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EP-4739132-A1 - NOVEL PROCESS FOR OIL SEED EXTRACTION AND DE-OILED OIL SEED FLOUR PRODUCTION

EP4739132A1EP 4739132 A1EP4739132 A1EP 4739132A1EP-4739132-A1

Abstract

Provided herein are processes for separating seed oil from seed flour that is economical and produces a de-oiled flour that maintains the native form of proteins in the flour.

Inventors

  • KUMAR, MANOJ
  • SASIDHARAN PILLAI, Prasanth Kumar

Assignees

  • LOUIS DREYFUS COMPANY PLANT PROTEINS LLC

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20240801

Claims (20)

  1. 1. A process for extracting oil from oil seeds, comprising: a) Flaking or grinding or crushing seeds at a temperature range of about 20 °C to 60 °C to form a flour, b) using a Nutsche Filter to extract oil from seed flour with solvent, comprising the parameters of: i) maintaining a temperature of about 30-60 °C, ii) using a flour to solvent ratio of from 1 :1 to 1 :4 (w/v), whereby oil is separated from the seed flour.
  2. 2. The process of Claim 1 , wherein the extraction of the flour is repeated >2 times.
  3. 3. The process of any of Claims 1-2, wherein each extraction time is >5 minutes.
  4. 4. The process of any of Claims 1-3, wherein step a) is performed at a temperature <50 °C.
  5. 5. The process of any of Claims 1-4, wherein the temperature of step a) is <20 °C.
  6. 6. The process of any of Claims 1-5, wherein the temperature of step b) is maintained at a range of 40-50 °C.
  7. 7. The process of any of Claims 1-6, wherein the flour to solvent ratio is from 1 :1 to 1 :3.
  8. 8. The process of any of Claims 1-7, wherein the flour to solvent ratio is 1 :2.
  9. 9. The process of any of Claims 1-8, wherein the solvent is hexane.
  10. 10. The process of any of Claims 1-8, wherein the solvent is methyloxylane.
  11. 11. The process of any of Claims 1-10, wherein the wash time is 5-60 minutes.
  12. 12. The process of any of Claims 1-11, wherein each extraction time is 5-15 minutes.
  13. 13. The process of any of Claims 1-12, wherein each extraction time is 15 minutes.
  14. 14. The process of any of Claims 1-13, wherein each extraction is repeated 3-5 times.
  15. 15. The process of any of Claims 1-14, wherein each extraction is repeated 4 times.
  16. 16. The process of any of Claims 1-15, further comprising: c) desolventing the de-oiled flour, comprising the parameters of: i) temperature of about 30-60 °C, ii) optionally, collecting evaporated hexane.
  17. 17. The process of Claim 16, wherein the desolventing temperature is about 45-55 °C.
  18. 18. The process of any of Claims 16-17, wherein the desolventing time is 30-90 minutes.
  19. 19. The process of any of Claims 16-18, wherein the desolventing time is 45-75 minutes.
  20. 20. The process of any of Claim s 16-19, wherein the desolventing time is 60 minutes.

Description

NOVEL PROCESS FOR OIL SEED EXTRACTION AND DE-OILED OIL SEED FLOUR PRODUCTION CROSS-REFERENCE This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/532,307 filed August 11 , 2023, which application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Oil seeds, such as rapeseed/canola and sunflower seeds, have long been a source of oils for culinary applications, as well as for use in cosmetics and a variety of industrial applications. Recent trends toward the use of vegetable proteins to replace animal-derived protein has created a significant demand for the production of plant protein products with unique and desirable qualities, particularly for use in foods meant to replace animal-based products. Seed-derived proteins have become a coveted source for producing nutritionally-enhanced products and meat and dairy substitutes with preferred textural appeal and varied functionalities. Therefore, an improved process for extracting oil from seeds that is both economical and produces a de-oiled flour that has desirable physical properties for use in plant-based foods and products is needed. The separation of oilseed oils and flour has been performed for decades, if not millennia. Mechanical extraction, such as with an expeller press, leaves a significant amount of oil in the oil seed flour. For example, Modern methods of chemical extraction using solvents, such as hexane, have been developed to extract a much greater percentage of the oil from flaked and crushed oil seed. These processes come at a higher cost, can involve solvent remaining in the flour and release of solvent intro the environment and involve subjecting the flour to high temperatures which changes the physical and chemical properties of proteins in the flour (denaturation). Processing frequently involves multiple extraction steps, first pressing, then solvent extraction. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a process for separating seed oil from the flour that is economical and produces a de-oiled flour that maintains the native form of proteins in the flour. The invention comprises the unique use of a Nutsche filter and at temperatures below where denaturation of proteins occurs to separate at least 97% of the oil from the flour, frequently >99%, while maintaining the native form of the proteins in the flour. The process also allows for efficient use of solvent and a very low solvent content in the resulting de-oiled flour. In one aspect of the invention, a process is provided for separating oil from seeds, flaked or ground or crushed at a temperature range of about 20 °C to about 60 °C to form oil seed flour, extracting oil with solvent using a Nutsche filter at a temperature range of 30- 60 °C and a flour to solvent ratio of about 1 :1 to 1:4 (w:v). In certain embodiments, the extraction is performed at least twice. In certain embodiments, each extraction is at least 5 minutes. In specific embodiments of the invention, the seeds are flaked or ground at <50 °C. In other embodiments, the seeds are flaked or ground at about 20 °C. In certain embodiments, the extraction is performed at 40-50 °C. In some embodiments, the flour to solvent ratio is 1 :2 -1:3 (w:v). In specific embodiments, the flour to solvent ratio is 1 :2 (w:v). In certain embodiments, the solvent is hexane. In other embodiments, the solvent is methyloxylane. In some embodiments, each extraction time is 5-60 minutes. In specific embodiments, each extraction time is 5-15 minutes, in certain embodiments the extraction time is 15 minutes. In some embodiments, extraction is repeated 3-5 times. In certain embodiments, extraction is repeated 4 times. In certain embodiments of the invention, the process further comprises desolventing the de-oiled flour at a temperature of 30-60 °C, which step optionally comprises collecting evaporated solvent. In some embodiments, the desolventing temperature is about 45-55 °C. In certain embodiments, the desolventing step is performed for 30-90 minutes, in some embodiments 45- 75 minutes. In specific embodiments, the desolventing time is 60 minutes. In certain embodiments, the oil seed is rapeseed, which may be canola. In other embodiments, the oil seed is mustard seed. In yet other embodiments the oil seed is sunflower seed. In another aspect of the invention, a process for preparing oil seed flour containing <3% oil is provided. The process comprises flaking or grinding or crushing seeds at a temperature range of about 20 °C to about 60 °C to form a flour, extracting oil from the flour with solvent using a Nutsche filter at a temperature of about 30-60 °C and a ratio of flour to solvent of about 1 :1 to about 1 :4 (weight to volume), then desolventing the de-oiled flour at a temperature range of about 30-60 °C, optionally collecting the evaporated solvent. In certain embodiments the flaking or grinding is at about 20 °C. In other embodiments, the flaking or grinding is performe