CANADIAN ERUCIC ACID OILS: V. PHYSICAL, CHEMICAL, AND EDIBLE PROPERTIES OF OIL FROM WEED SEED SCREENINGS

Abstract

Monthly samples of cleaned weed seed screenings and of screenings oil (commercially solvent extracted) examined over a six-month period indicated that the composition of the screenings varied widely but that of the oil was remarkably constant. The composition of the weed seed was: wild mustard, mostly Brassica arvensts (53–79% av. 68%) mixed weed seeds (13–35%, av. 23%), crop seeds (4–10%, av. 6.6%), and broken and unidentified seeds (1–6% av 3%) The average characteristics of the oil were: iodine value, 124; saponification number, 182; free tatty acid (as oleic), 2%; relative light transmission (cf. mineral oil), 5% at 440 mμ, 18% at 540 mμ, 26% at 660 mμ. Appearance of the oil and response to processing were similar to those of rape and mustard seed oils. Small scale taste panel tests indicated that processed screenings oil was generally not as palatable as corn or cottonseed salad oils, but that screenings shortening was generally as acceptable as the control (commercial vegetable shortenings) the screenings shortening had a satisfactory smoke point and good baking volume properties.