June 9, 2009
We all love our plant oils and extracts- but have you ever stopped to think about just how they take the oil out of these plants?
Most oils from plant sources are extracted through a process involving either, a mechanical press or chemical solvent (or a combination of the two). Historically, extraction was performed mechanically- with relatively low production yields and a large amount of waste. Way back during the Industrial Revolution, technology took hold and the widespread use of the continuous mechanical press allowed for a more efficient extraction system.
It was in the 1930s that solvent extraction became popular when it was recognized for its effectiveness in recovering oil from seeds and other oil-bearing materials. Currently, hexane is the most widely used extraction solvent. The problem is that hexane’s toxicity is well established; it is an extremely corrosive, neurotoxin, not to mention air pollutant, with strict OSHA regulations regarding its use and worker safety practices. A petroleum by-product of gasoline refining, hexane is highly volatile and is assumed to completely evaporate from food oils; the FDA does not set maximum residue limits for hexane extracted products, except for cottonseed oil and hops. To add injury to insult: the EPA lists hexane as a hazardous air pollutant; air pollutants are defined by the EPA as airborne chemicals that “cause or may cause cancer or other serious health effects, such as reproductive effects or birth defects, or adverse environmental and ecological
effects.”¹
To read the full article: http://www.supermarketguru.
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