PURPOSE: To refine a rice bran oil by deacidification refining wherein a phenolic substance comprising a biologically active substance is allowed to remain in the refined oil.
CONSTITUTION: A process for the deacidification refining of a rice bran oil, wherein a pH indicator having a color change region near pH5 is used as the indicator to measure the acid value for removal of a free fatty acid in the alkali refining of a rice bran oil and wherein a phenolic substance comprising a biologically active substance is allowed to remain in the deacidification refined oil, is provided. The refined rice bran oil obtained by this method contains 1-2wt.% phenolic substance comprising a biologically active substance, such as an orizanol, in addition to other components of conventional refined rice bran oils; therefore, it is a refined edible oil rich in the biologically active substance. It is excellent in that the refining process is simpler and better yield of the product can be obtained with lower-cost installation than in the conventional distillation refining process.
ICHIMATSU SAKAE
TAKESHITA YASUHIKO
