Fighting Health Risks Securing food quality in palm oil production

Securing food quality in palm oil production

The process of refining any type of vegetable oil can, under certain circumstances, lead to the presence of carcinogenic substances. This also pertains to palm oil, the most commonly used vegetable oil in global food production. EU regulations introduced in 2018 limit the maximum level of fatty acid esters (3-MCPD) that are suspected of raising the risk of cancer.

Producers on the other side of the globe are required to comply with these rules and therefore need to install the appropriate analytical measurement equipment. "The presence of organic and inorganic chlorine, which often occurs during the refining process, needs to be limited and monitored because it’s reported to be responsible for the formation of the contaminant 3-MCPD in production process," explained Santhiti Tawachsupa, Head of Analytik Jena Far East. "This in fact constitutes a new and profitable market segment for us."

Using the Elemental Analyzer multi EA 5000, customers can check chlorine levels in crude palm oil both prior to and during the production process, optimized to save time and to take into account the matrix properties in question. Given the new chloride limit to be introduced in Malaysia in Q3 2020, Analytik Jena has found a particular market need here, with at least 12 multi EA 5000 analyzers in use for this purpose by the beginning of 2020 in Indonesia and Malaysia – and counting.

If you work in Bangkok …

... you get to travel all across Southeast Asia.

From Thailand’s capital Bangkok, Analytik Jena Far East covers Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, and Brunei, with frequent visits to customers at various locations. And customers also get to visit Bangkok to test instruments firsthand at the application centre – not to mention sampling the world-renowned Thai cuisine.

... you get to have two names.

Long names that are hard to pronounce (internationally) are often replaced by a short nickname. This is how Santhiti became Kent and Jarungjit became Pui. “If someone calls me Jarungjit,” Pui says, “I know it’s serious.” So please call her Pui (unless it’s serious!).

... you get to party every month.

After-work parties are scheduled for Fridays at 5:30 p.m. about once a month. “Casual talk can lead to valuable information and helps us grow our business,” Kent explained. (It may sound like an excuse, but it’s not, of course!) And the big company trip early each year serves to provide another heaping dose of team spirit.