4. Mechanical extraction

For a long time, seeds were crushed simply by pressing. The technical evolution of presses has led to the screw presses we know today. Despite the application of the most advanced techniques, the quantity of residual oil in soybean meal is rarely less than 7 to 8% by mass. As a result, pressing remains more of a preparation method prior to solvent extraction.

• Cold or hot pressing

In units with limited capacity, e.g. for soybean oil recovery in line with the local organic production system, a simple cold press is used to recover the oil. Cold pressing eliminates the need to heat, cook or evaporate the product to be pressed, thus preserving valuable vital substances without damaging them. The amount of oil extracted from soybeans by cold pressing remains limited to only 8-9% by mass. As a result, cold-pressing...