Talc, also known as magnesium silicate, plays a significant role as a processing aid in olive oil extraction processing. Talc and its finer variant, microtalc, are commonly used in olive oil production to improve the efficiency of the extraction process, particularly in challenging conditions like high-moisture fruit.
Talc is a natural mineral composed of magnesium, silicon, and oxygen. It has a high adsorption surface and a lipophilic nature, which means it has the ability to absorb and attract oil droplets, increasing their size and aiding in their separation from water during processing.
The traditional use of talc powder in the olive oil industry has led to the development of microtalc powder, a more refined version of talc with a smaller particle size and higher specific surface area. This improvement allows for better performance in extraction processes with less product use.