CPO (crude palm oil) is the oil extracted from the fruit flesh (mesocarp) of the oil palm that has not yet been refined. CPO comes from the fruit of the oil palm tree (Elaeis guineensis) and is reddish to orange in colour because of its natural carotenoid content; this colour is reduced by refining and bleaching.
CPO is further processed through refining, bleaching and deodorising (RBD) and separated into a liquid fraction (olein) and a solid fraction (stearin). It yields a wide range of derivative products, including cooking oil (olein-based), margarine and shortening (stearin-based), and raw materials for oleochemicals and biodiesel. Indonesia is the world's largest CPO producer, with plantation centres including Sumatra and Kalimantan.
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Indonesian version: Apa itu CPO?