Explain how oil is obtained from maize seeds
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Answer:
Oil is extracted by three general methods: rendering, used with animal products and oleaginous fruits; mechanical pressing, for oil-bearing seeds and nuts; and extracting with volatile solvents, employed in large-scale operations for a more complete extraction than is possible with pressing.
Almost all corn oil is expeller-pressed, then solvent-extracted using hexane or 2-methyl pentane (isohexane). The solvent is evaporated from the corn oil, recovered, and re-used. After extraction, the corn oil is then refined by degumming and/or alkali treatment, both of which remove phosphatides.
Maize oil is high in polyunsaturated fat, which is a heart-healthy fat, and low in saturated fat. The extraction of oils from oilseeds is a key step for their commercialization. The extraction process has a direct effect on the quality and quantity of protein and oils obtained. Various methods like cold pressing, solvent, supercritical fluid, and aqueous extractions are in practice for oilseed extraction.