Dear Mr Ngassa, All the data you mentioned seem OK and your target final colour is realistic. Your problem could be due to any of a number of causes and to find which one it is we would have to go through a process of elimination, I would have to ask many questions, and charge you consultancy fees. Regards, FP (12.08.2009)

Dear Mr Azmil, The information you require is far too much. The Malaysian Palm Oil Board at Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia, has been doing that kind of research for many years and I suggest you contact them. Regards, FP (12.08.2009)

Dear Mr Abidin, The E269 value is the absorption of UV light at wave length 269 nanometres. It is a measure of some secondary oxidation products in the oil and the lower it is, the better. It is often used in place of chemical tests because it is quicker and requires simpler and fewer chemicals which makes it more environmentally friendly. However the instrument required is expensive. Regards, FP (12.08.2009)

Dear Mr Kiran, There is only one CPO but the edible industry requires FFA below about 5%, good beachabiity etc, while the technical industry can accept almost any quality if the price is right. The main by-product is PFAD. RBD palm oil is fully refined edible grade. Regards, FP (12.08.2009)

Dear Mr Joseph, The DOBI test measures the bleachabiity of CPO and bleachability correlates well with many other quality aspects. Naturally products made from good CPO will also be better in most respects, but for biodiesel feed stock the benefit is not significant. Regards, FP (11.08.2009)

Dear Mr Sihok, The EU countries export about 1.6 miln t of oils and fats (all types, including PO and soya).annually to countries outside the EU. In addition, there are many EU traders who finance oil from producing countries such as Malaysia to importing countries such as Egypt, India etc. Regards, FP (12.08.2009)

Dear Mr Young, The IV is a measure of unsaturation. Since different oils have different degrees of unsaturation, the IV serves as an easy and quick test for identifying oils or detecting adulteration. The IV correlates with tendency to oxidation, but not very well. Shortenings are primarily designed for baking, HPKOlein is designed for confectionery and is much more resistant to oxidative rancidity than most shortenings. Regards, FP (11.08.2009)

Dear Mr Golchha, All oils, when processed correctly and fresh, are odourless and tasteless. If your oil is not like that you have cause to complain. Flavours and rancidity develop during prolonged use and after storage. Biscuits are expected to have a long shelf life and so require oils of high stability. In that respect palm super olein is one of the best. Regards, FP (07.08.2009)

Dear Mr Tolcha, The source of PO is the fruit of the oil palm tree species Elaeis guineensis. Its uses are mainly edible, but also technical, including soap and biodiesel. Fats are essential in human diets. PO is particularly rich in vitamin E- related compounds but has attracted criticism because of its relatively high saturation leading to high blood cholesterol, but this is disputed. Regards, FP (07.08.2009)

Dear Ms Joanne, To increase the olein yield you must increase the membrane press pressure. Beyond that you can increase the temperature but then the olein IV will fall and its cloud point will rise. Regards, FP (05.08.2009)

Dear Mr Richard, The palm seed is the fruit and in plantations yield is measured in tonnes of fresh fruit bunches (FFB) per hectare, not in weight of fruit. Also the yield per month is not uniform as there are peak and trough months and so we can only speak of annual yield. Further more good companies select their seed from the best bunches of the best trees and different companies have different standards. Regards, FP (04.08.2009)

Dear Ms Lopez, On these pages I could not give you the names of any companies offering HPFAD or anything else, as it would amount to favouritism and free advertising. I could recommend you companies privately for a fee, or you can place an advertisement on this website or contact traders who are members of it. Regards, FP (04.08.2009)

Dear Mr Mclean, I am sorry I cannot answer your question here, it is purely commercial.. Regards, FP (22.07.2009)

Dear Mr Bellah, This year, Bangladesh is forecasted to import about 930,000 tonnes PO of all types, compared with 900,000t last year, but I cannot easily give you the split. RBDPO, fob Malaysia, had a May 09 average price of 799 USD/t. For the current price please look up the appropriate pages of this website. Regards, FP (21.07.2009)

Dear Mr Ngassa, I have withheld some of the processing details you have given me to protect your interests. But questions should be simple and one at a time because this is not a free consultancy service. 1)Your bleaching details seem to be OK, but you do not tell me the size of your Lovibond cell or what final colour you are achieving, so I cannot advise you further on it. 2) and 3) Your deodorising and fractionation details also seem OK, but you do not tell me your deodorisation time. Diluting the acid at the pretreatment stage is not advised.4) Legally, you cannot adulterate your palm olein with PKO and call it palm olein.Even if allowed in Cameroon, it will give problems in some uses. Regards, FP (05.08.2009)

Dear Mr Prem, You can buy suitable methods either from the American Oil Chemists Society or from the Malaysian Palm Oil Board. Regards, FP. (15.07.2009)

Dear Mr Mandal, Your colour measuring system is interesting, in that you seem to be taking 5xRed +Yellow. I never heard of that before. As I mentioned in Q&A 546, your problem of high colour is due to poor quality of your CPO, which in turn could be due to many causes imposssible to go into here. You better tell your buyer to buy better quality, or better still, not to buy without a prior sample for your approval. A company can only operate efficiently if the senior people in it communicate. Regards, FP (21.07.2009)

Dear Mr Young, Shortenings are made in different formulations and different specifications, aiming to give best performance in different applications, usually cakes, pastry etc. In your case with confectionery, just make your usual range of products with each shortening and see which one gives you the best results. Check the taste, mouth feel, texture, appearance etc. Other things being equal, go for the cheapest one and the supplier who gives you the best service. Regards, (21.07.2009)

Dear Mr Sethi, Sorry I never heard of such a product and it is not mentioned in the POPAM list. I suspect it could be extra hard stearin. I suggest you ask the seller to tell you what he is offering. He should at least give you its specification. If he does not know and cannot find out, do not bother with him. Regards, FP (21.07.2009)

Dear Mr Mandal, Your terminology is too vague. a) What are the units of your colour measurement? Are they Lovibond Red? b) If you cannot get your usual colour with your present batch of CPO then it is of lower quality and you should let your buyer know. He cannot buy the cheapest dregs on the market and expect no consequences.The biggest problem in Asian companies is that almost always the buyer is from the owning family and the managers are afraid to talk to him. Regards, FP (08.07.2009)