Dear Mr Hussain, The Karl Fisher test for moisture is good, recognised, laboratory method. Originally it needed glass equipment and skill, but there are now on the market automatic instruments giving quick results. There are two types, so test some before you buy. Regards, FP (21.08.2011)

Dear Mr Young, Your question has nothing to do with PO, but nevertheless I am answering it because of its wide interest. Firstly please note that according to EU and USA regulations, your product is "substitute chocolate", or "chocolate flavoured" and not real chocolate, which can only contain cocoa butter, milk fat and perhaps a little CBE. Mixing lauric and non lauric fats will not result in any of the problems you mentioned. The only effect will be eutectic formation (reduction in MP or SFC) at the interface, but I think it will be tolerable in your type of product. As in all such cases try it first on one batch made as small as possible. Of course using a lauric fat for the wafer as well, is technically the ideal solution but it will raise your costs and so it is the last resort. Regards, FP (23.08.2011)

Dear Mr Ngassa, Theoretically speaking, the stripping steam should be at the same temperature as the oil so it neither heats it nor cools it. But the most important thing is that it should be dry, not wet, because water will raise the FFA. In practice, the best temperature is the one your plant was designed for because different plants have different details and the reputable plant constructors do a lot of calculations and trial runs on their plant. Outsiders who do not know these details should not change them without good reason. Regards, FP (21.08.2011)

Dear Mr KHB, The best way to extend the frying life of your oil by taking good care of it during its use. You should discard it when its smell, taste, colour, smoking or FFA become unacceptable, according to the standard of quality you wish to maintain for your business reputation. I do not understand what you mean by "if I collect the oil etc.." If you collect and store used frying oil for more than a few days you should not use it again because of bacteria growth. I cannot tell you if BHT is permissible in your country because you have not told me which one it is. Regards, FP (21.08.2011)

Dear Mr Ismail, To answer your question, I would have to test many samples of ghee and shortening, from every factory in Malaysia and Indonesia, for several months and calculate averages for many tests such as MP, FFA, PV, taste, colour etc. Please be realistic, life is short. Regards, FP (21.07.2011)

Dear Mr Pong, Some technical people expect that there is a magic additive, or step they can take , to get them out of all their difficulties. But there is not such thing, otherwise it would soon become known and used by every one. CPO is cloudy because it contains emulsifying agents, gums etc, which keep minute solid partricles suspended and not to coagulate and settle out or be removed by the centrifuges. You have a combination of oil quality and processing (machinery and operation). So examine each of those factors and make them as good as possible. But some losses you will always have, it is the nature of the oil. Regards, FP (21.07.2011)

Dear Mr Hussein, There is no such thing as best oil blend for soap as the matter is entirely subjective. Then do you mean best at any price or best value for money? I have read some where that in Japan toilet soap is expected to be snow white, women are prepared to pay luxury prices for it and even top quality RBD PO cannot be used. In the Philippines they make excellent soap with 100% coconut oil which most companies elsewhere would consider financial suicide. As you are a chemist and you know your market, it is up to you to try out various formulas and decide what suits your circumstances. However for good lathering properties you will have to include a lot of lauric oil. Regards, FP (21.07.2011)

Dear Mr Val, You have not explained what soap process you are using and what kind of difficulties you have had with PFAD beyond the 15% level, so it is impossible for me to advise you how to increase that level. But PFAD can make soap at any percentage, it is a matter of what kind of soap you are making and what you consider acceptable quality. I have not seen any titre values for olein as that oil is not used for soap much, but I agree with you that the value you got in your test is impossibly high and I suspect your sample was PO rather than olein. Regards, FP (20.07.2011)

Dear Mr Jaswinder, The specification of PFAD is what you and the seller decide to write in the contract. There is a PORAM specification for it but it is voluntary and does not cover the items you mentioned. If you must have those items, I suggest you get a sample analysed. The cost will be negligible compared with the cost of your venture. Regards, FP (20.07.2011)

Dear Mr Bulo, I am sorry but I do not understand your question. What exactly do you want to do? Extract PO from the fruit, or neutralise the acidity of CPO, or remove its cloudiness? Regards FP (20.07.2011)

Dear Mr Sohail, Your soap will have a much better colour and smell if you can use the fully boiled process, although I appreciate you may not have the plant for it. However, PFAD does not have a bad smell when it is freshly produced. The trouble is that it is a small, cheap by-product which is often badly mistreated. Stored in old drums, sold to a string of traders who store it for any length of time and it deteriorates all the time. It is then sold purely on price. The best answer is to try and educate your buyers to buy directly from a producing factory, buy after a sample you approve and pay a little higher price if necessary. The quality of soap fully reflects the quality of the raw materials used in its production.Regards, FP (19.07.2011)

Dear Mr Kong, The fibres that remain after pressing the oil out of the fruit contain very little oil and because of the treatment they have had that oil is of very low quality, high FFA etc. If it pays to produce biodiesel from good, fresh PO, it pays to burn and generate heat from the residues. The well financed research institutes advising the industry in Malaysia and Indonesia are well aware of all such possibilities. Regards, FP (19.07.2011)

Dear Mr Irfan, The IV of oils is a very important value in their specifications because it is used to decide whether the oil you have received is, for example, PO or olein or super olein. The method used can make a difference and PORAM specifies the Wij's method. This is fairly accurate but needs an accurate balance, glass equipment, fresh chemicals (called reagents) and takes about 45 minutes. A much quicker but less accurate method is to determine the refractive index and from that estimate the IV (to within about 1 unit). It only takes a few seconds, but needs a good oil refractometer and preferably also a thermostatically controlled water bath with a pump.If you only receive deliveries once a week or less, it will probably be cheaper and more convenient to have an annual contract with a certified laboratory and their answers will also carry more weight in any disputes. Regards, FP (19.07.2011)

Dear Mr James, Different oils have different melting points and PO melts at 33-39C. There is nothing you can add to change that significantly. Also you cannot add anything you want to people's foods, there are laws on the matter depending on the country. You can offer palm super olein melting point about 15C. Regards, FP (14.07.2011)

Dear Mr Quadri, Before I can comment on your yields I need to know the IV of your PO, olein and stearin.. Regards, FP (14.07.2011)

Dear Mr Fong, The grades of PO you mention may be customary in your country, but as you have not told me where you are based, I cannot comment very much on them. They probably refer to the FFA of CPO and if so, the lower the FFA, the better the oil is for any purpose, including biodiesel. But also the higher its price will be and so buyers will go for what seems the best value for money for their circumstances.. Some big biodiesel companies have facilities to strip the FFA out of any crude oil if it is cheap enough. Before you can hope to sell PO you must know its FFA and Moisture+ Impurities. Regards, FP (12.07.2011)

Dear Mr Sarker, What you have observed is quite normal. You did not say which saponification process you are using but in the cold process the reaction does not go to completion before the soap is poured out and carries on for several days afterwards. The same applies to the semi boiled process, but to a much smaller extent. The most important value is the one obtained at the time the soap reaches the customer. Regards, FP (06.07.2011)

Dear Mr Khan, There are no average figures reported for TFM and free alkali but your figures seem normal to me. In regard to the free alkali of your laundry soap, I think you can go to higher values which will give you higher cleaning power., but this will also give greater harshness on the skin, so you better test it for your own market., because different races and even social classes have different tolerances. As for TFM some soap producers go much lower than you for lower cost, but you will have to consider the reaction of your big buyers who may have specification limits for that. Regards, FP (06.07.2011)

Dear Mr Amin, One of the reasons consultants insist on visiting the companies before giving them any advise is that people never give them all the information they require. TFM 33% is terribly low. Before I can give you any advise I need to know your complete formula now and also after you tried that change and also the temperature and moisture content at the pumping stage. If you have to keep the formula secret please mention it and we can leave it out of our reply. Regards, FP (28.06.2011)

Dear Mr Amos, Research into genetic modification of the oil palm tree is going on all the time, to increase disease resistance, improve yields, oil properties etc. But results will be slow because the oil palm is a tree with a life of decades, while most other oils are from annual plants. Even if successful, it will be a very difficult decision to introduce it to the market, in view of the hysterical reaction to such matters by the consumers of the EU, the 3rd biggest PO market. But one day, no doubt, it will come. Regards, FP (19.06.2011)