CAC/RCP 36-1987 Code of Hygienic Practice for the Storage and Transport of Edible Oils and Fats in Bulk
1. SCOPE
This Code of Practice applies to the handling, storage and transport of all crude or processed edible oils and fats in bulk.
2. INTRODUCTION
2.1 General
Three types of deterioration can occur in oils and fats during the operations dealt with in this Code. The susceptibility of oils and fats to deterioration depends upon a number of factors including the type of oil or fat, whether it is crude, partially or fully refined and whether impurities are present. These should be considered when storing and transporting the oil.
2.1.1
Contact of oils and fats with oxygen, present in the atmosphere, causes chemical changes in the product which downgrade the quality. Some of the effects of oxidation may be rectified within an edible oil refinery with some extra processing and, therefore, extra cost. However, the effects may be so severe that rectification is not possible.
Oxidation
Much can be gained by reducing the amount of air contact and this principle is the basis of several of the recommendations. Oxidation proceeds more rapidly as temperature increases, so each operation should be carried out at the lowest practicable temperature. The rate of oxidation is greatly increased by the catalytic action of copper or copper alloys, even when trace amounts (ppm) are present. Because of this, copper and copper alloys must be rigorously excluded from the systems. Other metals, such as iron, also have catalytic effects although less than that of copper.
