2002 Annual Report
Research
Simultaneous Deodorization and Cholesterol Reduction in Fats and Oils
Roger Ruan, Professor
Paul Chen, Senior Research Associate
Ye-bo Li, Visiting Associate Professor
Shaobo Deng, Research Fellow
Funding Source
Private Gifts, Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station
Objective
To reduce cholesterol level of and deodorize fats and oils.
Project Description:
Fish oils, are referred to as “omega-3” oils and contain desirably
high levels of n-3 fatty acids, especially eicosapentaenoic acid (“EPA”)
and docosahexaenoic acid (“DHA”). But nonhydrogenated fish oil
has not been used widely in food products due to problems with odor, flavor
and especially stability, primarily oxidative rancidity. Also, fish oil
contains undesirable cholesterol. A new process that reduces the cholesterol
level in fish oils while simultaneously deodorizing them was investigated.
In addition to fish oil, palm oil and lards were also processed.
Results
A pilot processing system was set up for the experiment. The system included a paratherm oil heating system to heat the oil to a temperature up to 485°F, a vacuum system to keep the fish oil under a vacuum between 1-2 torr, and a steam device to carry and preheat the oil. The capacity of the pilot equipment is between 10-20 lbs/hour. The experiments demonstrate that the process reduced the cholesterol level of fish oil, palm oil, and lards significantly while they were deodorized.