International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition

Authors
Niaba Koffi Pierre Valery, Combo Agnan Marie-Michel, Ekissi Alice Christine, ESSE David, Beugre Grah Avit Maxwell

Abstract
Plant products, especially oil from palm seeds, have remarkable nutritional and therapeutic properties due to their chemical composition. However, poor production and storage conditions can affect their quality. the aim of this study was to improve the impact of storage conditions on the quality of red palm oils produced traditionally and industrially in the presence and absence of sun. The storage of two oil types was followed up for eight weeks. The analysis of three quality parameters which are: water content, acidity and the peroxide index of two oils types was carried out according to standard methods. Analysis of results shows that the water contents of the oils during their storage decrease from 0.7 to 0.13%. The decrease from 0.42 to 0.13% is more significant with industrial red palm oil in the presence of sun. In addition, storage induced an increase in the acidity of oils from 2.35 to 3.28% in absence of sun and from 2.35 to 3.76% in presence of sun. As for oil peroxide indices, an increase from 0.74 to 1.67 meq O₂ / kg has been observed. In both types of storage, artisanal red palm oil had high acidity and peroxide index values. However, during their storage, the artisanal and industrial red palm oils presented acceptable water contents, acidity and peroxide index and in conformity with standards, exception of acidity of artisanal raw palm. Industrial red palm oil therefore has good chemical quality during storage, both in the absence and in presence of sun.