microbes found that the highest level of laurite acid in the pure coconut oil (virgin coconut oil) is in the process with the room temperature with the addition of culture starter Streptococcus Thermopylae and from the spontaneous fermentation (natural fermentation) in the temperature of 400C.

Benefits of VCO
According to Dr. Bruce Fife, a researcher who actively work on the VCO stated that VCO can increase the High Density Lipoperin (HDL, the cholesterol that assumed to be good for human’s health), so VCO can keep the body from coronary heart disease. So, the cholesterol that has the potential in blocking the blood vessel can be minimized.

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