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What Is FFA (Free Fatty Acid)? Definition, Standards, and Its Impact

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Byadmin01
🕑 10 Nov 2026⏱ 10 min read1,820 words
  • FFA (free fatty acid) is the main quality parameter of crude palm oil (CPO) and the one that most determines price and suitability as a refining feedstock.
  • SNI 2901:2021 divides CPO into premium (FFA maximum 3.0%) and regular (FFA maximum 5.0%).
  • FFA forms through the hydrolysis of triglycerides by the enzyme lipase, accelerated by water and heat, starting from harvest through to oil storage.
  • High FFA lowers RBDPO yield, raises refining cost, and can reduce fractionation quality.
  • FFA is measured by base titration and expressed as palmitic acid, with 5% as the general limit for CPO that is fit for further processing.

FFA is the parameter most discussed in palm oil trade after volume. A low FFA means the fruit was harvested, transported, and processed well; a high FFA means the oil has begun to degrade and its selling value falls.

What Is FFA?

FFA stands for free fatty acid. In palm oil, most of the fat is stored as triglycerides, namely three fatty acid chains bound to a glycerol molecule. When that bond breaks, the fatty acids are released and become “free” — this is what is called FFA.[1]

The main free fatty acids in palm oil are palmitic acid, oleic acid, and linoleic acid. Because palmitic acid dominates, the FFA content is calculated and expressed as palmitic acid with a molecular mass of 256 g/mol, although the term used can differ between laboratories.[2]

In fats and oils testing, FFA is also often referred to as the acid value, namely the number of milligrams of KOH required to neutralise the free acids in one gram of sample. The higher the acid value, the higher the FFA content.[3]

How Does FFA Form?

FFA formation is a hydrolysis reaction: triglycerides break down into free fatty acids, monoglycerides, and diglycerides. The reaction is accelerated by three things at once, namely water, heat, and the enzyme lipase. All three are present from the time the fruit is harvested, stored, transported, and held in the oil tank.[1]

Lipase is most active when the fruit is moist and damaged. Bruised, cut, or pest-infested fruit has a broken protective layer, so the lipase comes into direct contact with the oil in the mesocarp. High moisture content also accelerates hydrolysis and lowers the oxidative stability of the oil.[4]

The impact is not only on FFA. Oil with high FFA tends to oxidise faster, become rancid, and darken in colour, so product quality falls and refining cost rises.[5]

FFA Quality Standards for CPO

In Indonesia, CPO quality is governed by the Indonesian National Standard. SNI 2901:2021 divides CPO into two classes, premium and regular, with FFA content as the main differentiator.

Table 1. FFA limits and CPO quality parameters under SNI
Standard Product / class Max. FFA Moisture Min. DOBI
SNI 2901:2021 Premium CPO 3.0% 0.25% 2.5
SNI 2901:2021 Regular CPO 5.0% 0.50% 2.0
SNI 01-2901-2006 CPO (old) 5.0% (as palmitic acid) 0.5% Not specified
SNI 8483:2018 CPO for low-speed diesel fuel Max. acid value 15 mg KOH/g 0.45% Not specified
Source: BSN (SNI 2901:2021, SNI 01-2901-2006, SNI 8483:2018). SNI 01-2901-2006 is still referenced by many old sales contracts, while SNI 2901:2021 adds DOBI as a parameter.

This 5% limit is not a quietly agreed number: FFA above 5% indicates enzymatic damage or processing delays, so the oil is judged no longer fit for further processing on an economic basis.[6]

Field practice still lags behind the newest standard. A survey of palm oil mills in North Sumatra and Riau noted that many operators had not aligned their contracts with SNI 2901:2021, so old contracts specifying a maximum FFA of 5% and maximum moisture and impurities of 0.50% remain common.[7]

The Effect of FFA on Processing

FFA is a component that must be separated during refining. The higher the FFA in CPO, the more components are discarded, so yield of RBDPO falls and production of PFAD (palm fatty acid distillate) rises.[8]

Other consequences for the process: greater need for phosphoric acid and caustic soda, higher bleaching earth dosage, and diglycerides carried into RBDPO that can inhibit crystal formation in fractionation. Plants must also reduce flow rate to maintain deodorizer vacuum, so effective capacity falls.[1]

For this reason, oil flow separation in the mill is one way to hold FFA down. A study at a mill in Sumatra showed that oil flow separation lowered the FFA of premium product from 3.58% to 2.50–2.69% and raised the proportion of premium CPO to about 37.4% without adding capacity.[9]

Storage also raises FFA. A study of CPO samples at the same mill recorded FFA rising from 2.97% on arrival to 3.22% after passing through the storage tank, while DOBI fell from above 2.5 to around 2.2–2.35.[7]

The Effect of FFA on Price and Trade

Because FFA determines refining cost and the quality of the final product, this content directly affects the selling value of CPO. CPO quality classes are differentiated by FFA content, and the price difference is real.

Table 2. Classification of palm oil by FFA content
Class FFA content Note
Premium CPO 0–3% Meets SNI 2901:2021 premium class
Standard CPO 0–5% Meets SNI 2901:2021 regular class
Off-spec 5–10% Outside standard quality, still used for certain purposes
Pome oil 10–20% Mill effluent pond oil or further separation product
Hapor 20–70% Mill effluent pond oil or further separation product
PFAD >70% By-product of the CPO refining process
Source: Susanto (2008) and the CPO quality classification commonly used by industry. Boundaries between classes can differ between companies.

GAPKI notes that CPO with FFA below 3.5% (grade I) can receive a premium of up to USD 100 per tonne compared with grade III CPO, which is generally only used as biodiesel feedstock.[10] On the feedstock receiving side, plants generally set a target FFA below 4.0% so that it remains within the premium or good regular class.[1]

At the national level, CPO quality also helps determine trade value. GAPKI recorded Indonesian CPO production in 2025 at 51.66 million tonnes, up 7.26% from 48.16 million tonnes in 2024, with the export value of palm oil products reaching Rp590 trillion.[11] Consistent quality matters for Indonesia to retain access to markets that demand tight specifications.

Factors That Increase FFA

There are three main groups of factors: fruit maturity, length of holding, and physical damage.

Fruit maturity. FFA rises with maturity level. A study of palm fruit recorded average FFA of 2.349% for unripe fruit, 2.672% for under-ripe, 3.097% for ripe I, 3.323% for ripe II, 4.006% for overripe, and 4.051% for rotten fruit.[12] Industry estimates that just 1% overripe fruit can raise FFA by about 0.064%.[13]

Length of holding. Fruit held before processing shows a sharp FFA increase. A study of leftover palm fruit recorded a coefficient of 0.94, meaning each additional day of holding raises FFA by about 0.94%.[14] In fruit storage before processing, another study recorded FFA of 21.67–44.45% after seven days of storage.[15]

Physical damage and handling. Bruised, cut, or pest-infested fruit has lipase in direct contact with the oil. Rough handling and transport delays also raise FFA, and physical damage accelerates the increase during storage.[4]

Measuring FFA

FFA is measured by acid-base titration. The sample is dissolved in a neutral solvent such as isopropanol or 95% ethanol, then titrated with NaOH or KOH solution using a phenolphthalein indicator. The endpoint is reached when a pink colour appears and persists for at least 30 seconds.[3]

Nationally, the method for determining acid value and acidity is governed by SNI 9331:2024 as a revision of SNI ISO 660:2015. This standard recognises three variants: indicator titration in cold solvent, potentiometric titration (the reference method), and hot ethanol titration.[16]

The calculation refers to the molecular mass of the reference fatty acid. For CPO, FFA is expressed as palmitic acid with a factor of 25.6, while for palm kernel oil (CPKO) a factor of 20.0 is used.[17] Analysis is performed at least in duplicate, with the difference between the two results not exceeding 0.05%.[2]

In modern mills, automatic titration and near-infrared (NIR) sensors are increasingly used for rapid monitoring, especially at the feedstock receiving stage.[18]

Summary

FFA is the free fatty acid formed from the hydrolysis of triglycerides by the enzyme lipase, accelerated by water and heat, from harvest through to oil storage. This content determines the quality, price, and refining cost of CPO: FFA above 5% indicates the oil has begun to degrade and is outside standard quality. FFA is measured by base titration and expressed as palmitic acid. Keeping FFA low means maintaining fruit quality at harvest, speeding up processing, and minimising holding time.

References

  1. Ng, S. K. Refinery Crude Palm Oil Quality. Malaysian Oil Scientists’ and Technologists’ Association (MOSTA). https://mosta.org.my/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/1.3-Ng-Siew-Kwan.pdf
  2. Badan Standardisasi Nasional (BSN). SNI 01-2901-2006: Minyak Kelapa Sawit (Crude Palm Oil). BSN, Jakarta.
  3. Badan Standardisasi Nasional (BSN). SNI 9331:2024: Lemak dan minyak hewani dan nabati — Penentuan bilangan asam dan keasaman (ISO 660:2020, IDT). BSN, Jakarta.
  4. Pengaruh Kerusakan dan Lama Penyimpanan Tandan Buah Segar (TBS) terhadap Kadar Asam Lemak Bebas (ALB) dalam Minyak Sawit Mentah (CPO). Jurnal Teknotan, Universitas Padjadjaran. https://journals.unpad.ac.id/teknotan/article/download/62442/pdf
  5. Analisis Proses Pengolahan Buah Kelapa Sawit Menjadi Crude Palm Oil (CPO). Jurnal Atmosphere, ITN Malang. https://ejournal.itn.ac.id/atmosphere/article/download/6738/3911
  6. Evaluasi Kualitas Minyak Sawit Mentah (CPO) PT Suryaraya Lestari I. Pharmaceutical and Cosmetic Journal, Universitas Kristen Paulaus. https://ojs.ukipaulus.ac.id/index.php/pcj/article/download/621/581
  7. Factors Affecting Crude Palm Oil Quality Across the Supply Chain: Implications for Downstream Industries in North Sumatra and Riau. Jurnal Media Perkebunan (IRIPBB). https://mp.iribb.org/index.php/mpjurnal/article/download/646/519
  8. Majalah Ilmiah Teknologi Industri (SAINTI) Vol. 18 No. 1, 2021. Oil Loss pada Deodorizer dan Pengaruhnya terhadap Yield RBDPO. Politeknik ATI Padang. https://ejurnal.poltekatipdg.ac.id/index.php/sainti/article/download/122/89/246
  9. Improving CPO Quality with Oil Flow Separation. Jurnal IPTEK, Institut Teknik Adhi Tama Surabaya (ITATS). https://ejurnal.itats.ac.id/iptek/article/download/8509/5289
  10. Kajian mutu dan grading CPO: grade I (FFA ≤ 3,5%) menerima premi harga hingga USD 100 per ton. Tinjauan pustaka, Universitas Trias Bhakti.
  11. Gabungan Pengusaha Kelapa Sawit Indonesia (GAPKI). Kinerja Sawit 2025 Menguat: Produksi Naik, Ekspor Tembus Rp590 Triliun (Maret 2026). https://gapki.id/news/2026/03/13/kinerja-sawit-2025-menguat-produksi-naik-ekspor-tembus-rp590-triliun
  12. Pengaruh Kematangan Buah terhadap FFA dan Besarnya Kandungan Minyak di Pabrik Kelapa Sawit. JOM, Instiper Yogyakarta. https://jurnal.instiperjogja.ac.id/index.php/JOM/article/download/394/377/2612
  13. Analisis Proses Pengolahan Buah Kelapa Sawit Menjadi Crude Palm Oil (CPO). Jurnal Atmosphere, ITN Malang.
  14. Analisa Variasi Lama Pemeraman Buah Matang terhadap Kadar Asam Lemak Bebas. JOM, Instiper Yogyakarta. https://jurnal.instiperjogja.ac.id/index.php/JOM/article/download/1973/1225/15668
  15. Characteristics of Fresh Fruit Bunch Yield and the Effect of Fruit Storage on Palm Oil Quality. International Journal of Chemistry (IJC), Universitas Gadjah Mada. https://journal.ugm.ac.id/ijc/article/viewFile/24910/16645
  16. RSNI3 9331:2024 — Lemak dan minyak hewani dan nabati: penentuan bilangan asam dan keasaman. BSN.
  17. Instruksi Kerja Analisa Asam Lemak Bebas (FFA) CPO dan PKO. Laboratorium PKS dan KCP (IK AGR LAB 41-01 R3).
  18. TaniDig. SNI Kelapa Sawit: Standar, Regulasi & Digitalisasi 2026. https://tanidig.com/sni-kelapa-sawit/
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