EFFET DE DEUX METHODES DE PRESSAGE SUR LA QUALITE DE LHUILE ROUGE PRODUITE ARTISANALEMENT AU BENIN

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of two pressing methods on the quality of artisanally produced red oil in Benin. Palm fruits of the tenera type were used. Trials were conducted with processors in three palm fruit processing units, comparing the Improved Motorised Hydraulic Press (PHMA) and the Improved MotorisedDekanmey Press (PDMA), with the Motorised Dekanmey Press (old version) used as control (PDMT). The capacity of the PHMA (603.17±34.51 kg/h) was significantly lower than that of the PDMA (904.30±37.23 kg/h) and the PDMT control (889.76±10.80 kg/h). PHMA recorded an extraction yield (31.30±0.75 %), extraction rate (79.39±0.46 %) and palm nut shattering rate (1.39±0.46 %) were better than PDMA (29.77±0.14 % 75.51±0.37 % and 24.90±4.13 %) and PDMT (29.18±0.52 % 74.04±0.85 % and 5.23±0.38 %) respectively. Apart from the percentage of FFA and impurities, no significant differences (p>0.05) were observed between the water content, density, peroxide value and colour of the oils from PDMA, PHMA and PDMT. These results indicate that the improvements made to the PDMA and PHMA had a positive effect on the technical performance of the presses but did not significantly affect the quality of the red oil obtained. These two improved presses can therefore be recommended to palm fruit processors.