Patent ID: 6033706
Filing Date: 2000-03-07
Classification: A23D,A23G,A23L,C11C

Abstract:
A process for refining crude edible oil selected from the group consisting of sesame seed oil, rice bran oil, wheat germ oil, oat germ oil, coffee oil, tea seed oil, pine seed oil, and mixtures of any of the foregoing, said crude edible oil being resistant to oxidation, so that the resultant refined edible oil substantially retains the resistance to oxidation of the crude edible oil, comprising:(a) degumming the crude oil by mixing said crude oil with an aqueous solution of citric acid in a weight ratio of the solution to said crude oil such that the mixture contains about 50 to about 500 mg of citric acid per kg of said crude oil, the temperature of the mixture being about 30 to about 50.degree. C., then raising the temperature of the mixture to within the range of about 65 to about 75.degree. C. and centrifuging the resultant degummed oil containing solids which have been formed by said degumming thereby to separate and remove the solids from said degummed oil,(b) neutralizing the degummed oil by mixing it with an aqueous NaOH solution, centrifuging the mixture to separate the oil from soaps formed by the neutralization, subjecting the separated oil to no more than a single hot water wash and drying the oil under vacuum to remove residual moisture therefrom, and(c) bleaching the neutralized, degummed oil by heating said oil to a temperature of about 50 to about 90.degree. C. and adding to said heated oil about 0.1% to about 2%, by weight, amorphous silica gel, based on the weight of the oil, and about 0.005 to about 0.02%, by weight, citric acid, based on the weight of the oil, retaining the thusly heated mixture of the oil with the amorphous silica gel and the citric acid under vacuum for about 15 to about 30 minutes, and filtering the oil to separate it from solids.