TONSIL® bleaching earth for refining edible oils
Edible oils - an indispensable food
Edible oils represent an indispensable ingredient in food and food preparation around the world. On a yearly and worldwide basis, around 157 million tons of edible oil are extracted from oil-rich seeds and fruit. These products are abundant in nutrients, have a long storage life, and are suitable for different culinary applications.
Refining process stages
The oil is not merely pressed from the oil-rich material. It undergoes a multistage refining process to remove impurities, dyestuffs, and residues that can degrade the quality of the oil.
Materials based on natural bentonite clay, like Clariant's TONSIL®, play a decisive role in refining edible oils as they possess high absorption capacity. Once TONSIL® particles absorb the impurities and contaminants, they are filtered through by presses.
Finally, the remaining quality-affecting compounds and contaminants are removed from the oil by the process of deodorization. This process stabilizes the shelf life and taste of edible oil.
Tonsil® - Highly active bleaching earth for oil refining
Tonsil® bleaching earth derived from the natural clay mineral bentonite has a purifying effect. It is formed by an acidic activation of bentonite, which changes its special layered structure: the ion exchange with the protons enables additional water to enter between the layers and the mineral swells.
The surface area thereby increases fivefold. The activated and greatly enlarged surface can gently remove undesired compounds. Pigments, gums, and other substances can unfavorably affect the appearance, taste, odor, and shelf life of edible oil.
Innovative solutions to tackle your needs
Clariant can reproduce your edible oil refining process on a laboratory scale and accurately tailor TONSIL® solutions to your needs. At the same time, our tailor-made formulations efficiently tackle the challenges of minimizing the level of 3-MCPD esters and glycidyl esters (GE) in palm oil depending on the actual feedstock.
Our TONSIL® range of bleaching earth or clay is based on over a century of experience in refining edible oils and fats. Today, Clariant remains a truly global player and thought leader for edible oil purification.
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