There are three main ways to extract oils from the seed/nut/plant etc:  Cold pressed, expeller pressed, and solvent extraction. The first two involve a machine that mechanically presses down to get the oil out. The last one involves a chemical to help extract as much as the oil from the plant as possible.

The reason behind this post is because while searching for oils I found an organic grape seed oil, and sorry to disappoint you, but we won’t be using that.  As romantic and lovely as it sounds, at $145.00 a gallon it would make our product too expensive for the consumer to purchase. After speaking to the supplier about the cost of his oil, he mentioned a couple of things regarding the process of extracting the oil from the grape seeds.  This got me thinking… I should probably know all this!!

So I did some research and found that there are three main ways to extract oils from plants and it is important!  How the oil is extracted really does matter.
You may have noticed the different oil options that are available to you on the shelves of your super market, specialty store, etc, etc.   Canola oil, for example, might say, “expeller pressed” or “cold pressed” on the bottle. Or it might just say “canola oil”.

Expeller pressed means that the oils were extracted from the plant using a chemical-free mechanical process.  The harder the nut or the seed that you are extracting from, the more pressure that needs to be applied. This results in more friction and higher heat.

Cold pressed, which is the method usually used for delicate oils, means that they are expeller pressed, but in a heat-controlled environment.  The temperature is kept below 120-122 degrees F.

Solvent extraction is the method used in pretty much all conventional oils. This method uses solvent extracts to get the oils out of the plant which not only produces higher yield, but it’s less expensive than expeller and cold pressed methods, and its’ quick.  The problem is that the solvent that is commonly used is hexane.  Some companies say that the solvent is evaporated during the process, but other say some of this chemical remains in the oil. I think this method is suitable for extract big quantities oil.

The edible oil industry is growing at a faster rate than it has ever been witnessed in this industry. It appears like the demand for cooking oil has increased because people would like to get their cooked foods faster. This is mainly because fried foods generally cook faster than those ones that are cooked by boiling or using other methods of cooking. The changing trend in the edible oil industry is attributable to the fact that people’s eating habits have changed. Therefore this industry is stepping up its research and oil extraction methods so that they are able to meet this need satisfactorily.

Nevertheless, the main challenge is that a few edible oil extraction plants are committed to production of healthy oil that can be consumed without creating other side effects to the user. A recent survey indicates that there prevails a thin line between healthy oil and unhealthy oil because even counterfeiters are trying their level best to make their products to look as near original and genuine as possible. Of particular concern are the ingredients that are listed on the product’s package. It is important that you consider buying edible oil from reliable companies and suppliers who utilize reliable technologies that are geared towards production of exceptional products.

In the past people used to extract oil manually but this has changed over the years although in some countries they still use the traditional methods of oil extraction. In order to produce high quality oil from oil bearing products, it is recommended that you consider using the solvent extraction plant. In addition, it is capable of extracting large quantities of oil provided that you know how to use it well. There are some solvent extraction plants that are able to extract high quality oil at extremely low temperatures under a vacuum.

However, there are others that rely on the conventional mechanical pressing under high temperatures and pressure. Though most solvent extraction plants still continue to use the mechanical pressing, the sad news is that when you extract oil at high pressure and temperature, it is susceptible to oxidation. This implies that the final product will be compromised and will not be as pure and excellent as the one that has been produced at low temperatures in a vacuumed environment. The process of solvent extraction is taken through a chain of the following steps though they are not the same in all solvent extraction plants:

• Preparation

• Extraction

• Distillation

• Meal toasting

• Recuperation

• Meal finishing

It is essential to mention that the process of edible oil extraction from oilseeds is not only elaborate but also takes a considerable amount of time before getting the oil that you want. There are two main methods that are used in the extraction of edible oil from seeds. There are some oil extraction companies that may choose to use the oil extraction machinery while others prefer oil extraction using chemicals which are used together with solvents.  On the other hand, there are oil refineries that use both depending on convenience and cost.
Whichever method the company chooses, it is important to ensure that the whole process of edible oil extraction from oilseeds does not contaminate the oil with chemicals thereby endangering the lives of consumers. This must be the ultimate goal of every company that believes in this business and cares about its clients. You need to be careful to select an edible oil extraction company that would want you to be healthy and alive so that you can continue using their products. If the company in question offers anything short of that, it should be shunned like a swollen river. Some people could be wondering how they can sieve such companies. You need to realize that the process of vetting edible oil extraction companies may not be that easy but it is worth the effort. Please investigate them thoroughly.

There are so many different edible oil extraction companies that customers find it difficult to choose the best and legitimate edible oil extraction company. Every oil extraction company is trying everything within its power to increase publicity and popularity so that it does not only retain its current pool of loyal customers but also attract new and potential ones. The good news is that those that produce counterfeit products are being erased gradually from the market after people have discovered that they are not genuine as they claim to be.

Research reveals that the internet user is increasingly becoming enlightened from the complaints, comments, feedback, articles and reviews that other customers are posting online. Although some people tend to ignore them, they usually take precaution after they have fallen prey of online rip offs.

Before edible oil becomes ready for packaging and use, it usually goes through a series of processes such as deodorization, degumming, dewaxing, neutralization and bleaching. Each process plays a very vital role and a good edible oil extraction company needs to ensure that necessary and relevant processes have been adhered to. It is these processes that will ensure that edible oil meets quality standards and that it is healthy for human consumption. Even if a company claims to have been in business for long, there has to be proof.

Since edible oil extraction equipment is expected to extract and produce oil for human consumption, it is usually recommended that a high level of hygiene should be maintained. This means that they need to be designed in such a way that they are safe for human use and that they are less prone to rust. This edible oil is extracted from oil seeds such as sesame, peanut/groundnut, linseeds, sunflower, palm kernel, copra, cotton seed and castor oil.

It is important to note that the edible oil extraction equipment is a complex machine that comprises the cooking kettle, cracker for seeds, oil expeller, steam boiler elevator, filter press, spares, accessories and the conveyor. Most of these equipments handle raw materials which also include the oil cake. In case you intend to purchase edible oil extraction equipment, you need not hesitate because they are designed to suit nearly everyone’s budget. There are those that are designed to meet the needs of small scale clients while others are ideal for large scale customers. It does not matter whether you are an individual or company, you can always buy the equipment that will meet your needs sufficiently. You need to take advantage of these equipments right away.