Predicting Quality of Stored Soybean Oils

Excerpts from the report: The vegetable-oil industry rarely stores soybean oils longer than necessary during the operating season. No information is available that reports possible changes in quality factors of soybean oils when stored either as once-refined, degummed crude, or crude oils for periods longer than a few months. The continuing increases in the production of soybeans, along with increased demand for soybean meal, may make it economically desirable to store soybean oil before deodorization. The primary objective of this study was to determine the extent of changes in quality characteristics of once-refined, degummed crude, and crude soybean oils during 1 year is of storage in drums, and to relate the changes to these characteristics as they were before storage. Other objectives were: (1) To determine any decrease in value during storage, of the oils, in accordance with trade specifications of the N.S.P.A. [National Soybean Processors' Association] (2) To determine the relative keeping quality during storage of soybean oils in the three stages of processing; namely, once-refined, degummed crude, or crude oils. (3) To ascertain the relative importance of some tests used by industry to measure the quality of soybean oils. (4) To relate all these findings to commercial storage of soybean oils in field tanks.