What’s the by-product of sunflower oil processing line.

The most common product of the sunflower oil processing line is the oil seed cake/meal, which is usually used to make animal feed and low-grade fertilizer or partly disposed. Sunflower meal is a successful substitute for soybean meal in equal protein diets for ruminant animals, as well as for swine and poultry feed. Because sunflower meal is lower in energy value and lysine, but higher in fiber and methionine than soybean meal, and it is also rich in protein. Due to the extraction process and de-hulling degree, the meal color ranges from gray to black.

sunflower oil by-products

The sunflower oil extraction industry produces 3 kinds of meal.
1.Meal produced from undehulled seeds, containing around 28% protein and 25%-28% fiber.
2.Meal produced from partially de-hulled seeds, containing 35%-37% protein and 18% fiber;
3.Meal produced from seeds with 2-step de-hulling process, containing 40%-42% protein and 12%-14% fiber.
The meal composition thus depends on the efficiency of the de-hulling, and the oil content of sunflower meals ranges from 1.5% to 2.5%, depending on oil extraction efficiency and raw materials. Fresh sunflower meal must be dried for optimal storage. It can be ground, broken into small pieces or pelletized for easy handling and storage by processing under high pressure in an pelletizer or extruder, with an addition of proper binder such as molasses, fats, etc.