Australian Oilseed
Quality Overview
Grain Quality Forums – March/April 2014
Growing in value, sustainable and internationally competitive
Oilseed Quality – what the market
wants
Growing in value, sustainable and internationally competitive
What is important to a oilseed
processor?
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Oil Content (High)
Protein Content (High)
Moisture (Low)
Admixture/ foreign material (Low)
Weight (kg/Hl) (High)
Chlorophyll (Green Seeds) (Low)
Heat Damaged Seeds (Nil)
Contaminants (Nil)
Food safety issues (eg chemical MRL’s) (Nil)
Fatty Acid Profile (Consistent)
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Oil content:
 Generally the higher the oil content the better
– however some years when the protein market is high and the
oil market is low and the additional revenue from the higher
oil does not cover the oil bonification payments.
– Current example on Canola: Oil Bonus of around $8.50 per
1% increase in oil however the processor is only receiving
about a $6.00 benefit per the extra 1% oil, hence is out of
pocket $2.50.
 Often low oil content seed will also have other quality
problems (eg high chlorophyll caused from early
swathing or with frosted seed),
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Moisture content:
 Paying oilseed price for water isn’t desirable
 Oilseed processor needs to take seed moisture down
to 2-4% (depending on type of seed and processing
equipment being used).
 Not only is there an extra cost in the removal of the
moisture but the daily plant throughput is reduced
with high moisture seed (this increases the crush cost
per tonne).
 The higher the seed moisture the higher the risk of
spoilage in storage
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Moisture & Oil content for safe
storage:
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Heated seed
Heated seed produces dark oil with
high ffa and is like a bottle of wine
that has gone off.
Heated seed is generally a result of
high moisture seed being put into
storage.
When the oil is dark (as seen in the
bottle on the left) it is generally an
indication of high oxidation and
severe degradation of the oil quality.
Heated Oil Vs Normal Oil
(Both samples are crude canola)
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Weight
 Low hectolitre weight is often a good indicator of
quality problems with the seed that can’t be tested
and the point of receival (eg higher “free fatty acid”
level which is an indication of increased oxidation
which can occur from insect damage and is often
identified with low weight seed)
 AOF Standards:
– Canola Test Weight Min
– Sunflower Test Wt Min
– Soybean Test Wt Min
62 kg/hl
32 kg/hl
70 kg/hl
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Chlorophyll (green seed)
 Green seed is high in chlorophyll and a problem for oil refiners.
The markets for Canola, Sunflower and soybean oil are all after a
light slightly golden coloured oil (not green).
 To remove the chlorophyll additional or special bleaching clays
are required which is an extra cost and the oil losses in the
refinery increase greatly with high chlorophyll oil.
 The AOF is currently working with NSW DPI to develop a NIR
calibration for high chlorophyll canola which will be more
accurate and efficient way of identifying problem loads than the
old green seed test.
 High Chlorophyll content is caused by plant not reaching full
maturity prior to harvest or desiccation (frost, early swathing,
late season drought can all be potential causes).
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Australian Canola Quality
Annual Quality Reporting
• Independent
- Govt Laboratory
• Transparent
• List all major quality
attributes.
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2013/14 Harvest Quality Results
Quality Parameter
Oil content, % in whole seed @ 6 % moisture
Protein content, % in oil-free meal @ 10 % moisture
Moisture in seed %
Glucosinolates, µmoles/g in whole seed @ 6 % moisture
Volumetric grain weights, lbs/b
kg/hL
Chlorophyll, mg/kg (only small No of samples tested to date)
Australian
Mean
44.9
38.0
5.4
9
52.8
66.9
4-8
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State by State Performance- 13/14
Oil Levels (% Seed)
Protein Levels (% Seed)
46
55
44
42
50
40
45
38
36
40
34
35
32
30
30
NSW
SA
State
Victoria
NSW
WA
SA
Glucosinolate Levels (umoles/gm)
State Victoria
WA
20
15
10
5
0
NSW
SA
State Victoria
WA
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Australian Canola Oil Level Trends
% Oil in Seed
46
45
44
43
42
41
40
39
Growing in value, sustainable and internationally competitive
Australian Canola Protein Level Trends
% Protein in Seed
45
44
43
42
41
40
39
38
37
36
35
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Australian Oil + Protein Level Trends
% Oil + Protein in seed
90
88
86
84
82
80
78
76
74
72
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Australian Quality 20 year trend
% Oil + Protein in seed
90
85
80
75
70
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001e
2000
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995
1994
65
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Australian Canola Oil
Canola Oil Quality
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Fatty Acid profiles- 2013/14 and Trends
75
26
C18:1 (% in Oil)
C18:2 (% in Oil)
24
70
22
20
65
% in Oil
18
60
16
14
55
12
10
50
NSW
65
63
61
59
57
55
SA
State Victoria
NSW
WA
SA
State Victoria
WA
23
21
19
17
2004.5 2005.6 2006.7 2007.8 2008.092009.102010.112011.122012.132013.14
15
2004.5 2005.6 2006.7 2007.8 2008.092009.102010.112011.122012.132013.14
Growing in value, sustainable and internationally competitive
Fatty Acid profiles- 2013/14 and Trends
14
8.5
C18:3 (% in Oil)
8
10
7.5
8
7
6
6.5
4
6
2
5.5
0
5
% in Oil
12
Total Sats (% in Oil)
NSW
SA
State
Victoria
12
SA State Victoria
WA
9
11
8
10
9
NSW
WA
7
2004.5 2005.6 2006.7 2007.8 2008.092009.102010.112011.122012.132013.14
6
2004.5 2005.6 2006.7 2007.8 2008.09 2009.10 2010.11 2011.12 2012.13 2013.14
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Iodine Values- 2013/14 and Trends
120
Iodine Value (% in Oil)
115
110
% in Oil
105
100
95
90
NSW
SA
State
Victoria
WA
118
116
114
112
110
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2911 2012 2013
Growing in value, sustainable and internationally competitive
Take home points:
Australian Canola has:
 Very high oil content
 Very good oil + protein (and still improving)
 Generally low moisture content (approx. 2% below Nth
Hemisphere).
 Low Chlorophyll compared to Northern Hemisphere
(reduced refining costs)
 Possibly a lowering of Iodine value (is this a issue or
an opportunity?)
Growing in value, sustainable and internationally competitive
Growing in value, sustainable and internationally competitive