Friday, May 13, 2011

Corn Oil

Corn as a food ingredient, contain high nutritional value when compared with other food ingredients, especially the yellow corn that contains vitamin A. Fat contained in the bottom of the grain corn seed weighs about 9-12 percent of the weight of grain. Carbohydrates contained in the endosperm of about 73-79 percent, levels of protein in the endosperm of about 10-19 percent and 22.4 percent in the epidermis. The results show the protein content in maize seeds by 8.6-9.4 percent. Protein content was even higher (11-15%) in maize hybrids fertilized with nitrogen. Protein-poor maize lysine and tripthofan that can cause disease pellagra in people food only comes from corn. By mixing maize with other foods that contain lysine and tripthofan the disease can be prevented. Fat corn mainly contained in the institution, with about 30 percent fat content. Fat content of whole corn kernels that is 4.2 to 5 percent.

Corn oil is a triglyceride composed by glycerol and fatty acids. Percentage of triglycerides approximately 98.6 percent, while the rest are non-oil materials, such as ash, dyes or wax. Fatty acids that make up the corn oil consists of saturated fatty acids and unsaturated fatty acids. In 100 kg of corn with moisture content 16%, will produce about 64 kg of grain flour and 3 kg of corn oil.
Corn oil (maize oil) is oil obtained from the extraction of corn institutions. Corn oil yellowish, 0.92 specific gravity, saponification value 195, iodine value 120. Corn oil contains 20-50% oleic acid, linoleic acid 35% -60%, 2% phospholipids, as well as unsaponified material 2% (tocopherol, sitosterol, and wax).
Corn oil plant will be hidden in the (germ) in the seed corn, natural place save in the form of concentrated energy-9 calories per salt-for powering the miraculous events of the creation of a new plant from a seed. In corn, the plant would be only 8 percent of all corn seed and only about half the oil tangible, then a single corn was not an abundant oil fields.
Corn oil obtained from seeds of maize or Zea mays L., which is at the core of corn seed (kernel) or seed corn (corn germ). Nucleus seed corn (maize seeds (corn germ)) has oil content of corn as much as 83% with 14% humidity. Corn oil fatty acid content of most of the linoleic acid C18: 2 (unsaturated fatty acids / unsaturated fatty acids). This oil was first discovered in central Mexico in 5000 BC.

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Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Soybean oil: composition and benefits.

Oil content and fatty acid composition in soybean is influenced by climatic conditions to grow and its varieties. Its crude fat consists of triglycerides by 90-95 percent, while the rest is phosphatide, free fatty acids, sterol and tocopherol. Soybean oil has a saturated fatty acid content of about 15% so it is very good as a substitute for fats and oils that are high in saturated fatty acids, such as butter and lard. Soybean oil content was relatively lower compared to other types of nuts, but higher than the oil content of cereal. High levels of soy protein causes soybean is more widely used as a protein source rather than as a source of oil.

Usefulness of purified soybean oil can be used for the manufacture of salad oil, cooking oil (cooking oil) and for all purposes of food. More than 50% of food made from soybean oil, especially margarine and shortening. Almost 90% of the production of soybean oil used in food and in the hydrogenated form, because soybean contain approximately 85% unsaturated fatty acids.
Soybean oil is also used in the manufacture of candles, soap, varnish, lacquers, paint, polish, and insecticides. Soybean meal contains 40-48% protein and is the forage of high nutritional value, is also used for making glue, plastic, foam solution, manure and synthetic textile fibers. When soybean oil is used in the field of non-food, then do not need all stages of purification performed. For example for the manufacture of soap only needs to bleaching and deodorization, so that color and odor of the soybean oil does not reduce the quality of color and smell of soap produced.

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Wednesday, July 29, 2009

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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Friday, July 17, 2009

Acrylamide in the food product

The consumption of fried food products or usually called as fried foods, seems to be need to limited. The research result of Eden Tareke, and friends from the University of Stockholm, Sweden showed that the food that rich of carbohydrate, like potatoes (especially those who came from the fast food restaurant, in this case potato chips and french fries) can trigger the formation of acrylamide, that can be a potential formation of the cancer (carcinogenic). The massive concentration of acrylamide in the fried food, from the highest is potato chips, French fries, and grilled food like cereal, bread.

The Effect and The Limitation
Acrylamide can destroy DNA that functions as a genetic material, nerve material, causing tumor, decreasing the level of fertility, and causing the fall prematurely of the mice used in this research. The maximum dosage of acrylamide that also known as 2-preponamide is 0, 5 µg/L, according to the people of Europe and the united nation’s world health organization (WHO), Acrylamide actually can be absorbed by the digestion system and turned out from the body through urine in several hours after the consumption if it is not more than the maximum level.

The Formation of Acrylamide
Generally speaking, the mechanism of the formation of acrylamide are happened n three ways:
1. Formed from the acrolein or acrilate acid resulted from the degradation of carbohydrate, fat, or free amino acid, like alanin, asparagin, and metionin that have a similarity in the structure of acrylamide.
2. Formed directly from the amino acid.
3. Formed from the dehydration or decarboxilation of some certain organic acids like lactate acid, malat acid, and citrate acid.
The amino acid asparagin is the amino acid that has the most important role in the formation of acrylamide, it is easy to react to sugar. In potato, asparain is as much as 40% of amino acid, in the cooking temperature of 1000C is enough to produce acrylamide.

The Solution Alternative
Although, the research result of Eden Tereke and friends also gives information that acrylamide is only exist in a small amount in the food materials that do not fried. or grilled. Even, based on the other research, that kind of compound is not exist in the raw, steamed or boiled food. It is assumed, in the relative extreme heat (for example 1900C or in the boiled oil), the carbohydrate compound (for example in the potato, wheat) can be release, then react with the amino acid in the protein. Because of this, the maximize of the food process include high temperature, for example in the deep frying, baking, grilling and broiling need to be done, it is because the higher the temperature and the longer the time for heating, the most significant effect to the amount of the acrylamide formation.
So, the consumption of carbohydrate-rich food that fried actually do not need to be scared if the heat when it is fried is not too extreme and the oil is not used all over and over again. We also need to keep the balance of our eating habit, we also need to consume vegetables and fruits.

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Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Ginger as a natural antioxidant source to keep oil quality in the food product

Oleoresin extracted from ginger has brownish green color that tends to dark in color. The ginger oleoresin contain 20-30% of essential oil, 10% oil, and 50-70% resin constituent (especially gingerol) that has the role in the formation of hot characteristics of ginger.
The ginger essential oil if separated from the ginger oleoresin, is in the form of shiny yellow liquid, and has the characteristic of ginger flavor. The chemical component in the ginger essential oil is a-pinene, camphene, phellendrene, mycene, cineole, methyte-pteone, borneol, linalool, citral, C10 and Ca-aldehide, a-dan b-zingiberone, a-curcumene, farnesene, sesquiterpene alcohol.

The hot and bite taste from the ginger and the ginger oleoresin caused by the resin constituent (non volatile) like gingerol and shogaol. Fresh ginger has a high level of gingerol so it is hotter than dried ginger that has lower level of gingerol and has already experience a changing in the level of shogaol, zingerone, and paradol.
The spices can prevent rancidity and can keep shelf life of the food by blocking the fat or oil oxidation, especially in the food with high oil content. In the oil oxidation process, fat or oil is breaks into peroxide (free radical) as the result of its interaction with the air or oxygen and finally become aldehyde, ketone and alcohol that give rancid smell to the fat or oil. The spices can prevent the oil oxidation process by blocking or “catching” free radicals, so they can keep the oil quality. The natural antioxidant in the ginger is known to become a strong natural antioxidant in the meat product, animal fat, and soya fat, and also gives uniqe flavor to the traditional food products that contain oil in Indonesia like geplak (made from coconut meat), jenang (made from coconut milk and sticky rice flour), and also virgin coconut oil (made from coconut milk).
Natural compound that work as the natural antioxidant is fenolic compund (gingerol and shogaol) that can be found in the ginger oleoresin. Some researches studied in the potential of ginger oleoresin as natural antioxidant in Indonesian traditional food mentioned above. Some researchers from Indonesia found that the antioxidant activitiy of ginger oleoresin obviously higher than other spices such as Curcuma, etc.

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Thursday, July 2, 2009

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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Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Sesame oil processing

Sesame plants are included in the Sesamum genus. Number of species of this genus is quite a lot, but only 18 species had been identified among others. They are Sesamum alatum, Sesamum angolense, Sesamum angustifolium, Sesamum indicum, Sesamum laciniatun, Sesamum latifolium, Sesamum occidentale, Sesamum protatum, and Sesamum radiatum. Many species cultivated in Indonesia are the Sesamum indicum.
Sesame varieties is very diverse in the world. Sesame varieties are generally divided into two types, the long-lived one and usually with a fork stem, and the type of short stem with no fork. There are two kinds of sesame known in the international market, which is black and white.

Characteristics of sesame in Indonesia are generally long-lived, i.e. 120-140 days, ramose dense, and producing low quantity yield, aproximately 350 kg / ha. Sesame seeds is the material bearing vegetable oil with low saturated fatty acid content that can be consumed directly, in the form of flour or oil. In addition, sesame seeds needed for the raw material of industries such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and pesticides industry. Sesame oil, used traditionally to prevent some diseases. Due to the roles of sesame seed and oil, sesame seed demand will increase in the future. Consumption of sesame oil is mainly in Japan, EU, Korea, the United States and Egypt. All of those countries are developed countries.
Sesame seed contains 50-53% vegetable oil, 20% protein, 7-8% rough fiber, 15% residue-free nitrogen, and 4.5-6.5% ash. Sesame oil is rich in unsaturated fatty acid, especially oleat acid (C18: 1) and linoleat acid (C18:2, Omega-6), and 8-10% saturated fatty acid. Sesame oil is also rich in Vitamin E. Sesame cake, produced after the oil extracted is used as a source of protein in cattle feed in Indonesia.
Sesame cake as a side product of oil extraction can also be processed to be cabuk. Cabuk is an Indonesian traditional food produced from fermentation of sesame cake. Cabuk is usually processed with garlic, onion, chili, tomatoes, and salt, into a delicious side dish. Cabuk contains protein aproximately 36-39.8%. Cabuk also can be processed to be a sauce, just like soya sauce. Firstly, cabuk is saved in a closed container for a month to allow optimum fermentation. Then, fermentation product is boiled until viscous, filtered, and flavored to be a delicious sesame sauce.

Sesame oil production
a. Cold Press
Cold press oil is produced at temperature of 450C or less. Cooling during extraction is necessary to improve the quality of oil. Virgin sesame oil is produced naturally, without chemicals, and additional material, and also by minimizing heat treatment during the process. Sesame oil with best quality obtained by using cold press, and then filtering. Virgin sesame oil produced from cold press contains higher natural antioxidant compound, such as tocopherol and carotene, than toasted sesame oil.
b. Toasted
In order to produce more delicious flavor in sesame oil, processors usually toast sesame seeds at temperature of 60-800C (5-15 minutes) before press it to extract its oil. High temperatures increase the yield, but it cause a decrease in oil taste, slightly bitter. Controlling toasting is important since excessive time of toasting will burnt sesame seeds so that the oil will lost their pores to come out from sesame seed. Then, sesame seed is ground by using sharp knive in a grinder machine, to facilitate the oil to be extracted by mechanical press. In this mechanical press, sesame oil will be separated from sesame cake and pass through filter pores . To produce 1 liter of oil requires 3 kg of sesame seeds. Finally, sesame oil is clarified in centrifuge machine.
c. Hot press
Hot press oil cheaper. In this method, oil yield will increase along with increasing temperature of process. Sesame cake produced from first mechanical press can be processed again to produce more oil at a high temperature (1000C). Crushing sesame seed into small particles also increase the yield. The smell of hot-pressed sesame oil is delicious.

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