In pursuit of healthier palm oil: Reducing 2- & 3-MCPD esters, and glycidyl esters in organic palm oil via intricate mitigation strategies

Summary

Palm oil belongs to the most used and produced vegetable oils globally. Due to its physico-chemical characteristics, it has been used in a wide variety of food applications. In the past decade, it became apparent that the process contaminants 2-MCPDE, 3-MCPDE, and glycidyl esters (GE) are present in refined vegetable fats and oils, but most predominantly in refined palm oil. These process contaminants are formed during refining and – once formed - are difficult to remove. In this thesis, effective mitigation strategies to reduce 2-, 3-MCPDE, and GE based on physical and chemical refining point of views have been developed. Also, several organochlorine-containing potential precursors of 2- and 3-MCPDE have been identified in crude palm oils. This discovery might play a key role in future developments of more effective mitigation strategies in the palm oil supply chain.