Palm fat ≠ Palm kernel fat
The oil palm is a supplier of two different fats: palm fat and palm kernel fat, which must always be considered separately due to their dissimilar characteristics. While palm fat is produced from the pulp (= fruit flesh) of the palm fruit, only the kernel of the palm fruit is used in the extraction of palm kernel fat. The two fats differ not only in their origin, but also in their chemical composition and nutritional significance. Palm kernel fat has an unfavorable fatty acid profile with a very low proportion of MCT fats. In contrast, palm kernel fat has a favorable fatty acid composition with a high proportion of MCT fats.
|
|
Palm kernel fat (g/ 100 g) |
Palm fat (g/ 100 g) |
Coconut oil (g/ 100 g) |
MCT oil 100 % (g/ 100 g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
C6 fatty acids |
0,2 (0,4 %) |
0,0 (0,0 %) |
0,5 (0,9 %) |
0,0 (0,0 %) |
|
C8 fatty acids |
4,8 (9,0 %) |
0,0 (0,0 %) |
7,5 (13,0 %) |
59,8 (60,0 %) |
|
C10 fatty acids |
3,8 (7,0 %) |
0,0 (0,0 %) |
5,7 (10,0 %) |
39,9 (40,0 %) |
|
C12 fatty acids |
44,3 (83,0 %) |
0,2 (0,2 %) |
44,3 (76,0 %) |
0,1 (0,1 %) |
|
MCT fat (total) |
53,1 (53 %) |
0,2 (0,2 %) |
58,0 (58 %) |
100,0 (100 %) |
Due to the favorable fatty acid profile with a high proportion of MCT fats, coconut fat and palm kernel fat are also always used as starting substances in the production of MCT oils. These are converted into pure MCT oils by hydrolysis, fractionation of the medium-chain fatty acids and subsequent re-esterification with glycerol.
Food composition and nutrition tables, MedPharm Scientific Publishers 2016; BLS 2021.
Alessandra Mazzocchi et al, Nutrients 2018, 10, 2018.
Yee-Ying Lee et al, Food Science and Nutrition 2021