What are the post harvest handling of palm oil?

The post-harvest handling of palm oil involves several key steps to ensure the quality and efficiency of the palm oil production process. Here are the main steps involved:

1. Harvesting: Ripe palm fruits are harvested by trained workers who cut the fruit bunches from the palm trees.

2. Transportation: The harvested fruit bunches are transported to the palm oil mill as quickly as possible to avoid deterioration.

3. Bunch Stripping: The palm fruits are separated from the stalks by a machine called a stripper. This process removes the individual fruits from the bunch.

4. Weighing: The stripped palm fruits are weighed to determine the quantity of fruits received at the mill.

5. Sterilization: The palm fruits undergo a sterilization process to kill enzymes that could cause the breakdown of the oil. This is done by treating the fruits with high-pressure steam in a sterilizer.

6. Threshing: The sterilized fruits are threshed to separate the fruit pulp (mesocarp) from the fiber and the kernel.

7. Digestion: The pulp is cooked in a digester with hot water to break down the cell structure and release the oil.

8. Screening: The digested pulp is screened to remove fiber and other solid particles, leaving behind the crude palm oil.

9. Clarification: The crude palm oil is clarified to remove impurities and suspended solids. This involves passing the oil through a series of vibrating screens and settling tanks.

10. Centrifugation: The clarified oil is further processed through a series of centrifuges to separate the oil from water and other impurities.

11. Drying: The separated palm oil is dried using a dryer to remove any remaining moisture.

12. Storage: The dried palm oil is stored in tanks until it is ready for refining or further processing.

13. Refining: The crude palm oil can undergo refining processes to improve its quality, color, and stability. Refining involves steps such as degumming, neutralization, bleaching, and deodorization.

14. Packaging: The refined palm oil is packaged in various containers such as bottles, jerry cans, or bulk containers for distribution and sale.