Inventors:
Michael A. Rothbart - Fullerton CA
George W. Serbia - Orange CA
Elton H. Carey - Fullerton CA
Assignee:
Beatrice/Hunt Wesson, Inc. - Fullerton CA
International Classification:
C09F 510
C11B 300
Abstract:
A close-coupled method of treating unrefined, unbleached soybean oil to produce a stable edible frying oil. The close-coupled process involves performing a series of steps to refine and bleach unrefined, unbleached soybean oil in a continuous sequence without intermediate storage and without substantial exposure to oxygen in the air which can lead to oxidation of heated oil, as follows: treating unrefined, unbleached soybean oil with a caustic agent; heating and water washing the treated soybean oil; degassing the soybean oil to remove a substantial portion of any oxygen and water entrained in the oil; dispersing into the oil a minor amount of finely divided, activated metallic salts and oxides including bleaching earths, clays, etc. ; and heating the resulting dispersion in a carbon dioxide atmosphere. The treated oil is then degassed to remove entrained carbon dioxide, filtered to remove particulates and then cooled to provide a refined, bleached soybean oil.