Towards Carotene-Retentive and Low-FFA Palm Oil: Evaluating Process Variables in Hybrid Acid-Enzymatic Degumming

The hybrid acid-enzymatic (HAE) degumming is an alternative method that offers a solution by reducing free fatty acid (FFA) formation and enhancing phospholipid removal. This study aims to assess the effect of HAE operating conditions on carotene content and FFA through complete randomized desiisn (CRD). The variation of operating conditions included temperature (55, 75, 95, and 115°C), phosphoric acid concentration (1.3, 1.8, 2.2, and 2.7%v/v) and lipase enzyme concentration (0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2%v/v). The hybrid acid-enzymatic (HAE) degumming is an alternative method that offers a solution The results showed that increasing the temperature caused a decrease in carotene content 454.958 ppm and FFA content 0.723%. On increasing phosphoric acid in degumming, there was decreasing in carotene content to 453.855 ppm though FFA content was increased at 1.044%. The carotene degradation was minimal at 453.462 ppm, and the FFA content was also reduced to 0,5%. The kinetic studies revealed that β-carotene degradation and FFA removal during HAE degumming follow first-order kinetics. β-carotene demonstrated higher temperature sensitivity (Ea 19.6 kJ/mol) compared to FFA (Ea 12.0 kJ/mol), indicating that carotene stability is key factor of process optimization. Future research should focus on optimizing the HAE process through kinetic and thermodynamic analysis to enhance carotene retention while minimizing FFA.