Big Business Opportunity of Vitamin A, E Sourcing from Palm Oil
reported by: Setiawan Liu
Jakarta, December 10, 2020/Indonesia Media – The chairman of Indonesian oleochemical producer association (Apolin) Rapolo Hutabarat said the industry of palm oil had not been thoroughly developed in a sense of business. He reiterated that the source of palm oil such as POME would produce electricity, gas, algae. Empty fruit bunches of palm oil produces electricity and ethanol. The Alpha-Tocopherol Beta-Carotene (ATBC) can be used for food industry and pharmacy. Pitch glycerol produces bio-polymer and asphalt. The potential of ATBC amounted to 13.5 thousand tons/year, while Tocopherols 27 thousand tons/year.
The international market price for the raw material of natural Beta-Carotene ranges from US$350 – US$7500 per kilogram, and synthetic Beta-Carotene US$250 – US$2000 per kilogram. Meanwhile the price of natural Tocopherol reached a price of US$100 per kilogram, synthetic US$ 20 – 75 per kilogram. “With its big opportunity we have, Indonesia has really neglected the unexplored potential of the industry for commercial,” he said during the webinar organized by Agrina Magazine.
A lecturer of Science and Food Technology, of Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) and the researcher of palm oil, Nuri Andarwulan explained the potential of palm oil, from harvest to table, containing phytochemical composition. The leaves of palm oil containing tocols and tocopherol, namely the source of Vitamin E. Empty fruit bunches containing carotenoids and phenolic compounds. After that, sterile conditions occurred or palm oil mill effluent containing carotenoids, tocols, squalene, phytosterol, and phenolic compounds.
“Further processing yields palm oil, and it proves to be the main source of phytochemical, Phytonutrients containing carotenoids, phospholipids, tocols, squalene, phytosterol and phenolic compounds. The part of refinery, there is palm fatty acid distillate from secondary metabolism, there are phytosterol, tocols and squalene. The potential of compounds, used for commercial purposes are Beta-Carotene and tocols or tocophecrol,” she said. The Head of Biosciences and Biotechnology Research Center or PUIPT Nutrasetikal, Elfahmi Yaman said the research in a relationship with Vitamin A and E continued to develop since CPO containing the source of Vitamin A and E and can be used for commercial pharmacy.
“Most of pharmaceutical availability derives the sources from import. Ironically, we have big potential, big opportunity from palm oil. This is our challenge to work together to implement the new prospect of palm oil,” Elfahmi Yaman said. (sl/IM)
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