The use of red-eating oil, as processed from other palm oil, will replace the cooking oil that has been used so far. The reason is, red eating oil is claimed to be healthier than palm cooking oil.
The government confirmed that red-eating oil can be produced and launched from January 2023.
Deputy for Cooperatives at the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs, Ahmad Zabadi, said that currently there are about seven pilot projects to process red-eating oil.
He said three pilot projects were being developed in North Sumatra, and 4 being developed independently in Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, and Riau.
“We are ready to help for the groundbreaking, then we will continue with the construction of the installation, which is expected to start production and launch in January 2023,” said Ahmad in the Special Dialogue ‘Measuring the Urgency of Red Eating Oil’, Thursday (27/10/2022).
The development is currently we are ready for groundwork, then God willing, we will continue with the construction of the installation, which is expected to start production and launch in January 2023.
He emphasized that the production of red-eating oil has been carefully prepared both in terms of land and infrastructure readiness.
“Even SNI MMM has been issued by BSN. So in terms of ecosystem support which is currently quite ready. Financing support is also relatively strong where BPDPKS will support it in terms of investment capital, then we will plan for working capital from LPDB KUKM. For farmers from the KUR scheme cluster,” he explained.
Red eating oil or also known as refined palm oil is a product of crude palm oil (crude palm oil or CPO) which after the refining process does not continue with further processes. This oil has a strikingly bright color and a strong aroma.
The striking color of red eating oil comes from palm oil which is indeed dark red in color. Because during the production process, red-eating oil does not go through a refining or bleaching process like ordinary palm cooking oil.
According to the Palm Oil Research Center (PPKS), as quoted by the Ministry of Agriculture website, red-eating oil still retains the content of phytonutrient compounds.
These contents include carotene as a source of vitamin A, tocopherols and tocotrienols as vitamin E, and squalene. For this reason, red-eating oil has the potential to be used as a functional food, one of which is an anti-stunting food ingredient.
Oleic acid and linoleic acid contain a function for the formation and development of the brain, transportation, and metabolism in children. Red eating oil is also suitable for frying foodstuffs, salad dressings, margarine and shortening raw materials, and so on.
