Palm kernel

WWII British Empire palm kernel propaganda: the first image is a full-length depiction of an African man climbing a tree to collect palm kernels. The second image shows two African women and a child sorting the kernels. The third image depicts a worker standing beside an industrial food-production machine. The final image illustrates three British infantrymen, seated near a battlefield, eating biscuits.

The palm kernel is the edible seed of the oil palm tree.

The fruit yields two distinct oils—palm oil derived from the outer parts of the fruit, and palm kernel oil derived from the kernel.[1]

The pulp left after oil is rendered from the kernel is formed into "palm kernel cake", used either as high-protein feed for dairy cattle or burned in boilers to generate electricity for palm oil mills and surrounding villages.

Production

Palm kernel cake is most commonly produced by economical screw press, less frequently via a more expensive solvent processes.[2]

Uses

Palm kernel cake

Palm kernel cake is a high fibre, medium-grade protein feed best suited to ruminants.[3] Among other similar feedstocks palm kernel cake is ranked a little higher than copra cake and cocoa pod husk,[4] but lower than fish meal and groundnut cake, especially in its protein value.

Composed of 16% fiber, palm kernel cake also has a high phosphorus to calcium ratio. and contains such essential elements such as magnesium, iron and zinc.[5] The typical ration formulated for the feeding of dairy cattle consists of palm kernel cake (50%), molasses (5%), grass/hay (42%), limestone (1.5%), mineral premix (1%) and salt (0.5%) and trace element/vitamin premix.[6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Oil Palm FAO Agricultural Services Bulletin-148, 2002, 60pg, ISBN 92-5-104859-2
  2. ↑ Malaysian Palm Kernel Cake as Animal Feed Hishamuddin Mohd Aspar, 2001, Palm Oil Developments 34
  3. ↑ Evaluation of Palm Kernel Meal and Corn Distillers Grains in Corn Silage-Based Diets for Lactating Dairy Cows Carvalho, Cabrita, Dewhurst, Vicente, Lopes, and Fonseca, 2006, Journal of Dairy Science Vol. 89, No. 7
  4. ↑ Nutritive value of palm kernel cake and cocoa pod husks for growing cattle Wong Hee Kum, Wan Zahari Mohamed, 1997, Journal of Tropical Agriculture and Food Science, Vol. 25, No. 1, ISSN:1394-9829
  5. ↑ Quality and Characteristics of Malaysian Palm Kernel Cakes/Expellers Tang Thin Sue, 2001, Palm Oil Developments 34
  6. ↑ Use of Palm Kernel Cake and Oil Palm By-Products in Compound Feed M Wan Zahari and A R Alimon, 2004, Palm Oil Developments 40