Effect of moisture on rice bran oil expression

Abstract In the processing of oilseeds for oil expression, water is sprinkled as a pre-treatment toincrease the moisture content for better extractability. This paper reports on an investigation into the effect of moisture-addition on oil recovery from parboiled rice bran. The experiments were designed based on response surface methodology to determine the best treatment combinations of applied pressure, pressing time and moisture content for maximum oil recovery. Prediction equations were generated for oil recovery and found to be non-linear within the range of factors studied, namely 7 to 30 MPa applied pressure, 8 to 42 min pressing time and 8·3 to 11·7 % (w.b.) moisture content.