Evaluation of Enzymatic Degumming Performance for Producing Low 3-MCPD Refined Palm Oil in Advancing of Green Refining Process

This research investigates the efficacy of enzymatic degumming in the physical refining process of crude palm oil (CPO) and its impact on the formation of 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) in the resulting refined palm oil. Two types of enzymes, namely phospholipase PLA1 from Novozyme and phospholipase PLA2 from AB Enzymes, were employed in 34 lab-scale trials. The study involved varying parameters such as reaction time for citric acid conditioning, water dosage, type of enzyme, enzyme dosage, and reaction time for enzymatic reaction. The enzymatic degumming route encompassed pre-treatment with CPO washing, citric acid conditioning, enzymatic degumming, followed by bleaching and deodorization processes. Both PLA1 and PLA2 enzymes exhibited comparable and improved refining performance concerning standard quality specifications for free fatty acids (FFA) and color, with the exception of the oxidative stability index, which was slightly inferior to the control/normal refining process. The adoption of enzymatic degumming led to a reduction in 3-MCPD formation in refined palm oil from 2.00–2.72 ppm (control) to 1.29–1.41 ppm (enzymatic). However, there was a slight increase in glycidyl ester (GE) formation from 1.22–2.49 ppm (control) to 2.78–3.81 ppm (enzymatic). Future studies should focus on enhancing the oil stability performance achieved through enzymatic degumming, aiming to align with the standards of conventional refined palm oil. This is crucial for successful commercial implementation on an industrial scale, thereby advancing green/natural refining processes.