Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB)
Prices of oils and fats have been fluctuating in the past, with ups and downs in the global market. Figure 1 shows that they had been accelerating upward since 2006 up until June 2008 after which they plummeted towards end of the year. The uptrend movements were closely affected by the petroleum price which had […]
Since the 1980s, MPOB (then PORIM) has been in the forefront of R&D in palm biodiesel and its downstream product applications. The MPOB palm biodiesel technology has since been successfully tested on a pilot scale and commercialized by transfer of technology. To date, 18 palm biodiesel plants have been built in Malaysia and eight are […]
The oil palm is one of the richest sources of fat-soluble antioxidants such as carotenoids, tocopherols and tocotrienols. While much attention has been focussed on these fat-soluble components, little emphasis has been given to the water-soluble components, most of which are discarded during the extraction of palm oil. In 2008, the Malaysian palm oil industry […]
The increasing global awareness of the rapid depletion of the non-renewable fuel and energy resources as well as the environmental concern of the world have resulted in the search for sustainable alternative fuels. One of the most promising alternative fuels is the vegetable oils and their ester derivatives or commonly known as biodiesel. Oil palm, […]
The oil palm, Elaeis guineensis, is the source of palm oil – the ‘tropical golden oil’. Malaysia is the world’s largest exporter of this golden oil. Palm oil is a versatile oil with a wide range of uses in food and nonfood areas. Triglycerides constitute the major component of crude palm oil, with smaller proportions […]
The palm oil industry has been a significant driver in the economic development of Malaysia and has established itself in the international oil and fats business. The Malaysian palm oil industry has gained strength each year to promote its growth to a new level. In 2008, the industry recorded export earnings of oil palm products […]
The oils and fats were characterized by the volatility of their prices which had moved in large magnitudes on the upswing and downswing within the short period of a year. While following the momentum of the swing, they were affected by several factors, among which were petroleum price and their use in biodiesel production. The […]
Sustaining the development of the Malaysian oil palm industry is crucial because the exports of palm oil and palm-based products bring in substantial revenue (RM 14.2 billion in 2008) to the country. The basic challenge confronting the Malaysian oil palm industry is how to sustain development and global competitiveness in the face of stagnating productivity, […]
Fats used for formulating shortening and margarine require a certain amount of solids. These solids are mainly obtained by the catalytic hydrogenation of liquid oils. However, hydrogenated fats are undesirable in food formulations as they contain trans fatty acids. Trans fatty acids (TFA) were reported to be a cholesterol-elevating agent, raising the low density lipoprotein […]
The world is demanding for economic growth but yet this growth must be achieved through environmental conservation while enhancing the quality of human life. Sustainability is about preserving the health of the biosphere and the efficient use of natural resources such as air, water, land, flora and fauna (Chan, 2004). Sustainable development has been popularly […]