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Screening and quality control of palm oil with NIR spectroscopy

Oct 2, 2023

Article

Palm oil is an edible oil from the fruit of oil palm trees (Elaeis guineensis). Oil palm trees only grow in tropical regions. They are native to Africa but were brought to southeast Asia just over a century ago. Now, oil palm plantations in Indonesia and Malaysia supply over 85% of palm oil used all over the world [1].

High-quality crude palm kernel oil and crude red palm oil are processed and used in a wide variety of products. Screening and quality control are critical to ensure that certain specifications are met for palm oil use in several industries. One simple way to do so is with near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy.

What is palm oil used for?

Palm oil is found in more than 50% of prepackaged consumer goods—from pizza, instant noodles, and sweets like ice cream, to personal care and cosmetic products including deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste, and lipstick [2]. Even cleaning products like soap and detergent are not exempt. This ubiquitous oil is also used in animal feed and as a biofuel in many parts of the world (Figure 1).