Scientists at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore claims that oil extracted from specific strains of microalgae coil can replace the environmentally-harmful palm oil.
According to findings published in the Journal of Applied Phycology, the extracted microalgae oil is shown to lower cholesterol levels and contain fewer saturated fatty acids than palm oil, which are linked to heart disease and stroke risk. Environmentally speaking, the microalgae is regenerative, abundant and harvesting is far less impactful than the deforestation linked to the palm oil industry.
Researchers at NTU partnered with peers at the University of Malaya in Malaysia. They created a microalgae oil that could feasibly replace palm oil as an ingredient in various products. The process is claimed to have involved combining an algae solution with a naturally-occurring acid, before exposing the concoction to UV light to speed up photosynthesis. 14 days later, the microalgae were processed and treated with methanol to separate oils and proteins. The oil was collected and tested, proving suitable for edible applications.
The combined team calculated that a 100-gram bar of chocolate would need oil extracted from 160 grams of microalgae. This was deemed sufficient initial trialling to conclude that the oil has significant application potential throughout the agri-food-tech industry.
Developing these plant-based oils from algae is yet another triumph for NTU Singapore as we look to find successful ways to tackle problems in the agri-food-tech chain, especially those that have an adverse impact on the environment,” William Chen, DSc, director of NTU’s Food Science and Technology Program, said in a statement. “Uncovering this as a potential human food source is an opportunity to lessen the impact the food supply chain has on our planet.
https://www.greenqueen.com.hk/can-microalgae-oil-replace-palm-oil/
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