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Gentle refining not only preserves the natural and valuable ingredients of edible fats and oils, such as vitamin E and unsaturated fatty acids, but also improves stability and purity through a series of precise process steps.

While mild distillation technologies can be used to remove or significantly reduce contaminants in fats and oils, it is important that product quality remains stable or is even enhanced compared to conventional processes. Nutriswiss has therefore carried out extensive tests to determine the ideal process parameters for achieving this goal.

The right blend and quality of oils, especially for infant formula, is a major challenge not only because the fatty acid profile needs to be optimally balanced, but also because the raw materials must meet strict quality guidelines and specifications. Such oils require individual treatment and a higher degree of care than ordinary oils in order to preserve essential fatty acids, micronutrients and vitamins.

Tocopherols, commonly known as vitamin E, are divided into four forms - α- and β-tocopherols provide the highest vitamin functionality, while γ- and δ-tocopherols have low vitamin content, but strong antioxidant properties. All four forms are present in vegetable oils in varying concentrations and positively impact the storage stability of both fats and oils.

As much natural vitamin and antioxidant content as possible must be maintained through carefully controlled processing. Experiments have shown that while tocopherols are lost in the refining process through separation or oxidation, regeneration or even an increase in content is possible in certain process steps. This can be explained by cleavage of dimeric bonds between tocopherol molecules or ester bonds between tocopherols and other compounds. The step analyses, performed as standard at the Nutriswiss laboratory after each refining step, revealed that in some cases even more tocopherols were found than were present in the original material. The refining processes have therefore been adjusted accordingly to take advantage of such effects.

While significant amounts of tocopherols were previously lost in some cases and no longer available in the end product, Nutriswiss succeeded in preserving natural vitamin E through a controlled process and now achieves no or significantly reduced losses in all refined oils and fats.

Nutriswiss processes also result in contaminants and other undesirable ingredients being largely removed, while a higher proportion of natural antioxidants and vitamins are retained. Depending on the type and batch, Nutriswiss fats and oils can also be stored for at least as long as conventionally refined fats and oils, if not longer. By carefully selecting and managing the process parameters, the valuable ingredients are optimally protected and preserved, thus improving the health of both young and old.