AND SUMMARYVarious processing steps were explored in an attempt to improve the quality of oil from field-and storage-damaged soybeans. A crude soybean oil (5.7% free fatty acid) commercially extracted from damaged soybeans was degummed in the laboratory with different reagents: water, phosphoric acid, and acetic anhydride. Two alkali strengths, each at 0.1 and 0.5% excess, were used to refine each degummed oil. After vacuum bleaching (0.5% activated earth) and deodorization (210 C, 3 hr), these oils were unacceptable as salad oils. A flavor score of 6.0 or higher characterizes a satisfactory oil. Scores of water and phosphoric acid degummed oils ranged from 4.5 to 5.1, while acetic anhydride degummed oils averaged 5.6. Flavor evaluations of (phosphoric acid degummed) single-and double-refined oils (210C deodorization) showed that the latter were significantly better. Flavor scores increased from 5.0 to about 6.0. To study the effects of deodorization temperature, the crude commercial oil was alkali-refined, water-washed and bleached with 0.5% activated earth, but the degumming step was omitted. Flavor evaluation of oil deodorized at 210, 230, and 260 C showed that each temperature increment raised flavor scores significantly. Further evaluations of specially processed oils (water, phosphoric acid, and acetic anhydride degummed oils given single and double refinings and deodorized at 260 C)showed that deodorization temperature is the most important factor affecting the initial quality of oil from damaged beans. Flavor evaluations showed that hydrogenation and hydrogenation-winterization treatments produced oils of high initial quality, but with poorer keeping properties than oils from normal beans. No evidence was found implicating nonhydratabte phosphatides in the oil flavor problem. Iron had a deleterious effect in oils not treated with citric acid during deodorization.
Alkali RefiningDegummed oils were refined with either 9.5 (14 ~ B~) or 14.4% (20 ~ B6) sodium hydroxide at excesses of 0.1 and 0.5%. Degummed oil (700 g) was placed in the food blender with the required amount of alkali, and the mixture was stirred for 10 min. The refined oils were washed with 180 ml water and recovered by centrifugation and decantation.