Unlocking cold-pressed nut potential: focus on tocopherol content of oils and defatted cakes

Abstract

The research aimed to survey the composition of oil and partially defatted cakes obtained by cold-pressing various tree nuts to enable their use as ingredients for modulating the nutritional properties of final food products. Different types of pistachios (Pistacia vera), hazelnuts (Corylus avellana), and apricot kernels (Prunus armeniaca) were evaluated in terms of colour, water activity, moisture, ash, fat, protein, fibre, total phenolic, and tocopherol contents. They were extracted by hydraulic presses, giving oils rich in vitamin E and defatted cakes with high nutritional potential: the cakes preserved significant antioxidant compounds, as well as fat, protein, and fibre levels based on the oil extraction yield. Products derived from cold-pressed nuts revealed promising compositions that could be exploited to develop healthy foods with improved sensorial and techno-functional properties, increasing the sustainability of the process and zeroing waste.