Preliminary Investigation on the Suitability of Bayelsa Crude Palm Oil for Margarine Production and Quality Evaluation

Abstract

There are basic understanding and data gaps on the suitability of crude palm oil (CPO) from Bayelsa State as a resource in margarine formulation. This study is part of a fundamental step in addressing these gaps, hence, a preliminary investigation into the suitability of Bayelsa crude palm oil for margarine production. The extracted CPO was subjected to refining and emulsification processes to produce the desired oil phase, following standard protocols and quality assurance in margarine production. The effect of combined ratios of oil phase (OP) and aqueous phase (AP) at increasing AP of 10 to 30% was investigated. The target product with the best sensory properties was further analysed for nutrient profile via proximate analysis for moisture, ash, crude carbohydrate, crude protein, crude fibre, fat and oil contents following standard procedures. Results showed that Bayelsa crude palm oil is a potential raw material source for margarine production. Based on standard classification, medium-fat/reduced- fat margarine was produced in this study. A further study is recommended to foster the use of this resource to revolutionize the palm oil sector into a viable industrial sector in Bayelsa with scalable potential nationwide.

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