Natural refining of extruded-expelled soybean oils having various fatty acid compositions

Simple, low-capital-investment oil refining techniques, which may also meet the needs of natural or organic food industries, were explored to process extruded-expelled (E-E) soybean oils with various fatty acid compositions. Most settled E-E oils are naturally tow in phosphatides (< 100 ppm phosphorus) and were easily water degummed to low phosphorus levels (< 55 ppm). Free fatty acids were reduced to 0.04% by adsorption with 3% Magnesol((R)). Magnesol reduced residual phosphorus contents to negligible levels. This material also adsorbed primary and secondary oil oxidation products. Our adsorption refining procedure was much milder than conventional refining, as indicated by little formation of primary and secondary lipid oxidation products and less loss of tocopherol. The remaining challenge to effective natural refining is the removal of off-flavor components. Our adsorption treatment reduced the natural flavor of soybean oil but flavor was still present, probably too strong for many consumers. Polyunsaturated oils oxidized more easily than did the other types of oils; therefore, precautions should be taken when refining such oils. High-oleic soybean oil, on the other hand, had excellent oxidative stability and better flavor characteristics after degumming and adsorption with Magnesol compared with other oils.