Technology of fatty substances (oils and vegetable fats)

Vegetable oils and fats play a major role in our diet; we consume them directly in the form of refined or virgin oils, or indirectly via numerous food industry products. Consumers are becoming increasingly demanding in terms of quality: food safety and nutritional aspects are at the heart of today's societal concerns.

At the same time, the use of vegetable oils is growing in the non-food sector, thanks to their characteristics, their renewable origin and their biodegradability. The now-used phrase "from black gold to green gold" illustrates this new craze for a chemistry based on our planet's agro-resources. The development of biofuels (vegetable oil esters) is a case in point.

For all these applications in the food and non-food sectors, mastery of proven, efficient processes is essential.

From the seed to the refined and processed oil, the technologies used to obtain and process oils must perfectly guarantee the quality of the product, and ultimately provide a product that meets very complete specifications. These technologies have evolved to meet this challenge, and integrate the industry's current constraints of profitability and respect for the environment.