Odour, colour, taste. Insoluble impurities, acid value, peroxide value, soap content, concentrations of iron and copper.
These are edible oil quality parameters, as listed by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (UN FAO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) in their "Standard for Edible Fats and Oils" under the Codex Alimentarius. These parameters help those involved in the manufacturing of edible oil to ensure that the oil their customers receive is safe, high-quality, and nutritious.
Let's rewind a bit, though. Why the need for edible oil standards? And how can edible oil production be controlled to achieve these standards?
Plant-based edible oils and fats comprise triacylglycerides made up of fatty acids, ester bonds, and minor components like phytosterols, tocopherols, and waxes. Processes like hydrolysis, oxidation, and polymerization can deteriorate oil quality. For instance, hydrolysis increases free fatty acid (FFA) content and the presence of mono- and diacylglycerols in oil, while oxidation can result in the production of hydroperoxides, aldehydes, ketones, and carboxylic acids.
These chemical reactions occurring inadvertently aren't the only threats to quality edible oil production. Simple physical objects like hair, fingernails, glass, or plastic are also hazards, impeding the achievement of edible oil quality parameters. Not to mention the presence of allergens, pesticides, cleaning products, bacteria, mould, and other chemical and biological hazards that could interfere with the industry-standard manufacturing of edible oil.
Meeting edible oil standards: The what, who, and how
In every country or region, there will usually be certain food safety and quality standards and good manufacturing practices for the food industry. India, for instance, has the Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006. Under such legislation, sometimes there will be specific edible oil standards.
Additionally, there are also voluntary edible oil quality parameters which are commonly used in the industry. These cite maximum levels for FFA content, peroxide value (PV), and p-anisidine value (AV) as measures of high-quality edible oil. Organisations like the FAO, the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA), and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) provide resources for stakeholders in different parts of the edible oils value chain to effectively play their role in contributing to product quality.
You can't achieve edible oil quality parameters in one stage or through one process in the manufacturing of edible oil. Meeting edible oil quality parameters involves a comprehensive approach towards edible oil production. This approach affects all aspects of the process including location selection, facility design, raw material sourcing, personnel training, personnel health, storage conditions, packaging material selection, climate shocks, cleaning and maintenance schedules… pretty much anything and everything that can affect edible oils as they make the journey from farm through factory through shops to consumers' kitchen shelves.
The role of EPCC companies in meeting edible oil standards
Not all edible oils are of the same quality. Cold-pressed and virgin oils have certain production requirements and product characteristics that distinguish them from conventional oils. Depending on the scale of the oil mill and oil refinery (and the oil in question), some edible oils may simply be cleared and filtered while others may have undergone more sophisticated refining including processes like bleaching, neutralisation, deodorisation, and/or degumming.
In the absence of official edible oil standards, an FAO resource on "Quality assurance for small-scale rural food industries" states that oil manufacturers should simply carry out refining that meets consumers' preferred quality requirements.
Overall, in addition to oilseed quality, oilseed processing and oil refining are central to product quality. However, underlying these processes is the infrastructure that supports their implementation. That's where EPCC companies in the oils and fats industry come in.
Kumar is an engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning (EPCC) company in the oilseeds industry. As we support oils and fats producers, big and small, to produce high-quality products, we have an important contribution to edible oil quality. Largely, this contribution is in the areas of building layout and design, equipment design, engineering and layout, and other facilities associated with edible oil production.
Industry standards for the manufacturing of edible oil: Buildings, equipment, and layout
Different organisations and agencies have different guidelines and good manufacturing practices for companies involved in edible oil production. Let's take the FAO, for instance.
In the aforementioned resource on quality assurance, the FAO lists guidelines for the edible oil factory site, buildings, equipment, and layout. When building an edible oil production facility from the ground up, it is important to address factors that could potentially affect product quality; these include proximity to raw material supply and markets, the availability of labour, potable water and electricity, and the cleanliness of the area, marked by the absence of dust, waste, and/or stagnant water.
Meanwhile, the FAO recommends that the factory buildings themselves should be clean and painted, externally and internally. The surrounding area should ideally be planted with short grass because of its ability to trap airborne dust. Internal building walls should be painted with water-resistant paint, they should ideally be tiled to about 1.5 metres above ground level, and the bottom of the wall, where it meets the floor, should be curved so that dirt doesn't collect in crevices.
The guidelines include the use of mesh and other mechanisms to keep insects, birds, and rodents out of the facility, well-covered drains which are easy to clean and maintain, good ventilation (especially when steam is produced in the course of edible oil production), and effective lighting solutions.
Let's come to India next. Here, the FSSAI's guidelines for edible oil production and packaging are aimed at eliminating the presence of physical, chemical and biological hazards and preventing food spoilage.
What can EPCC companies do here? They should ensure that factory sites are located away from open drains, garbage dumps, polluting industries, dense vegetation, and other potential sources of pollutants that could harm product quality. The design and layout of the edible oil factory should be unidirectional to avoid the mixing of raw materials, intermediate products, and final products. It is industry-good practice to make building walls, floors, ceilings and doors using impervious, smooth, and easily cleanable materials to prevent dirt accumulation, condensation and mould growth. Doors should ideally have automatic closing mechanisms like springs or air curtains. Additionally, the floor should be sloped and have proper drainage which flows in a direction opposite to the direction of food preparation.
Meanwhile, meeting edible oil quality parameters also involves using equipment that is non-corrosive, smooth and groove-free, easy to clean and maintain, non-toxic, and of food-grade quality. We can attest to the fact that high-quality stainless steel is the way to go.
We can't possibly list all the guidelines and standards that edible oil manufacturers should meet when establishing their factories. But it suffices to say that EPCC companies are essential partners in this journey. The engineering, design and construction of an edible oil production plant greatly influence the achievement of edible oil quality parameters. Therefore, EPCC companies have great power (and great responsibility) in helping you make all your customers happy.
We, at Kumar, don't take this responsibility lightly. Our over 500 customers can attest to the fact that we give process engineering the care and attention it deserves. Just as your customers should settle for nothing less than the very best quality products, you, too, should settle for nothing less than industry-best plant and machinery. With our dependable solutions, we've got your back.
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