Oxidative Stability of Refined Red Palm Olein under two Malaysian Storage Conditions.

Refined red palm olein (RPOo) is the first cooking oil that is a pro-Vitamin A source due to its high carotenoid concentration. The quality specifications from the manufacturers are usually applied to freshly produced oil. However, there is currently no information regarding the oxidative stability and phytonutrient content (Vitamin E and Carotene) for RPOo after prolonged storage time. The objective then is to study the effect of two local storage conditions and storage period(s) on the oxidative stability of RPOo. In this study, peroxide value (PV), p-anisidine value (AnV), induction period (IP), free fatty acid (FFA), and Vitamin E content were determined periodically for twelve months under local storage conditions (supermarket and kitchen). Carotene content, however, was determined only at initial and at the 12th month of storage time periods. It was found that there was an overall progressive but slow increase in PV and p-AnV. For PV, the storage effects were inconsistent. However, the effects were significant (p < 0.01) on the AnV throughout storage. At the end of the 12-months, for both storage conditions, the PV < 10 meq O2 g-1, the AnV < 10, the FFA < 0.2 % (palmitic acid), with a 30% drop in the total Vitamin E, and carotenoids content showed no significant drop (p < 0.01). The PV and AnV were also within Codex Alimentarius' recommended limits. Finally, the oxidative parameters showed that RPOo remains stable after year storage under the two simulated local storage conditions (the aforementioned supermarket and kitchen).

Performance of Palm-Based C16/18 Methyl Ester Sulphonate (MES) in Liquid Detergent Formulation.

Liquid detergents are more convenient than powdered detergents as they dissolve readily in water, generate less dust and dosing is easy. However, the stability of liquid detergents is an issue of concern. Therefore, the objective of this research is to study the formulation requirement to produce heavy-duty liquid detergents based on palm-based methyl esters sulphonate (MES) with desirable properties and performance. MES is produced from renewable and sustainable feedstock suitable to replace the conventional fossil-based surfactant, linear alkyl benzene sulphonates (LAS). Five palm-based liquid detergents (PBLDs) were formulated using C16/18 MES as the primary surfactant. The physical properties, washing performance, stability and biodegradability of PBLDs were evaluated. Performance of the PBLDs was evaluated against two commercial liquid detergents which use LAS and alcohol glucoside as surfactant (benchmark product) and it was found that the PBLDs exhibited excellent performance. PBLDs can be formulated with or without phosphates and still demonstrate good detergency. The stability study of PBLDs indicated that no appreciable hydrolysis occurred. PBLDs exhibited better biodegradability profiles compared to commercial detergent containing LAS. PBLDs passed the 60% biodegradability level within 3 to 8 d, while commercial detergent took 24 d. It was shown that palm-based C16/18 MES could be potentially formulated into liquid detergents and gave better performance than LAS based liquid detergent. Attributes of C16/18 MES should not be overlooked, which include an abundant and naturally derived palm stearin as raw material and environmental safety profiles that are superior to most synthetic surfactants.