Could This Microalgae Oil Protect Orangutans from the Palm Oil Industry?
Scientists have created a healthier, more sustainable substitute for palm oil that doesn’t destroy the tropical rainforest habitat of endangered orangutans.
A team of researchers at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore may have discovered a healthier, more sustainable substitute for palm oil by extracting plant-based oils from a common type of microalgae.
Compared to palm oil, the microalgae-produced oil contains more polyunsaturated fatty acids, which can help reduce ‘bad’ cholesterol levels in blood and lower a person’s risk of heart disease and stroke, according to the study’s findings, published in the Journal of Applied Psychology. Plus, it has fewer saturated fatty acids, which have been linked to stroke and related conditions.
Protecting endangered wildlife
As the world’s most common vegetable oil, palm oil is used in food manufacturing, beauty products, and as biofuel. Farmers produced approximately 77 million tonnes of palm oil in 2018 alone. This figure is expected to rise to 107.6 million tonnes by 2024, ramping up pressure on rainforests, vast sections of which have already been razed to the ground across South America and Asia to make way for palm oil estates. This is destroying the homes of endangered animals, notably orangutans, Sumatran rhinos, and pygmy elephants, pushing them even closer to the brink of extinction.
NTU researchers developed the microalgae oil in collaboration with scientists from the University of Malaya, Malaysia. To produce the oils, an organic, naturally occuring acid is added to the algae solution and exposed to ultraviolet light to stimulate photosynthesis. After 14 days, the microalgae is washed, dried, and then treated with methanol to break down the bonds between the oils and the algae protein, so that the oils can be extracted.
To produce enough plant-based oil to manufacture a store-bought chocolate bar that weighs 100 grams, 160 grams of algae would be required, according to researchers.
“Developing these plant-based oils from algae is yet another triumph for NTU Singapore as we look to find successful ways to tackle problems in the agri-food-tech chain, especially those that have an adverse impact on the environment," said William Chen DSc, Director of NTU's Food Science and Technology Program. “Uncovering this as a potential human food source is an opportunity to lessen the impact the food supply chain has on our planet.”
A three-pronged approach
Aside from being a more environmentally-friendly alternative to cultivating palm trees for plant-based oils or fat, the technique has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and food waste. Scientists note that when scaled up, producing plant-based oils with natural sunlight, rather than ultraviolet light, would help remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by converting it to biomass and oxygen via photosynthesis. The microalgae converts carbon dioxide to biomass at a relatively fast rate, while it grows.
In a separate study, the scientists at NTU’s Food Science and Technology programme have also developed a process to produce the key naturally occuring acid needed to cultivate the microalgae oil. This is done by fermenting three organic waste products, such as soybean residues and fruit peels, which would not only reduce production costs, but help cut down on food waste.
“Our solution is a three-pronged approach to solving three pressing issues. We are capitalising on the concept of establishing a circular economy, finding uses for would-be waste products and re-injecting them into the food chain,” added Prof Chen. “In this case, we rely on one of nature’s key processes, fermentation, to convert that organic matter into nutrient-rich solutions, which could be used to cultivate algae, which not only reduces our reliance on palm oil, but keeps carbon out of the atmosphere.”
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