Cottonseed and its uses in the food industry
Cotton, whose English name is cotton and is derived from the Arabic word قاتن, is a woody, perennial, tropical plant that has gained economic importance and a special position in the world, to the extent that it has been called "white gold."
Cotton not only provides fibers for the textile industry, but also ranks second in the world market among the five oilseeds (soybean, cottonseed, sunflower, peanut, turnip).
The main components of cottonseed include: the nucleus of fat storage organs (spherosomes), protein organs, storage proteins and globulins, globular bodies, cellular cytoplasm, various enzymes, non-storage proteins, and other components that are important in terms of seed physiology. Gossypol glands and cell walls Four major products are obtained from cottonseed, including 16% oil, 45% meal, 9% husk, 26% short fiber, and 4% waste.
Competition with other seeds for oil and animal feed, and the prospect of using cottonseed as a food, have increased the potential importance of cottonseed for world nutrition.
Cotton Products
As a result, the National Cotton Products Association in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, which is an association of individuals and companies involved in the work, set nine goals with regard to cottonseed quality. Of course, in the efforts made to improve cottonseed quality, they have not lost sight of the fact that other cotton characteristics should not be sacrificed for the quality and performance of fibers or its planting characteristics.
- Increasing seed yield per hectare
- Increase oil content
- Remove cyclopropane fatty acids
- Remove or reduce seed gossypol
- Increase protein content
- Increase lysine content
- Increase resistance to toxic fungi
- Produce non-brittle seeds
- Reduce short lint percentage
Breeding and crop improvement methods can affect the physical and chemical properties of cottonseed, thereby increasing seed quality and the efficiency of its conversion into oil for animal feed and food products, without affecting fiber quality.
The oil extracted from cottonseed contains the following fatty acids: It is: Myristic 0.82%, Palmitic 23.68%, Palmitoleic 0.65%, Stearic 2.55%, Oleic 17.41%, Linoleic 54.54%.
To prepare fat-free flour, dehulled cottonseed is dehulled after cleaning and the resulting kernels are divided into three groups according to size (large kernels, small kernels, small kernels and small kernels).
After preparing and flaking, the small kernels are extracted by solvent extraction method, and the remaining solids are ground after removing the solvent and fat-free flour is obtained.
This flour contains the following amino acids:
Alanine 12.2%, valine 2.2%, glycine 21.2%, isoleucine 59.1%, leucine 12.3%, proline 96.1%, threonine 74.1%, serine 4.2%, methionine 0.74%, phenylalanine 82.2%, aspartic acid 93.4%, glutamic acid 53.10%, tyrosine 51.1%, lysine 46.2%, histidine 41.1%, arginine 42.5%, cysteine 0.88%. Cottonseed proteins are inexpensive resources that can provide functional and nutritional properties in food formulas.
In parts of the world where people suffer from food shortages, especially in developing countries, cotton is cultivated on a large scale, and its derivatives are Supplements protein-deficient diets Until recent years, cottonseed protein products were mainly used as fertilizer for feeding ruminants and are now used as a protein source in culture media for microorganisms.
This caparina, which contains a mixture of plant proteins including cottonseed meal, is consumed as a food in South America, which has had a positive effect on the growth of children who have been malnourished.
Cottonseed Meal
Research has shown that cottonseed protein derivatives compete well with other plant protein products in terms of food formulations.
Cotton protein has many potential uses in Foods have been found to have properties such as the taste and color of cottonseed products that satisfy consumers, which is why cottonseed flour is used to increase the protein content in food formulations such as frozen desserts, confectionery decorations, and mayonnaise or salad dressing products.
The ability to combine cottonseed flour with oil allows cottonseed protein to act as a meat-like substance or a food preservative, and the ability to combine cottonseed flour with water allows it to be included in the formula of juicy foods. Products are obtained from protein materials separated from cottonseed by heating them, which are used as food preservatives.
The texture of the preservative proteins is similar to a sponge, and according to the judgment of the panel that tastes this Proteins have been tasted, and it tastes like a cooked hamburger in the mouth, and it is used at a rate of 5% in the preparation of a type of sausage.The presence of cottonseed in cooked meats delays the development of rancidity and oxidation.
Also, the presence of this flour in ground beef, frozen meats, and canned meats prolongs the meat's shelf life, reduces its stickiness, and makes it more tender, which is more satisfying to consumers.
Cottonseed flour can also be used in the preparation of non-fat dry milk at a ratio of 40 percent, and these dry milks can be used in the preparation of frozen desserts, which greatly increases the quality of these products.
The presence of cottonseed flour in products such as white bread, diet bread, and various sweets as a protein enhancer increases the nutritional value of these products and improves the color and shape quality of these products. It is added to pasta and spaghetti and to simple foods such as chips, increasing their nutritional value.
The presence of this flour in dairy products also increases the quality of their color and shape, and the combination of whey proteins with cottonseed protein isolates plays a significant role in cheese processing.
The presence of cottonseed flour in beverages and sweets can be a good substitute for cocoa and chocolate. The functional properties of protein isolates obtained from cottonseed flour are better or even equal to those of isolates from soybeans.
Cottonseed protein products have a sweet and pleasant taste. These materials are free of foreign substances, microorganisms, and toxic substances. These products are light in color and stable under maximum processing conditions.
These materials are considered good food ingredients and can be used as additives to old and new food formulas.