Market forecasts for edible oil are positive, for instance, the global edible oil market is projected to grow from USD 3.39 billion in 2024 to USD 7.14 billion by 2032, predicting a whopping growth of 9.76%.* A new application for liquid crude oil for the NIRS™ DS3 analyser offers perfect timing to take advantage of opportunities by testing samples throughout production. We take a look at four practical examples:
- Segregation of deliveries for quality and milling potential
- Ensuring maximum yield in the milling process
- Efficient quality control of crude oil without use of chemicals and manual test methods
- Transparency and reliability of data across the entire operation
Segregation in seconds
With a FOSS NIRS DS3 analyser, four key parameters of whole seeds can be tested within 30 seconds. This gives you the data you need to segregate and quality control incoming oilseeds and blend out of the silo. Whole oilseeds can be checked with great consistency of results due to the highly stable performance and repeatability.
Testing whole sunflower seeds without sample preparation is just one example of how today’s rapid and flexible analysis adds value.
The whole seeds can be tested directly for oil, moisture, and oleic and linoleic acid. The oil and moisture measurement promotes efficient payment, segregation and storage of sunflower seeds. Moisture is also important for controlling the energy intensive drying processes and hitting the generally recommended moisture content of 7.5 to 9.0% for storage. What’s more, oleic and linoleic acid are the two main fat components and the ratio is important for quality control when deciding how best to use the seeds. High oleic acid content can give a higher premium as it is prized for health and cooking benefits which are claimed to be very similar to olive oil in helping to maintain a healthy balance of blood cholesterol.
Better yield with less claims
Moving into the production, yet more value is to be found with rapid NIR tests by improving control of your extraction and oilseed meal production. Protein, moisture, oil, fibre and ash can be tested in whole oilseeds, flakes, press cake, oilseed meals and pellets in 30 seconds. These tests can be performed on ground and unground materials with no or very limited sample preparation.
A prime example of the value this capability brings is in close monitoring of soybean meal production. Experience from the industry shows that, by producing closer to protein targets by just 0.5%, a mill producing 100,000 tons per annum can gain 300,000 USD a year based on a price of USD. 400 per ton. Furthermore, reducing variation in protein content in final products reduces customer claims and builds supplier reputation while continuous improvements ripple through different aspects of your process, including production safety, maintenance and quality. Not least, insight into the process helps you to optimize energy usage, for example, through tighter control in the drying step.
Final product control of crude edible oils without chemicals
Analysis at the critical final stage of production helps you to limit liabilities and potentially damaging product recalls. The FOSS NIRS DS3 saves time and labour with fast and safe analysis of both oilseed meal and extracted crude oil samples while avoiding time-consuming reference tests based on chemical analysis.
A special cup is provided for the liquid crude oil samples. This has a gold reflector in the bottom of the cup which reflects the infrared light back up to a sensor. The sample is simply poured into the cup and placed in the analyser. Crude oil can be tested for Moisture, peroxide value, iodine value, FFA, phosphorus.
Reliable data and transparency across the organization
FOSS solutions such as the NIRS DS3 draw on multiple technology disciplines including instrumentation, software and connectivity. Among the benefits of this complete solution approach is rock-solid and consistent high analytical performance of instruments, no matter where they are located and who is using them.
The advantages include transparency and traceability of results and unique levels of service and support. For instance, networking software provided with the NIRS DS3 allows remote monitoring of performance of individual units and enables efficient management of a group of instruments. This allows immediate and remote adjustments on instruments for full transferability and consistent performance of all instruments in the network.
Essential for any operation
NIR technology is a highly-evolved and proven platform for many forms of routine analysis within the food and agri sector. If you are not already using it, it is an obvious tool to consider. In particular, the development of the technology over decades of application in the food and agri sector has led to highly practical solutions which are simple to implement, run and use, leading to rapid return on investment with minimal time and worry on the part of users.
Drawing on the latest advances in NIR technology, connectivity and usability, the NIRS DS3 is a perfect example of this evolution. A wide range of applications and a large set of accessories enable you to analyse according to your needs and to exploit today’s dynamic edible oils business.
*Source: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/organic-edible-oil-market-104364
