Advancements in Oil and Oilseed Processing - Food and Industrial Bioproducts and Bioprocessing - page 112

4 Advancements in Oil and Oilseed
Processing
Nurhan Turgut Dunford
4.1 INTRODUCTION
Oil and oilseeds are important feedstocks for bioproduct manufacturing. Selection of the
appropriate oil and oilseed processing techniques is influenced by the planned production
capacity and product end use. For example, supercritical fluid technology might be a
viable option for high value specialty oil production but not for commodity products
because of the high capital cost of this technique. Both chemical composition and quality
of feedstock and type of processing techniques used for production have significant
effect on final product quality and cost. Traditionally, edible oil quality was mainly
defined by organoleptic properties, such as taste, odor, and color. Today, nutritional
quality and functionality are the most important criteria for selection of oils for edible
and industrial applications.
Oilseed and oil processing are designed to obtain high quality oil with minimal undesirable
components, achieve high extraction yields and produce high value meal. Over the years
advances in processing equipment and design have led to significant reduction in costs and
product losses. The trend toward reducing the environmental impact of the oil processing
industry has been motivated by consumer pressure, government regulations, and corporate
responsibility. Today, many oil and oilseed processors are making business decisions based
on environmental sustainability of feedstocks, processes, and products as well as the
economics of the entire system. Since the 1980s, physical refining processes have been
gradually introduced to replace chemical ones in an effort to reduce waste streams and meet
consumer demand for “natural or no chemical” products. Advanced processing techniques,
such as supercritical fluid technology and enzyme-aided processing, are receiving attention
from oil and oilseed processors.
This chapter covers both conventional and advanced processing techniques used for oil
and oilseed processing and their environmental impacts. Effect of processing on final
product properties, and by-product and waste generation, will also be highlighted. It is
important to note that this chapter is not intended to cover the details of each unit operation.
The references cited are excellent resources for detailed information on the processes
discussed here.