What Is RBD Palm Oil? Specifications, Process, and Uses
- RBD palm oil (refined, bleached, deodorized palm oil) is palm oil fully refined from CPO, with FFA maximum 0.1% and moisture and impurities maximum 0.1%.[1]
- Trade specifications list iodine value 50–55, melting point 33–39 °C, and color maximum 3 red on a 5.25-inch Lovibond cell.[1]
- This oil is bland, odourless, light yellow, and semi-solid at room temperature.[2]
- It is obtained through degumming, bleaching, and deodorization, with deodorization at 250–270 °C and low pressure.[3]
- It is used for cooking oil, margarine, shortening, ice cream, condensed milk, vanaspati, soap, and oleochemical feedstock.[1]
RBD palm oil is fully refined palm oil from the final purification stage. Its neutral, stable character makes it a main raw material for the global food industry.
What Is RBD Palm Oil?
RBD palm oil or refined, bleached, deodorized palm oil is palm oil that has undergone full refining from crude palm oil. This product is bland, odourless, light yellow, and semi-solid at room temperature.[2]
Refining aims to remove free fatty acids, gum, phospholipids, pigments, and compounds that give odour and flavour. The result is a stable, neutral oil suitable for many food and industrial applications.[3]
RBD palm oil is the base form before fractionation. This oil can be further processed into palm olein as the liquid fraction and palm stearin as the solid fraction.[1]
Product Specifications
RBD palm oil quality is set based on free fatty acids, moisture and impurities, iodine value, melting point, peroxide value, and color. Common trade standards refer to PORAM specifications with FFA maximum 0.1% and moisture and impurities maximum 0.1%, while producers set stricter industry limits.[1][4][5]
| Parameter | PORAM | Industry |
|---|---|---|
| Free fatty acids (% as palmitic acid) | Max. 0.1 | Max. 0.05 |
| Moisture and impurities (%) | Max. 0.1 | Max. 0.05 |
| Iodine value (Wijs, g I2/100 g) | 50–55 | 51.5–52.5 |
| Melting point (°C) | 33–39 | Not specified |
| Color (5.25-inch Lovibond cell, red) | Max. 3 | Max. 2.5 |
| Peroxide value (mg/kg) | Not specified | Zero |
| Phosphorus (ppm) | Not specified | Max. 3 |
| Flavour | Not specified | Bland |
| Temperature (°C) | SFC (%) |
|---|---|
| 20 | 20–25 |
| 25 | 11–16 |
| 30 | 6–10 |
| 35 | 3–6 |
| 40 | Max. 4 |
Refining Process
Palm oil refining consists of degumming, bleaching, and deodorization. Degumming removes gum and phospholipids, bleaching removes pigments and residual impurities, and deodorization removes free fatty acids and volatile compounds that cause odour and flavour.[3]
Deodorization is carried out at 240–260 °C under high vacuum of 2–6 mbar with stripping steam injection. At this stage remaining carotene breaks down so the oil becomes light, while some tocopherols and tocotrienols are lost.[3]
There are two refining approaches: physical and chemical refining. Physical refining removes free fatty acids by steam distillation during deodorization, while chemical refining neutralizes them with alkali so deodorization temperature is lower.[3]
Uses
RBD palm oil is used as a raw material for cooking oil, margarine, shortening, ice cream, condensed milk, and vanaspati. Its semi-solid nature at room temperature makes it suitable as a partial hydrogenation substitute in food products.[1][2]
In non-food industry, RBD palm oil is used for soap, wax, and oleochemicals. Its very low fatty acid content makes it suitable for producing fatty acids and derivatives.[1]
RBD palm oil is also a feedstock for fractionation to produce palm olein and palm stearin, used respectively for liquid cooking oil and solid fat.[1]
Summary
RBD palm oil is fully refined palm oil from degumming, bleaching, and deodorization with FFA maximum 0.1% and moisture and impurities maximum 0.1%. This product is bland, odourless, and light yellow, and is used for cooking oil, margarine, shortening, soap, and oleochemical feedstock.
References
- Ariyan Corp. Standard Specification of Refined Bleached Deodorized (RBD) Palm Oil. https://www.ariyancorp.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Standard-Specification-Of-Refined-Bleached-Deodorized-RBD-Palm-Oil-1.pdf
- AOCS. Red Palm Oil — refined, bleached, and deodorized (RBD) palm oil. https://www.aocs.org/resource/red-palm-oil/
- White Paper. Palm Oil Production & Refining 2025. https://nutioils.com/documents/white-paper-palm-oil-production-refining-2025.pdf
- IChemE. Oil Deodorising — PORAM specifications for RBDPO. https://www.icheme.org/media/12026/20190729_chia_oil-deodorising.pdf
- STA Resources. RBD Palm Oil — specifications and applications. https://www.sta.co.id/products/id