Abstract
Thermal treatment can be used to reduce content of glycidyl fatty acid
esters (GE) in distilled monoglycerides and mono-di-glyceride products.
The potential reduction of GE is temperature dependent, and low
temperature (e.g. 80°C) can reduce GE to a lower level than higher
temperatures. Reaching a level close to equilibrium can take weeks (at
e.g. 80°), while it can be reached in hours at e.g. 150°C. The thermal
treatment has, however, also negative impact on other quality
parameters. The content of monoglyceride in both distilled monoglyceride
and in mono-di-glycerides is also reduced during the thermal treatment.
More at higher than at lower temperatures. These conclusions are built
on 47 lab and pilot experiments using different mono- and
mono-di-glycerides compositions (both in terms of glycerides and fatty
acids), temperatures between 80°C and 200°C and starting levels of GE. A
mathematical model was developed to analyse the experimental data.