According to Nutriswiss, the distillation processes gently refines oils and fats – such as palm, nut and coconut oils, along with cocoa and shea butter widely used by the bakery and snacks sectors – without the formation of chemical compounds like 3-MCPD.
In conventional refining, high temperatures and pressure – and deodorisation – are often required to effectively remove contaminants. However, heat promotes the formation of trans fatty acids, glycidyl fatty acid esters and chlorinated fatty acid esters.
Because of the extremely low pressures used in SPD, high temperatures can be avoided, said Nutriswiss.
The process gently removes or reduces pollutants such as free fatty acids, plasticisers, pesticides, mineral oil residues (MOSH/MOAH) and mono- and diglycerides.
Additionally, high value substances such as essential omega-3 fatty acids are retained, and the fats/oils are characterised by low pollutant concentrations, reduced yield losses and improved crystallisation properties.
Furthermore, better stability during storage can be expected compared with traditional refining, added the Lyss-headquartered company, which processes crude oils from around the world for numerous clients, including artisan bakers.
Nutriswiss’ seven-storey SPD plant was expanded in cooperation with plant manufacturer, VTA.
“Together with our plant engineering company, we have developed innovative solutions that give us a major quality advantage when refining edible oils,” said Michel Burla, MD of Nutriswiss.
“Applications of exceptional quality, the isolation of certain fatty acids, the enrichment with valuable essential fatty acids and the targeted use of free fatty acids are just some of the possibilities.
“This benefits our customers and, ultimately, the consumer.”