MOISTURE AND HEAT-TREATMENT FOR DISACTIVA TING SEED-SPECIFIC ENZYMES

In the beginning of 1995 the Lurgi Ol-Gas-Chemie company established a n extraction plant for rapeseed processing with seed preparation and p re-presses in Central China. The plant was successfully put into opera tion in late 1995. The sector of seed preparation is equipped with a s pecial conditioning unit which is installed ahead of the pre-presses. By humid heat processing this conditioning unit allows the treatment o f flocky rapeseed to desactivate seed specific enzymes to a large exte nd. The objective of desactivating enzymes to inhibit the formation of non-hydratible phosphatides (NHPs) in the crude rapeseed oil during e xtraction in pre-presses and extraction plant. The crude rapeseed oils produced with this conditioning unit showed such low amounts of phosp hatides after desliming that these crude oils could be used directly f or physical refining.