A novel process for physically refining rice bran oil through simultaneous degumming and dewaxing

Abstract

A new process for the physical refining of rice bran oil through combined degumming and dewaxing was developed on a laboratory scale and then demonstrated on a commercial scale. The simultaneous degumming and dewaxing of the crude oil with a solution of water and CaCl2, followed by crystallization at a low temperature (20 degrees C), facilitated precipitation of the hydratable and nonhydratable phosphatides along with the wax, which enabled its separation and reduction to a greater extent. Bleaching and subsequent winterization (20 degrees C) of this oil further reduced the phosphorus content to less than 5 ppm. Thus, these pretreatment steps enabled the physically refined rice bran oil to meet commercially acceptable levels for color, FFA content, and cloud point values (10-12 Lovibond units in a 1-in. cell, < 0.25%, and 4-5 degrees C, respectively) with very low neutral oil loss; this has not been observed hitherto. Rice bran oil is known for its high levels of bioactive phytochemicals, such as oryzanol, tocols, and sterols. The process reported here could retain more than 80% of these micronutrients in the end product.