New method allows instant analysis of palm oil

A rapid analysis method will help palm oil producers to predict the productivity and quality of the oil obtained when the bunches are received at the industry or even before harvesting. The technology is being developed in partnership between Embrapa and the company Spectral Solutions and foresees the creation of an analytical platform for rapid chemical phenotyping of oil palm with the aid of a methodology called Near Infrared Spectrometry, or Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIR), in English.

Compared to conventional oil analysis methods, the method using NIR has the advantage of taking only a few seconds and not destroying the sample. Furthermore, it eliminates the use of solvents and other laboratory equipment.

“Inside the laboratory, the number of samples that can be analyzed is around ten to 15 per day, while using the NIR technique it could be estimated around 500 samples per day with a single piece of equipment”, he compares Simone Mendonça, researcher at Embrapa Agroenergy responsible for the research. 

The research unit had already developed a method using bench equipment. In the current project, which began last July and is expected to end in December 2022, the idea is to adapt the method to portable equipment that is cheaper than benchtop equipment.

According to Mendonça, although portable technology has a lower capacity for capturing spectral details, this can be compensated by expanding the database so that performance becomes equivalent. “For this, we have a partnership with Spectral Solutions, which joined the project by proposing two portable devices and providing support in chemometric analysis and the development of software to support the equipment”, says the researcher.  

How the NIR method works in oil palm analysis

The analysis methodology is based on the interaction between electromagnetic radiation in the infrared region emitted by NIR equipment with the sample being analyzed. When this light falls on an object, certain colors are absorbed and others are reflected or transmitted. The physical basis of light absorption is related to the nature of molecular bonds which, in turn, are defined by the bonds between atoms within molecules. 

The frequency of vibration between these molecules causes a certain absorption of light in the infrared region. The device then measures the differences between the amount of light emitted by the NIR and that reflected by the sample. In this reflection, each wavelength generates a spectrum (response graph), which works like a fingerprint of a sample. 

“Our work consists of carrying out conventional laboratory chemical analyzes and “teaching” the equipment which specific lengths are associated with variations in the content of a given chemical component. From this, we moved on to chemometrics, which is the application of mathematics to analytical chemistry”, details researcher Simone Mendonça.

The technique is an integration between spectroscopy, statistics and data computing. “At the end of this work, we will have calibrated equipment and then it will be possible that just by pressing a button, we will have chemical results such as oil content, acidity, fatty acid profile, etc., on the screen of the cell phone to which the equipment will be located. coupled”, he predicts.

The analysis is carried out on the whole fruit or cut in half, capturing the spectrum directly in the pulp. 

With NIR, it will be possible to quickly determine the content and quality of the oil in different species of palm oil (Elaeis spp.). The information that can be obtained ranges from acidity to the profile of fatty acids present in the samples. 

The methodology was developed based on demand verified in the oil palm agroindustry, where payment to suppliers is made based on the weight of the load, without evaluating the oil content and quality of the material being delivered. “Often, the bunches are harvested at the wrong time of maturation, which results in a lower oil yield than their potential and results in a more acidic oil”, says the Embrapa scientist.

Furthermore, in general, the oil palm bunch has to be processed within a maximum of 48 hours, as after this period the oil begins to be degraded in the fruit, which reduces its quality. 

Another challenge noted by the research team was the slowness of laboratory analyzes to determine the oil content, acidity and other quality parameters, since for this to be done the fruit must be detached from the bunch, pulped, ground, dried in an oven for many hours and only then sent for analysis. 

“Oil content analysis, for example, takes six hours of solvent extraction, and there is also drying time, which can take a few hours. In other words, within the dynamics of collecting or receiving samples, it is unfeasible to associate important chemical analyzes for better yield and quality of oil production”, explains Mendonça. Therefore, the conventional method takes longer, which ends up impacting the processing time of the fruit, which is highly degradable post-harvest. 

“The analytical platform to be developed will be portable, which will allow producers to use it in the field. Furthermore, the industry will be able to reward the supplier for the quality of the bunch they are delivering”, says the CEO of Spectral Solutions, Luiz Felipe Aquino. Delivery of the first version of the equipment is scheduled for the second half of 2022.

Quality control at harvest and at the plant 

For the producer, the use of the equipment will mean better yields and oil quality. “The portable NIR can help with harvesting, as we intend to create a mechanism to take the equipment to the bunch while it is still on the plant, obtaining a signal as to whether or not that bunch is at the ideal point to be harvested”, explains the CEO of Spectral Solutions, Luiz Felipe Aquino.

The application can also be carried out at the plant, to control the quality of materials that are being delivered by third parties, which can generate different pricing according to the quality of the bunches. 

Another possible use is to control the yard time before processing, prioritizing the entry into processing of those batches that are already showing some sign of unwanted acidification. 

Spectral Solutions is a startup based in Embu das Artes (SP), dedicated to developing innovative solutions aimed at industry 4.0. It works with spectroscopy, data science and IoT (Internet of Things) technologies. 

Palm oil with low acidity

Researchers from the Lemos Mariano Experimental Station of the Executive Committee of the Cocoa Farming Plan (Esmai/Ceplac), in partnership with the Embrapa Western Amazon, developed Unaué, a palm oil almost devoid of acidity. 

With a lower presence of saturated fatty acids and a higher presence of oleic acids, compared to traditional palm oil (of African origin), Unaué is an oil with extremely high nutritional value. This is because it has an acidity of 1%, while in artisanal palm oil this percentage varies between 3% and 5%, depending on the quality of production. If it is extra virgin, the acidity of the artisanal product drops to 0,8%. 

Unaué is derived from the fruit of the hybrid oil palm known as HIE OxG, created by crossing species of African origin (Elaeis guineensis) and Caiaué, of American origin (Elaeis oleifera). 

The first HIE OxG cultivar was launched by Embrapa in 2010, and was named BRS Manicoré. In addition to low acidity, BRS Manicoré also presents resistance to the Red Ring (AV - caused by the nematode Bursaphelenchus cocophilus Cobb) and slow growth in height, which reduces harvesting costs due to greater labor yield.