Let's make rapeseed oil

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The rapeseed flower evolved high concentrations of substances that are anti-nutritive at best and toxic at worst. But new varieties developed in the 1970s lowered the content of glucosinolates and erucic acids. From then, the use of oilseed rape spread to several applications, from edible oil to biofuel to animal feed. Rapeseed oil processing technology has thus become foundational to industries spanning food production, energy, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.

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Specialized rapeseed oil processing technology maximizes crop yield

Before the oil extraction process can take place, processors ensure that the seeds are of the desired quality. Breeders select the appropriate parent seeds to develop a foundation lot for growers.

Oilrape seeds undergo a process cycle to ensure that the sown material generates the highest yield. The main stages in the process are drying, threshing, sorting, and coating.

Apply mild drying to safeguard the germ

A new seed lot is brought in for processing directly after harvest, so it typically has a high moisture content. That wetness risks activating the embryo prematurely or developing microorganisms that spoil the lot.

But if the drying process is performed too aggressively, it could damage or kill the embryo. Drying is the longest step, but a gently-dried seed is well worth the wait.

Calibrate the threshing equipment to the rapeseed oil properties

Rapeseed has about 10 times more plant material than seed. Threshing cleans the seeds to a high degree, although not completely. Threshers may be considered part of the pre-cleaning phase.

Threshing equipment has a revolving arm that applies slight pressure to release the seeds. But care must be taken not to crush the seeds, so calibrate the speed accordingly.

Sort the seeds for viability

Not all seeds are equal. Some harvested seeds may not be viable or can vary drastically in size. Sorting equipment uses a range of techniques to separate them into groups.

Optical sorters scan the lot for mismatching colors, whereas air separators distribute seeds according to weight and density. A sieve system grades them for size and shape, but it also performs a cleaning process by letting debris and small particles fall through.

Ensure a uniform layer of treatment to protect oilrape seeds from pests and diseases

Sown seeds are susceptible to attacks from pathogens and insects. Treat your lots with a specialized blend to protect your yield.

There is a variety of coating techniques developed to apply the formula homogeneously. Rotary systems are better suited for film coatings and pour the mixture from a spinning disc onto the revolving seeds. On the other hand, a drum coater sprays the treatment directly on the seeds and is more regularly used for entrustments.

Extracting rapeseed oil in cold-pressed or hot-pressed method

The traditional method to extract oil from rapeseed is by cold-pressing. In fact, extracting oil from all types of seeds usually involves cold-pressing. This means that you clean and press the seeds without adding heat and chemicals like solvents. After filtering out the impurities, what remains is only the rapeseed oil. This method retains most of the rapeseeds’ nutrients.

The other method commonly occurs in commercial production and requires multiple processes resulting in a heavily processed rapeseed oil. To start with, heat and press the seeds and add a solvent called hexane to the remaining solids to extract more oil. Then wash the oil by adding caustic soda and spinning it at high speed using a centrifuge to separate the natural impurities. After that, cool the processed oil at low temperatures to thicken the wax and remove it from the oil. Then, finish the process with a bleaching process to lighten the color, and steam injection to remove unwanted odor. The result is processed rapeseed oil ready for packaging.

From rapeseed plant to cooking oil and other industrial oils

Between both rapeseed oil processing types of extraction, the cold-pressed method is healthier since it doesn’t undergo multiple processes such as high-temperature refining and the addition of chemicals. This method, however, can only extract around 70% of the oil from the seeds. Refined or hot-pressed rapeseed oil, in its turn, extracts up to 98% of it. But this process removes some of the nutrients that are naturally present in the seeds.

Rapeseed oil is one of the major vegetable oils available in the world. It comes from rapeseed plants, and these plants are extremely vulnerable to pests and diseases. And, while you need to treat them with fungicides and insecticides to protect it, this may also harm pollinating insects and other wildlife. Alternatives such as palm oil and olive oil require less pesticides for their plants. Palm oil has better yield and has the least amount of chemicals used in growing. But it also requires a huge land area that can cause destruction of natural habitats.

Regulations in rapeseed oil processing

Some rapeseed plants come from genetically modified (GMO) seeds. In European countries, farmers cannot grow most GMO crops. However, countries like US, Canada, Japan, and China allow GMO crops. Another regulation to consider is the amount of erucic acid in the oil. It is a monounsaturated fatty acid which is deemed detrimental to health at high levels. Depending on the country, rapeseed oil is known as “canola oil” when used for cooking. To be safe for this activity, though, the erucic acid level should be around 2% or less. It is also possible to use rapeseed oil for automotive and chemical industry applications such as lubricants and biodiesel.