Predicting the nutritional health status of locally produced palm oil using some physical parameters

Abstract

Three physical properties of locally produced palm oil – viscosity, thermal conductivity and density for varying temperatures were determined. The values obtained were compared with corresponding internationally stipulated standard values using statistics of mean and graphs. The purpose of the comparison was to predict the nutritional health status of palm oil. Results show that the obtained mean values were (18.50 ± 5.35) Pa.s, (0.1429 ± 0.0042) W/m ^oC and (898.1 ± 0.28 kgm^-3) for the locally produced palm oil as against (20.47 ± 5.68) Pa.s, (0.1677 ± 0.0006) W/m ^oC and (849.6 ± 5.47) kgm^-3 for the standard. These represent respective errors of 10, 15 and 5 %. Results also show that the slopes of the respective relationships of these parameters with temperature at θ = 25 ^oC (RT) for instance are – 0.266 Pa.s/ ^oC , 0 and – 0.022 kgm/m^{3 o}C for the locally produced while the values obtained using standard data are – 0.242 Pa.s/ ^oC, - 0.0008 W/m ^oC and – 0.442 kg/m^3oC. The associated percentage errors are 7, 100 and 95. These pronounced errors give an indication that from the standpoint of the examined physical properties, the studied locally processed palm oil may not be as nutritionally healthy as the standard oil. Proper monitoring of the local palm oil mills by the relevant agency is therefore recommended.

Keywords: Predict, Status, Locally produced, Palm oil, physical properties, nutritional health