How is Premium Sunflower Seed Oil Processed and Produced

Crude sunflower seed oil, typically extracted in solvent extraction or pressing workshops, contains impurities such as gum impurities, free fatty acids, pigments, odorants, and waxes. It must undergo refining to meet the national standard for first-grade sunflower seed oil.

sunflower oil press machine

The refining process of sunflower seed oil consists of five main steps: degumming, deacidification, bleaching, deodorization, and dewaxing. Each step has a specific function and operational procedure to ensure the quality and edible value of the sunflower seed oil.

Crude Sunflower Seed Oil Degumming, Deacidification, Decolorization, Deodorization, and Dewaxing 1. Degumming is designed to remove gum impurities from crude sunflower seed oil, as these impurities affect the stability of the oil and the effectiveness of subsequent refining steps. Olive Technology employs hydration degumming to remove these impurities. This process involves adding hot water to the crude oil, causing the gum impurities to agglomerate, which are then removed through sedimentation and separation.

2. Deacidification aims to remove free fatty acids from the crude oil, as these acids can cause rancidity and negatively impact oil quality. There are two common methods: chemical deacidification and physical deacidification. Chemical deacidification involves adding an alkali solution to the crude oil to neutralize the free fatty acids, removing them but producing a byproduct called soapstock. Physical deacidification introduces steam into the crude oil, using distillation principles to strip away the free fatty acids. The byproduct obtained from physical deacidification is fatty acids, which can be further processed for additional profit.

3.Bleaching is intended to remove pigments from the crude oil, ensuring the oil's color meets national standards. The specific operation involves adding bleaching clay to the oil, which adsorbs and removes pigments. This process also helps absorb any residual gums and soaps left over from the degumming and deacidification stages. After bleaching, a leaf filter is used to filter out the spent bleaching clay from the oil.

4.Deodorization serves to remove undesirable odors and flavors from the crude oil, enhancing its edibility. The process works by injecting steam into the oil, leveraging the differences in volatility between the oil and the odoriferous compounds to strip them away. Following deodorization, the smoke point, flavor, and stability of the sunflower oil are all improved.

5.Dewaxing is performed to remove waxes from the crude oil, thereby improving the oil's quality and market value. This is achieved through a crystallization and filtration process that separates the waxes. After dewaxing, the sunflower oil achieves higher quality and commands a greater market value.

sunflower oil refining machine