Low-linolenic soybean oil process

Abstract

Soybean oil with an improved frylife is produced from soybeans having less than 3% by weight C18:3 acids based on the total content of free fatty acids by heating the soybeans at a time and temperature sufficient to enable extraction of oil from the soybeans; mechanically pressing the soybeans to separate the oil; and heating the oil at a temperature of up to about 500° F. under a vacuum to remove free fatty acids from the soybean oil.

Description

Claims

1. A process for producing soybean oil with an improved frylife from soybeans having less than 3% by weight C18:3 acids based on the total content of free fatty acids comprising: a) heating said soybeans at a time and temperature sufficient to enable extraction of oil from said soybeans;b) mechanically pressing said soybeans to separate said oil; andc) heating said oil at a temperature of up to about 500° F. under a vacuum to remove free fatty acids from said soybean oil.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein said soybeans have greater than 65% by weight C18:1 acids based on the total content of free fatty acids.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein said soybeans have less than 2% by weight C18:3 acids based on the total content of free fatty acids.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein said soybeans are heated at a temperature of from about 220° F. to about 260° F. for between 45 and 60 minutes.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein said oil is heated under a vacuum at a temperature of from about 460° F. to about 480° F.

6. The process of claim 1, wherein from about 74% to about 76% of the oil is removed from the beans by mechanical pressing.

7. The process of claim 1, wherein said soybean oil contains less than about 0.05% free fatty acids after distilling.

8. A solvent extraction free, caustic refining free, process for producing refined soybean oil from soybeans having less than 3% by weight C18:3 acids based on the total content of free fatty acids comprising: a) heating said soybeans for up to 60 minutes and at a temperature sufficient to enable extraction of oil from said soybeans;b) mechanically pressing said soybeans to separate said oil; andc) heating said oil at a temperature of from about 350° F. to about 500° F. under a vacuum to remove free fatty acids from said soybean oil.

9. The process of claim 8, wherein said soybeans are heated at a temperature of from about 230° F. to 260° F. for between 50 and 60 minutes.

10. A process for producing soybean oil with an improved frylife from soybeans having less than 3% by weight C18:3 acids based on the total content of free fatty acids comprising: a) extracting up to about 85% of the oil from the soybeans to produce first extracted soybean oil and oil-containing meal; andb) refining said first extracted soybean oil.

11. The process of claim 10, wherein said soybean oil is refined by physical refining.

12. The process of claim 10, wherein said soybean oil is refined by caustic refining.

13. The process of claim 10, wherein said soybeans have less than 2% by weight C18:3 acids based on the total content of free fatty acids.

14. The process of claim 10, wherein said oil is heated under a vacuum at a temperature of from about 460° F. to about 480° F.

15. The process of claim 10, wherein from about 60 to about 75% of the oil is extracted from the low-linolenic acid soybeans.