A NEW SHORT-PATH DISTILLATION SYSTEM APPLIED TO THE REDUCTION OF CHOLESTEROL IN BUTTER AND LARD

A molecular distillation plant, built particularly to increase the separation efficiency and to obtain safer working conditions, was tested to remove cholesterol from anhydrous butter and lard. A preliminary experiment was carried out with butter to evaluate the fractionation obtained at temperatures between 190 and 250 degrees C and residual pressures be tween 10(-3) and 10(-4) torr. A second experiment was carried out at 185 degrees C and at the maximum operational vacuum, evaluating the fractionation achieved within a time scale between 30 and 180 min. Cholesterol was almost completely removed during the second hour with minimal loss of low-molecular weight triglycerides. An experiment was carried out with lard at 250 degrees C and maximum achievable operational vacuum (10(-4) Torr), lasting approximately 6h, and cholesterol was removed almost completely during the second hour without significant modifications in the triglyceride composition. This situation remained constant throughout the duration of the test.