The Argan oil: manufacture and use March 14, 2007

Originally, the consummation of by-products of the argan oil is very developed at the Berber woman’s. For some years, the range of product it’s strongly developed. We can find masks, capillary care, food oil… Many studies revealed fine wonderful virtues of this tree. Today this oil, one of the rarest of the world, is very popular in various domains.

 

Food-processing:

 

It’s needed 100 kg of fruits for make 1,5 litter of oil, that is the fact that the fruit doesn’t used in wholeness. In fact: 100 kg of ripe fruits give 60 kg of dry fruits including 30 kg of dry pulp and 30 kg of core. These 30 kg of core give approximately 27 kg of hull and 3 kg of almond, and 2 kg of almond give 1 litter of oil.

Normally it’s realised manually by women in 6 phases. The phases of extraction are:

- removing manually the pulp

- crushing of nuts

- roasting with soft fire in ground dish

- squashing

- mixing the paste

- pressing of the paste

Details of the most important stages of this process:

The fruits of the Argan, left small green pears, are collected in July-August. They will be then dried to facilitate pulping (separation of pulp and the core) Come then crushing, long and delicate phase during which the women with blow of rollers disencumber the core of its bark while taking care not to exhaust the almond. Thus, she obtains a cream that will mix with tepid water and will press with its hands. One can then extract the oil with the soft perfume from hazel nut. It is necessary to count in a whole ten working to manufacture one litter of this oil.

Since many years the demand on oil doesn’t stop to increase. This phenomenon involved the industrialization of many manufactures. However, a lot of organizations crusade for the manufacture remains the ticket of women.

 

Food interest:

In the Moroccan traditional medicine, the use of this oil is very dispersed. The daily consumption of 2 cL of oil can ensure the daily contributions in unsaturated fatty acid. It is rich in unsaturated fatty acid (acid oleic and linoleic), which aren’t digested by the organism. She favours the regulation of the cholesterol. His consumption prevents diseases cardiovascular by increasing the rate of check cholesterol. Its taste of hazelnut in fact one of the oil the most looked for flavour salads, couscous and other recipe.

 

Cosmetic interest:

The Moroccan women use this oil for a long time. Indeed, this oil is very rich in vitamins and unsaturated fatty acid. In Morocco it’s used for a lot of thinks to birth at the adulthood. One has noticed for several years that the Western countries are increasingly petitioning of this oil. It’s that why the trade of products containing Argan Oil is very widespread. This passion for these products cosmetic, explain by the fact that we accord to the Argan Oil many virtues of which most known are:

- relax and protect the skin against the aggression

- nourish the hair

- treatment against the acne

- massage against rheumatism

Which are the by-products of the Argan Tree? March 14, 2007

The Argan Tree is used for a lot of things. In fact, each part of the tree is usable and is a source of income:

- wood is used as fuel

- leaf and fruit are used as forage

- oil squeezed out almond is used in food or cosmetic

- contribute to the preservation of the ground by roots.

Since many centuries, Moroccan women produced the Argan Oil, for food or cosmetic care. This oil is squeezed of almond. Today, there are two sorts of oil, the food oil and the cosmetic oil, and it’s the main product of the Argan Tree. This activity enables the subsistence of 3 million people, mainly women.

Use of the tree:

The leaf:

Often, we can see many goats on this tree. The reason of this is that the leaves are delicious forage for many animals (goat, camel …) They are very rich in anti fungus and antibacterial. That is why they are used to look after animals.

The wood:

The Argan Tree is a very good fuel. His wood is very solid and it serves for creating many tools and skeletons. The use of the wood is at the origin of the disappearance of big areas.

The pulp:

Mainly used as food for goats, she could be a product with strong added value. She includes a lot of alcohol which by undergoing chemical alterations give products very research in the industry.

The crab:

It’s the residue of the extraction of the oil and we use it in the fattening of the cattle. The crab contains a lot of saponine which have a big variety of biologic activities (anti-inflammatory, diuretic, analgesic) The faculty of medicine and pharmacy of Rabat make researches to value the use of this product in pharmacy or in the industry

The fruits:

The fruit is the biggest wealth of the Argan. Fruits are very appreciated by animals, but also by population who exploits it for the oil in many virtues. The almond contains 50% of edible oil. The oil extraction is realized by the women in a craft way. The yield is very weak (30 %).