VEGETABLE OIL PRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

Vegetable oil is a triglyceride extracted from a plant. According to Wikipedia, the term "Vegetable oil" can be narrowly defined as referring only to plant oils that are liquid at room temperature or broadly defined without regard to a substance's state of matter at a given temperature. Hence vegetable oils that are solid at room temperature are sometimes called vegetable fat. In contrast to triglycerides, vegetable waxes lack glycerin in their structure. Many plant parts may produce oil, but in commercial practice oil is extracted primarily from seeds.

oils extracted from plants have been used since ancient times and in many cultures(Wikipedia). Many vegetable oils are consumed directly, or indirectly as ingredients in the food. Many vegetable oils are used as ingredient or component in many manufactured products; soaps, candles, perfumes, cosmetic products, etc.

However, one problem with using vegetable oils for industrial purposes is that they are susceptible to becoming rancid. Thus, oils that are more stable, like mineral oil or Ben oil are preferred over vegetable oil for industrial uses.

PRODUCTION

Production process of vegetable oil involves the removal of oil from plant components, mainly/typically seeds. There are two methods of vegetable oil extraction namely; chemical extraction using a solvent and mechanical extraction using oil mill. The oil extracted can then be purified (and refined, if need be) or chemically altered. Example of oils produced by chemical extraction include industrial oils such as soyabean oil and corn oil. And vegetable oils produced by mechanical means include the more traditional oils such as olive oil, coconut oil, etc.