Ham palmiye yağı — Frequently Asked Questions

Standard trade terms commonly set a maximum of 5 % FFA expressed as palmitic acid, with moisture and impurities at about 0.25 %. Actual FFA depends on how quickly fruit bunches were processed after harvest and on storage conditions. Lower-FFA CPO needs less deacidification before biodiesel production.

No. CPO is the main product of a palm oil mill, pressed from the fruit mesocarp. POME oil is the small quantity of oil recovered from the mill's wastewater, with much higher FFA and impurities. The two carry very different regulatory status, and presenting CPO as POME oil is a known fraud risk that auditors check for.

CPO is a food and feed crop oil not listed in Annex IX. The EU also classes palm oil as a high ILUC-risk feedstock, with its contribution to targets phased down to zero by 2030 unless certified as low ILUC risk, and several countries restrict it earlier. Confirm the treatment and certificate scope with your certification body before contracting.

CPO is roughly half saturated fatty acids, mainly palmitic acid, and saturated methyl esters crystallise at relatively high temperatures. Palm methyl ester therefore has a high cold filter plugging point, which limits its use in winter blends. HVO made from palm oil avoids the problem because isomerisation improves its cold-flow properties.

The deterioration of bleachability index compares carotene absorbance with that of oxidation products and indicates how easily the oil can be bleached. It matters most to refiners producing food oil, but a low DOBI also signals oxidised or mishandled oil, which can increase pretreatment costs for fuel producers.

Heat slowly to around 50–55 °C using steam coils or heating pads, and avoid local overheating, which raises FFA and harms bleachability. Start heating early enough to melt the whole cargo, and circulate before sampling so that the discharge sample represents the full tank.