Auxiliary Degumming and Pressurized High Temperature Water Washing to Mitigate the Formation of Monochloropropanediols in Palm Oil

This study reports the benefits of auxiliary degumming (Aux.D) and pressurized high temperature (165 °C) water washing (PHTW) to mitigate the formation of monochloropropanediols (MCPD) during labscale physical refining of palm oil. Water-based degumming in combination with bleaching and deodorization are performed as the selected physical refining process. The mitigation concepts Aux.D and PHTW are integrated into the refining protocol and the ultimately observed MCPD levels in the fully refined oils are determined. Aux.D is performed by extracting the hydratable gum from pressed sunflower oil and using it as a degumming agent to further purify palm oil that has been previously subjected to centrifugation and water degumming. This approach enables the mitigation of 3-MCPD from the water washed reference 2.4–0.9 mg kg⁻¹ in ampoules. Even stronger mitigation is obtained when Aux.D is combined with bleaching and executed twice allowing a mitigation from the reference 1.9–0.6 mg kg⁻¹, in ampoules. PHTW is shown to decrease the 3-MCPD content of the refined oil from the reference 2.4–1 mg kg⁻¹, in ampoules and when combined with bleaching and executed twice showing a decrease from the reference 1.9–0.9 mg kg⁻¹. Practical applications: The benefits of these mitigation concepts are confirmed both in sealed ampoule tests and in deodorizer experiments at the lab scale. A combined application of Aux.D or PHTW with physical refining may represent new insights that can help to potentially further mitigate the formation of MCPD in physically refined palm oil beyond the limits achievable with current refining practices.