Determination of carotene content of crude palm oil using Raman spectroscopy

Institut Teknologi Bandung, Jawa Barat, Indonesia

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Abstract

As one of the world's largest palm oil producers, Indonesia regulates its production through Indonesian National Standards (SNI) to ensure the quality of palm oil available on the market. The main parameters in the SNI standard include color, odor, free fatty acids (FFA), iodine value, water content, and DOBI (Deterioration of Bleachability Index). Beta-carotene, a type of carotenoid, functions as a provitamin A that can be converted into active vitamin A after metabolism in the body. The beta-carotene content in palm oil affects its color and clarity. This research analyzed crude palm oil using two heating stages. Two methods were used to determine the carotene content: the conventional method and Raman spectroscopy combined with Partial Least Squares (PLS) as a modern alternative. Raman spectroscopy uses a light source with a wavelength of 785 nm directed at the sample. The results show that the data obtained from Raman spectroscopy closely matches the data from the conventional method, indicating that Raman spectroscopy can be used as a supporting tool to determine oil quality based on its carotene content.