In the global market, the demand for high - quality exported peanut oil is on the rise. However, many enterprises in the grain and oil industry are facing a series of challenges in peanut oil production. According to GB 2716 food safety national standards, the quality of exported peanut oil must meet strict requirements in terms of purity, flavor, and nutritional value. But currently, common problems in peanut oil production include impurity residue, flavor loss, and difficulty in meeting standards.
Filtration is a crucial step in peanut oil production. There are three mainstream filtration technologies in the industry: centrifugation, membrane filtration, and the application of filter aids.
Centrifugation uses centrifugal force to separate impurities from peanut oil. This technology can quickly remove large - sized impurities, improving the initial purity of the oil. For example, in a medium - sized peanut oil processing plant, after using centrifugation, the impurity content in the oil can be reduced from about 3% to less than 1%, significantly improving the clarity of the oil.
Membrane filtration is a more precise filtration method. It uses special membranes to filter out fine impurities and even some microorganisms. By using membrane filtration, the purity of peanut oil can reach a very high level, and the clarity of the oil can be further improved. In some high - end peanut oil production lines, membrane filtration can ensure that the oil meets the strictest purity requirements for export.
Filter aids can help trap small impurities that are difficult to remove by other methods. They work by forming a filter cake on the filter medium, which can effectively retain impurities. The use of filter aids can improve the filtration efficiency and the purity of the final product. In small - scale peanut oil production, the application of filter aids can also achieve good filtration results.
Refining is another important process in peanut oil production, which mainly includes four steps: degumming, deacidification, decolorization, and deodorization.
Degumming aims to remove phospholipids and other colloidal substances from peanut oil. By adding appropriate chemicals and controlling the temperature and time, the phospholipids can be separated from the oil. This step is crucial for the subsequent refining process and the stability of the final product.
Deacidification is used to reduce the acid value of peanut oil. Through chemical reactions, free fatty acids in the oil are removed. Controlling the reaction conditions such as temperature and pressure is the key to ensuring the quality of deacidification and reducing the loss of nutrients in the oil.
Decolorization is to remove pigments in peanut oil to improve its appearance. Adsorbents are usually used to adsorb pigments. The choice of adsorbents and the control of adsorption conditions are important for achieving good decolorization results without excessive loss of nutrients.
Deodorization is to remove unpleasant odors from peanut oil. Low - temperature and slow - speed deodorization is recommended because it can effectively remove odors while retaining more nutrients in the oil. For example, compared with high - temperature deodorization, low - temperature deodorization can retain about 10% more vitamin E in peanut oil.
Different - scale enterprises (small workshops vs. large factories) need to adjust parameters such as temperature, pressure, and time flexibly. Small workshops may have limited equipment and resources, so they can adjust the process by extending the processing time or using more traditional methods. Large factories, on the other hand, can use advanced equipment to precisely control temperature and pressure, achieving more efficient and high - quality production.
Let's take an anonymous customer as an example. Before process optimization, the qualification rate of their exported peanut oil was only about 70%, and the production loss was about 15%. After optimizing the filtration and refining processes, the qualification rate increased to 90%, and the production loss was reduced to 8%. This shows that through the optimization of the peanut oil production process, enterprises can significantly improve product quality and reduce production costs.
If you want to solve the pain points in peanut oil processing and create high - value - added products, don't miss our "Peanut Oil Refining Operation Manual". You can also make an appointment for a free technical consultation to get more professional guidance!
