"Identification
Palm oil comes from the fruit of the oil palm species E. Guineensis, which grows throughout western Africa and Malaysia. In its natural state, palm oil possesses a bright orange color because it contains large amounts of carotene. Because it contains nearly 50 percent saturated fat, palm oil maintains a semi-solid state at room temperature.
Function
The palm oil fractioning process involves two main steps: crystallization and filtration. During crystallization, the palm oil’s triglycerides melt at different temperatures, fractioning the oil into liquid and solid components. The character of the crystals produced depends on the temperature, time and agitation used during the process. The fractioned palm oil then passes through a filtration process, dividing the oil into liquid palm olein and solid palm stearin components."
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