Application of Vacuum in the Edible Oil Industry

 The vacuum allows the food processing that could not have been done in normal atmospheric conditions. Moreover, the vacuum has huge benefits on the processing of food items that are sensitive to heat and oxygen like edible oil. The vacuum that can be used in the food industry varies in the range of 1-600 mbar.

The vacuum which is applied in the edible oil industry apart from deodorization is also used for transport, processing, filling, and packaging of the edible oil. The vacuum system is also used in cleaning operations and the creation of appropriate hygienic conditions that are needed in an oil refinery.

Deodorisation of oil by the use of the vacuum system

While processing edible oil and fats, deodorization is essential to remove the undesirable compounds present in the oil such as free fatty acids and volatiles. These compounds need to be removed because they can deteriorate the taste of the final product. Not only the taste, the stability, odour, and colour of the final product might also get compromised if the vacuum system for edible oil deodorization is not there in the refinery.

Before the deodorization process, the refined oil is de-aerated under the vacuum and that is because the vacuum is necessary to keep the quality of the edible oil intact by the prevention of oxidation. The removal of the non-condensable gases is also done through the process of vacuum because the vacuum if not removed they often bubble on the surface of the oil which would then bring down the heat transfer rates.

After the removal of the gases, the oil is then transferred into the deodorization column after heating it well. After that steam is passed through the oil to remove the oil from any odour. As a precaution, so that the fatty acids and the volatiles are not carried into the final product, the stripped-off products are recovered in a condenser. This process is known as fractional distillation.

Vacuum pumps are of utmost importance for the final product of high-quality refined edible oil. Therefore, while investing the refineries must get in touch with the best vacuum pump manufacturers in India and have the best vacuum systems installed in the refineries.