Emu oil is derived from the fat of the emu bird. Also known as Dromaius novaehollandiae, the emu is a large, flightless bird native to Australia. Although emu oil is marketed by the alternative health industry for its anti-inflammatory benefits and by the cosmetics industry for its skin moisturizing effects, the FDA has not approved emu oil as a drug to treat or cure disease in the United States.
Harvesting
The emu is raised not only for its oil, but also for its lean meat, its leather and its feathers. After the emu has been slaughtered for its meat, the fat is extracted from the bird and washed. According to the American Emu Association's "Guidelines for Handling and Storage of Emu Fat," the fat is taken mostly from the thick fat pad found on the back of the emu. Veterinarian Dr. Joan Jefferey states that an average adult emu carcass has approximately 17 lbs of fat. The fat is vacuum packed and flash-frozen and is then sent to an oil processing facility to begin rendering.
Rendering
First, the solid fat is rendered, or melted, at temperatures up to 90 degrees C. This breaks down the fat cells and creates the initial crude emu oil. The American Emu Association notes that from each adult emu, an average of 7 to 8 liters of crude oil can be obtained during this initial rendering process.
Filtering
Next, the crude oil must be filtered. Filtering helps to remove contaminants and any excess water from the oil, and is the first step of refining. Filtering is done at a cooler temperature, approximately 25 degrees C, and results in the clearest emu oil rising to the top of the filtering container.
Refining
At this point, the emu oil typically has an unpleasant smell. Because of this, the oil must be further refined, which means removing unwanted metals, fatty acids and odors from the product. In his article "Emu Oil Processing and Properties", emu oil expert E. Hernandez, Ph.D. describes how unwanted fatty acids in the emu oil are neutralized by using a weak caustic solution, and unwanted peroxides and metals are removed by a bleaching process.
Deodorizing
The last step of emu oil extraction is deodorizing and sterilization of the oil. This is usually accomplished by injecting steam through the oil. Deodorizing has the effect of killing any remaining bacteria or mold in the oil, and also helps take away any lingering unpleasant smell.
References
- FDA: How to Spot Health Care Fraud
- American Emu Association: Guidelines for Handling and Storage of Emu Fat
- Texas Cooperative Extension of Texas A&M: Emu Production
- American Emu Association: Emu Oil(s): A Source of Non Toxic Transdermal Anti-Inflammatory Agents in Aboriginal Medicine
- EmuFacts: Emu Oil Processing and Properties
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