Oils
The term "oil" refers to a product of a lipid nature that is in a liquid state at room temperature.
It is a viscous lipophilic and hydrophobic product, that is, miscible with other oils but immiscible with water.
Oils can be used for multiple purposes: food, nutraceutical, pharmaceutical cosmetic.
The oils we process
We can supply oils extracted from the seeds of many plants, from various geographical areas of the world, e.g. Italy or Italian regions, Morocco, Mexico, etc. We can also supply algal oils, obtained from algae and microalgae. The oils are rich in monounsaturated (oleic, palmitoleic, myristoleic, erucic, etc.) and polyunsaturated (linoleic, linolenic, arachidonic, etc.) fatty acids, making them valuable ingredients in the formulation of cosmetic products and dietary supplements.
We can also use oils, as well as oil esters, as extraction solvents.We can also perform chemical analysis on oils, for example, to determine the content of particular fatty acids of interest.
Finally, blends of oils with particular desired physical-chemical or functional properties can be supplied.
Some examples of oils we can supply are:
- sebum-mimetic oil
- silicone-mimetic oil
- high oleic oils
- antioxidant oils
- high DHA/EPA oils
- ...
For other oils or blends of oils CONTACT US Customization
Alidans provides customized oils, such as:
- Oils with organic certification according to EC Regulation 834/2007 or Cosmos certification
- Oils with specific geographical origin
- Oils obtained by cold pressing
- Oils obtained by extraction in supercritical fluids (e.g., supercritical CO2)
- Algal oils, obtained from algae and microalgae
- Crude oils, refined, deodorized, etc.
- Oils for cosmetic use
- Oils for food and nutraceutical use
- Oils with the most suitable characteristics for your finished product
- Oils that can be prepared according to each customer's specific needs
To learn more visit the CUSTOMIZED EXTRACTS page,
or CONTACT US Crude oils
We can supply various types of crude oils, both organic and conventional, obtained by cold pressing or by extraction with supercritical fluids, such as supercritical CO2. Some examples are:
- Rosehip seed oil
- Sesame seed oil
- Pomegranate seed oil
- Blackberry seed oil
- Cherry seed oil
- Avocado pulp oil
- Hemp seed oil
- Milk thistle seed oil
- Macadamia seed oil
- Linseed oil
- Prickly pear seed oil
- Black cumin seed oil
- Rapeseed oil
- Bitter almond seed oil
- Sea buckthorn pulp oil
- Pistachio seed oil
- Perilla seed oil
- Rosehip seed oil
- Borage seed oil
- Pumpkin seed oil
- Chia seed oil
- Evening primrose seed oil
- Grapeseed oil
- ...
If you are looking for a crude oil CONTACT US Refined/rectified oils
There are many systems of rectification or refining that consist of a series of operations necessary to make an oil edible. Some seed oils, in fact, are often characterized by odors and colors that may be unpleasant or unsuitable for certain uses. The rectification process is specific to each oil, in that the most suitable systems are used to correct the defects that each individual oil has. For example, no discoloration is performed if the oil already has a neutral tone.
Some of the main refining operations that are carried out on oils are:
DEPURATION: a series of operations prior to the subsequent application of rectification or refining systems such as filtration and/or centrifugation, which are necessary to remove any solids and coarse matter present in the product.
DEMUCILLAGINATION or DEGUMMING: an operation to remove substances suspended in the oil (such as mucilage, phospholipids, resins, sugars, protein substances) that, over time, can promote the formation of precipitates. In fact, unfiltered oils are rich in mucilage, which increases their viscosity, reduces their clarity to the point of making them cloudy, can form foams and sometimes change color.
DEACIDIFICATION: among the various refining processes, deacidification represents one of the main operations, as it allows the removal of the excessive acidity of the oil, due to the presence of free fatty acids. Deacidification can be achieved by various methods: e.g., neutralization with alkali (saponification), using bases such as sodium hydroxide; neutralization in the presence of selective solvents such as hexane and isopropanol-water mixture (De Smet method); neutralizing distillation, in which free fatty acids are first distilled under high vacuum and then removed by the application of a steam current; esterification of fatty acids with glycerin.
DECOLORIZATION: involves treating the oil with activated charcoal or activated earths or clays capable of retaining colored substances such as pigments and their breakdown products, which could alter the normal color of the oil.
DEODORIZATION: during this operation, the oil is heated up to 200°C for 2-3 hours, by water vapor injction under high vacuum. This removes those chemical compounds responsible for particular tastes and odors, such as aldehydes and ketones, as well as compounds resulting from the thermal decomposition of pigments.
WINTERING or DEMARGARINATION: an operation that is usually performed on oils that tend to cloud during the cold season or if stored at a temperature below 8-10°C. By keeping the oil in gentle agitation at an average temperature of 7°C, the solid triglycerides (oleomargarine) crystallize and can be separated after decanting by filtration and/or centrifugation.
Organic oils can also undergo refining, as long as this is done through primarily physical rather than chemical processes. For example, neutralization with sodium hydroxide is replaced by degumming, which occurs through washing cycles with citric acid. Bleaching is done by placing the oil in contact with natural bleaching earths, rather than chemically activated earths. Deodorization is done by steam distillation at milder temperatures (about 130°C) in order to best maintain organoleptic characteristics. This physical refining process produces vegetable fats with an increasingly high quality standard and perfect neutrality.
Some examples of refined oils we can offer are:
- Refined linoleic sunflower seed oil
- Refined high oleic sunflower oil
- Refined sesame seed oil
- Deodorized rapeseed oil
- Refined sweet almond seed oil, Ph. Eur.
- Refined safflower seed oil
- Deodorized evening primrose Seed oil
- Deodorized coconut oil
- Deodorized grapeseed oil
- Deodorized soybean oil
If you are looking for a refined oil CONTACT US Special oils
Fluid powdered oils and fats can be produced by spray drying on inert media such as maltodextrins, with the possibility of using organic maltodextrin.
Through the process of hydrogenation, it is possible to transform an oil into a fat present in solid or semisolid form at room temperature. This is a chemical reaction in which the double bonds of unsaturated fatty acids in the oil are hydrogenated into single bonds.
With fractionation, the various fatty components of the oil (fractions) are separated. The different fractions are characterized by different solidity, or some may be in a solid state and others in a liquid state. The selected fractions can then be used in the food/nutraceutical and cosmetic industries, rather than the unfractionated oil with all its components.
If you are looking for a special oil CONTACT US Oil extracts
Oils can also be used as vehicles for the extraction of other botanicals, resulting in oil extracts, enriched with the fat-soluble components of the botanical being extracted. One example is flavored oils: a plant releases its terpenic, lipophilic component into the oil and gives the oil its typical fragrance. Extraction can be performed in vegetable oils as well as in oil esters.
To learn more visit the OIL EXTRACTS page, or CONTACT US
Extracts for nutraceutical and food use catalogue
Download the catalogue of Extracts for the nutraceutical and food industry
Catalogue Extracts for cosmetic use
Download the catalogue of Extracts for the cosmetic industry