Background
In the edible oil industry, precise purification is essential to remove contaminants that compromise flavour, colour, oxidative stability and regulatory compliance. One specific group of contaminants of concern are Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). We were approached by a global food manufacturer to improve the safety and quality of its olive oil.
PAH are a group of hydrophobic, potentially carcinogenic compounds. There are generally 16 prominent PAHs deemed as high-priority pollutants, with common ones including benz[a]anthracene (BaA), benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) and chrysene.
In edible oil production, PAHs aren’t deliberately added – they can form or be introduced at various stages of the process:
- Drying/ heating of oils
- High temperature processing
- Environmental contamination
- Contamination caused by farming or transportation processes.
Challenge
PAH removal is essential to help manufacturers meet stringent food safety regulations while maintaining the natural flavour and stability of edible oils.
The company needed a purification solution that would reliably remove these contaminants at scale, integrate easily into its existing refining process and help it meet international safety standards, without compromising taste or stability and, at the same time, minimise operational costs.
The solution delivered needed to address effective purification and treatment of:
- PAHs: including benzopyrenes, chrysene and benzo[a]anthracene.
- Fatty acids: Glycidyl fatty acid esters (GE) — precursors of harmful MCPD, a suspected carcinogen.
- Persistent organic pollutants such as dioxins and furans.
- Colour and chlorophyll impurities: substances affecting appearance, stability and shelf-life.
Solution
Purifying edible oils requires precise filtration to remove contaminants that affect quality, safety, colour and oxidative stability. The use of activated carbon is known to remove colour, odours and impurities from edible oils, including polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Purification improves flavour, prevents rancidity and enhances clarity in various edible oils, including olive oil, palm oil, fish oil and specialty fats.
The solution delivered was FiltraPure® SK1®, a powder activated carbon (PAC) considered to be the ‘industry standard’ for the application of PAH removal from edible oils. FiltraPure® SK1® delivers market-leading performance to enhance the taste, colour and purity of edible oils, and our advanced PAC filtration media seamlessly integrated into our customer’s refining processes.
Results
By adopting Puragen’s PAC filtration, the manufacturer improved product quality, safety and compliance, while also enhancing process efficiency. The solution safeguarded brand reputation and allowed the company to maintain its competitive edge in a highly regulated market, with laboratory results confirming a >99% efficiency for the removal of PAH compounds.
Puragen’s R&D team continues to innovate, developing higher-performance products that deliver maximum product quality at minimum cost per litre of oil treated. In addition, Puragen’s in-house analytical capabilities allow precise measurement of contaminant removal, ensuring consistent performance and ongoing optimisation for customers.
Puragen’s activated carbon solutions improve product quality and enhance process efficiency across a wide range of food and beverage applications, including:
- Removal of colour, taste and odour impurities from cane sugar, sucrose, glucose and fructose syrups for high-quality food, confectionery and beverages.
- Refinement of juices, beers, wines and spirits, removing unwanted pigments, off-flavours and volatile compounds to deliver consistent quality and appearance
