Minor Constituents in Canola Oil Processed by Traditional and Minimal Refining Methods

The minimal refining method described in the present study made it possible to neutralize crude canola oil with Ca(OH)₂, MgO, and Na₂SiO₃ as alternatives to NaOH. After citric acid degumming, about 98 % of the phosphorous content was removed from crude oil. The free fatty acid content after minimal neutralization with Ca(OH)₂ decreased from 0.50 to 0.03 %. Other quality parameters, such as peroxide value, anisidine value, and chlorophyll content, after traditional and minimal neutralization were within industrial acceptable levels. The use of Trisyl silica and Magnesol R60 made it feasible to remove the hot-water washing step and decreased the amount of residual soap to <10 mg/kg oil. There were no significant changes in chemical characteristics of canola oil after using wet and dry bleaching methods. During traditional neutralization, the total tocopherol loss was 19.6 %, while minimal refining with Ca(OH)₂, MgO, and Na₂SiO₃ resulted in 7.0, 2.6, and 0.9 % reductions in total tocopherols. Traditional refining removed 23.6 % of total free sterols, while after minimal refining free sterols content did not change. Both traditional and minimal refining resulted in almost complete removal of polyphenols from canola oil. Total phytosterols and tocopherols in two cold-pressed canola oils were 774 and 836 mg/100 g, and 366 and 354 mg/kg, respectively. The minimal refining method described in the present study was a new practical approach to remove undesirable components from crude canola oil meeting commercial refining standards while preserving more healthy minor components.