1. 4.4 PALM OIL AND ITS IMPORTANCE
TO NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

2. Learning objective
• Label 3 structure of an oil palm fruit
• Draw flow map on process of extracting palm
oil from the oil palm fruit
• List 3 uses of palm oil
• List 3 the nutritional substances found in
palm oil
• Describe 2 local R&D activities on oil palm

3. Structure of oil palm fruit

4. Mesocarp/ Husk High oil content
Endocarp/ Shell No oil
Kernel Little oil but high quality

5. 1. Oil Palm tree can produce oil palm from a
mature oil palm fruits.
2. Palm oil is derived much from the mesocarp
of the palm fruit. From kernel a little only.
3. The process to extracted an oil palm can be
divided into five main stages :
i. Sterilisation
ii. Threshing
iii. Destruction and Digestion
iv. Extraction
v. Filtration
vi. Purification.

6. Extraction of palm oil- in laboratory

7. - STEPS PURPOSE
a. Sterilisation-
sterilised using hot
steam
 To soften the fruit and make it easy to
remove from the bunch
 To kill bacteria/ fungi
a. Threshing/
Separation
 Fruit is separated from bunch
a. Digestion/
Crushing
 Fruit is smashed and crushed
a. Extraction  Oil from husk and kernel is extracted
a. Filtration  Oil is filtered to remove husk debris
a. Purification  Steam is passed through to remove
odour
 Oil is passed through activated carbon
to remove its colour

9. 4.THE USES OF PALM OIL

10. 5.THE NUTRITIONAL SUBSTANCES
FOUND IN PALM OIL
Fatty acid
Vitamin A
Vitamin E
Beta-carotene
(antioxidant)

11. 6.Government Agency- research and develop palm
oil industry
Example : MPOB, FELDA, FELCRA
7.Potential uses of palm oil as:
a)Palm oil as biodiesel- causes less pollution
b)Waste product from palm used to produce pulp,
paper, playwood
c)Empty fruit bunches used as fuel in factories