Our Industry
The main products transformed by our industry are rapeseed (mostly UK and European grown), Palm and Palm Kernel (mainly from Indonesia and Malaysia), Sunflower oil (from Europe) as well as Soyabeans (mostly from Brazil, Argentina and the US).
Our industry processes different kinds of oleaginous seeds, beans, fruits and nuts for the production of vegetable oils — mainly for human consumption but also for animal feeding and for technical purposes — and for the production of oilseed meals which are used as protein rich feedingstuffs. Usually crushing plants have integrated refining facilities that produce fatty products which can be intended for food, feed or technical usages.
In the past, crushing was done between mill stones that later became steel rolls. Hence the factories are known as oil mills and the process as oil milling or oil crushing. Seeds with a high oil content, like rape seed and sunflower seed, are usually mechanically pressed in expellers after a preheating step in indirectly heated conditioners. The expeller cake (or pressed cake) will then be further treated in the extractor, since it might still content up to 18 per cent of oil. In some cases the expeller cake is not further extracted but after deep expelling sold as such for feed purposes.
The expeller works as follows: the oil bearing material is fed into one end of a cylinder within which a power-driven worm conveyor forces the material to the other end of the cylinder and out against resistance. The pressure exerted in the process squeezes out the oil.
Soybeans, with a relatively low oil content, are thermally treated, mechanically crushed and used as raw material/flakes for further extraction.
Sometimes the raw material is pressed without heating; such oils are known as cold-pressed oils. Since cold pressing does not extract all the oil, it is practiced only in the production of a few speciality edible oils.
The purpose of refining edible oils and fats is to remove the free fatty acids, moisture, colour pigments and other impurities while maintaining the nutritional value and ensuring the quality and stability of the end product. The crude oil is refined by neutralising and bleaching and then deodorised with steam under vacuum.
There are two main refining processes - chemical/alkali refining and physical refining, which differ principally in the way the free fatty acids are removed.
Oils and fats are recognised as essential nutrients in both human and animal diets. Fats are part of a normal, balanced, healthy diet and the body needs them for a variety of reasons including provision of energy; provision of the essential fatty acids (from omega-6 and omega-3 families) which we need because our bodies cannot produce them; vitamin absorption of vitamins A, D, E and K as well as making a large contribution to the texture and palatability of foods.
You can find more information on Oil Facts here
SCOPA is a member of the EU Seed Crushers and Oil Processors' Federation, FEDIOL, which represents the European vegetable oil and proteinmeal industry in Europe. FEDIOL works with public and private organisations, notably European Institutions, but also international bodies and stakeholders, such as suppliers, customers and NGO's.
It formulates and voices common positions to contribute to a constructive regulatory framework within the EU; develops professional principles and good manufacturing practices to ensure the safety and quality of products; helps diversify the activities and sources of supply for the EU oilseed industry to strengthen its competitiveness; and also ensures the industry is well represented and maintains its positive image.
SCOPA members are concentrated in three main areas - Hull, Merseyside and London. Together they produce more than 1 million tonnes of refined oils and fats and over 1.5 million tonnes of high protein meals per year.
AAK UK Ltd
King George Dock, Hull, HU9 5PX
T: 01482 701271 |
F: 01482 709447 |
W:
www.aak.com
ADM (Trading) UK Ltd
Church Manorway, Erith, Kent, DA8 1DL
T: 01322 443000 |
F: 01322 443080 |
W:
www.admworld.com
Cargill UK
Witham St Hughes, Lincoln, LN6 9TN
T: 01522 556100 |
F: 01522 868244 |
W:
www.cargill.com
New Britain Oils Ltd
45 Derby Rd, Liverpool L20 8DY
T: 0151 922 4875 |
F: |
W:
www.newbritainoils.com
