Detoxification of castor meal through reactive seed crushing

Non-edible oil crops, such as castor or jatropha, contain several toxic components. Post-harvest treatments should be used to reduce the risks associated with the possible dispersion of toxic compounds in the environment. A new processing technology named reactive seed crushing was developed, which combines in a single process seed-crushing, solvent extraction, oil refining, transesterification and meal detoxification. When applied to castor seeds, it was demonstrated that the process produced a detoxified meal and a castor oil methyl ester of acceptable quality for downstream processing.

► A new process called reactive seed crushing (RSC) combining oil seed crushing and transesterification has been developed.
► On castor seeds, the process produces a detoxified meal.
► Ricin and the allergen present in the castor meal are destroyed during the chemical reactions taking place during RSC.
► The new process can solve biodefense (ricin) and public health (allergen) problems generated by toxic crops.