Why is it so difficult to produce high-quality virgin rapeseed oil for human consumption

• Published in: European journal of lipid science and technology Vol. 110; no. 7; pp. 611 - 617
• Main Authors: Matthäus, Bertrand, Brühl, Ludger
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim Wiley-VCH Verlag 01-07-2008; WILEY-VCH Verlag; WILEY‐VCH Verlag
• Subjects: Cold-pressed; Production; Rapeseed oil; Virgin
• ISSN: 1438-7697; 1438-9312
• DOI: 10.1002/ejlt.200700275

Virgin rapeseed oil becomes increasingly popular for the consumer because of the pleasant seed-like and nutty taste and smell. The oils are produced in small and medium-sized facilities by extraction of rapeseed using only a screw press and purifying the oil by sedimentation or filtration. Thus, the producers have no chance to improve the oil quality if the seed quality is bad. Therefore, it is an art to produce high-quality virgin rapeseed oil that is accepted by the consumer. The most important step in the production chain of virgin rapeseed oil is the period after harvest until the processing, while extraction of the oilseed and purification has only a minor influence on the oil quality. The paper describes the pitfalls during the production of virgin rapeseed oil which primarily wait for the producer during storage of the seeds. Improper storage conditions result in increased metabolic processes in the seeds and an increase of the populations of microorganisms and insects, which finally leads to the degradation of nutrients and the formation of unpleasant aroma compounds.