Manufacture of palm kernel oil using the traditional coconut oil processing system

The traditional processing system of coconut oil, comprising grating of coconut meats, extraction with boiling water, cooling, followed by skimming off the cream, and heating it to dryness to give coconut oil, has been adapted for the manufacture of palm kernel oil. Palm kernels were crushed in a laboratory hammer mill, extracted with several lots of boiling water, cooled, the resulting cream skimmed off, and heated to dryness to yield palm kernel oil. A comparison of existing traditional and new adapted processing systems showed that the yield palm kernel oil obtained in both cases was about the same. Furthermore, the specific gravity, melting point, refractive index, and saponification number were similar, but the moisture content, acid value, color, and odor were dissimilar.