Food Science

Food Science

Food Science

Our experienced scientists from the global Product Innovation & Development (PID) and research teams are dedicated to creating innovative products that enhance our customers’ oils and fats applications while ensuring food safety and quality.

We operate three global PID centres strategically located in Asia, Africa, and Europe, along with six Centres of Excellence that centralise deep expertise in key technical areas. These centres play a crucial role in driving business growth and supporting our strategic priorities. Our team focuses on developing new products and breakthrough solutions, while also providing technical guidance to address evolving consumer needs and emerging market trends.

Our Strategic Centres of Excellence include:

Frying Oil Centre of Exellence Frying Oil Centre of Excellence
Food Safety Centre of Excellence Food Safety Centre of Excellence
Process Innovation Centre of Excellence Process Innovation Centre of Excellence
Nutrition and Wellness Centre of Excellence Nutrition and Wellness Centre of Excellence
Bakery and Animal Fat Replacer Centre of Excellence Bakery and Animal Fat Replacer Centre of Excellence

Food Safety

Food safety is a critical concern in the vegetable oil industry, primarily driven by growing consumer awareness and demand for contaminants-free food. Consumers are increasingly prioritising food safety, insisting on products that meet stringent quality standards. Food safety hazards in the palm oil sector can be classified into three major categories: physical, chemical, and microbiological hazards. ​ 

Chemical hazards are of particular concern because they can result from both processing conditions and the addition of harmful substances. These chemicals often carry significant carcinogenic potential and pose substantial health risks.​ 

Certain chemical contaminants in palm oil, such as 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol esters (3-MCPDE) and glycidyl esters (GE), have been linked to high-temperature processing in the presence of chloride. Another group of contaminants, plasticisers like ortho-phthalates, has also been detected in the oil supply chain, originating from contact materials during transportation or manufacturing processes.​

Raising the Bar for Quality and Food Safety

In response to evolving food safety standards, our R&D Food Safety team has introduced the production of low-contaminant Crude Palm Oil (CPO), branded as KALIS™. Through targeted initiatives and stringent supply chain controls, SD Guthrie has successfully developed KALIS™, achieving significantly reduced contaminant levels — with MOSH and MOAH maintained below 10 ppm and 1 ppm respectively, and DEHP below 50 ppb.​

Building on this success, SD Guthrie has also developed KALIS+™, a premium-grade variant with Free Fatty Acid (FFA) levels below 3%, tailored for use in specialty product manufacturing.​

3-MCPD (3-monochloropropane1, 2 diol Ester (ME)), Glycidyl Esters (GE)

Significant amounts of fatty acid esterified ME and GE were reported in refined vegetable oils, especially in palm oil.

ME and GE are processing contaminants that form in refined vegetable oils when they undergo chemical changes during processing.

The formation of these process contaminants is attributable to chlorine levels for ME and destabilisation of the diglyceride, which converts to GE during processing at high temperatures (>230°C), particularly in the deodorisation step.

However, at SD Guthrie, we are cognisant that these are concerns that need to be addressed and we have been actively looking for solutions.

Mineral Oil Hydrocarbon (MOH)

MOH contamination is a recognised challenge across the global food system, with regulatory bodies and industry stakeholders continuously working to strengthen food safety standards. As understanding of MOH risks has evolved, significant progress has been made in identifying contamination pathways, operational controls, and enhancing overall oil quality.

The issue with MOH has become a worldwide concern especially mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH), which is listed as probably carcinogenic. Several advancements have been achieved by improving operational excellence and governed through the food safety and quality management system within SD Guthrie. Our research group has implemented a comprehensive mitigation plan to prevent contamination within the palm oil supply chain by focusing on several strategies:

  • Risk Assessment and Source Control – Identifying and eliminating contamination pathways, including improved maintenance protocols and lubricant selection.
  • Process Optimisation – Applying targeted processing techniques to remove or mitigate MOH presence at key production stages.
  • Continuous Monitoring & Compliance – Enhancing screening methods to detect and address contamination risks in real time, ensuring adherence to the highest safety and regulatory standards.

Successful implementation of those strategies has resulted in high quality and low contaminant products, KALIS™.

Mitigation from Palm to Product