From this article you will learn about one of the methods of processing sunflower seeds for obtaining high-quality sunflower oil. It includes several stages. And very stage is a hard process.
Despite the variety of plant oils on the modern market, sunflower oil still plays a leading role because of reach content of Vitamin E and Omega-6 fatty acids.
The best method of sunflower oil production ever is the cold-press method. This method makes it possible to produce oil rich in vitamins and fats.
How does the cold-press method of sunflower oil production work?
The name of the method speaks for itself and widespread in production of sunflower oil in Ukraine. So, the main distinction is that sunflower seeds are not subjected to hot processing. The high-temperature processing eliminates the number of vitamins and minerals, and it can be crucial for people`s health. The processing of plants gives 30-40% of oil out of the whole amount of seeds.
Cold-press technology
Cold-press technology may be divided into three main phases – seeds preparation, pressing in the pressing machine, and decontamination. Unique and high-quality equipment is used at every stage of this process.
First stage
The first stage – seeds preparation – is preliminary process that includes such steps as shelling, separating, and blending.
In the first stage different separators are used. For example, electromagnetic devices remove metallic impurities, spacers are used for coarse fraction, and air-controlled processing is used for fine fractions.
Shelling is used to leave seeds without seed cover. The special equipment has a metallic surface, and seeds pump over the metallic exterior what causes shell separation. Separating is needed to divide shelled and unshelled seeds. For unshelled seeds, one more shelling is required.
For the last step, a plant uses grinding mills to destroy the cell structure of the seeds and for further oil extraction.
Second stage
The second stage is the main one in the process of sunflower oil production. Based on the technical characteristics of the equipment, a plant may process up to 25 tons of sunflower seeds. The pressing machine has a special chamber with numerous openings for oil to drop and a special hole at the end of the equipment for the seed meal. The very first processing gives up to 25-30% of fat. That is why seed meal is heated up for the second processing when the amount of receive oil rises to 40%.
Final stage
The final stage is filtration. For this, the oil needs some time to settle. Primary purification is needed via a special filter which is essential for solids removal. After that, a plant may use chemical or heating processing to improve the quality of the oil.
As you may see, the process of sunflower oil production is not so easy. The best quality may be achieved when the modern equipment is used.
