Protein and lipid sources for use in aquafeeds and animal feeds and a process for their preparation

A process for producing a protein concentrate for use in animal and aquafeeds comprising the steps of:

• providing a source of oilseed;
• drying said oilseed to reduce its moisture content to below about 10% to obtain a dried seed or subjecting said oilseed to heat treatment under conditions selected to substantially deactivate, destroy or reduce the concentration of at least some of the antinutritional components normally present in oilseed to produce a heat-treated seed;
• cold pressing or grinding said dried seed or heat-treated seed to reduce the particle size and yield human grade oil;
• providing a source of unhydrolyzed animal offal;
• blending said oilseed and said animal offal in a ratio of about 10:90 to about 90:10, and if required in the presence of water and an antioxident, to form a mixture thereof;
• cooking said mixture to obtain a cooked mixture prior to said extracting step;
• separating said cooked mixture into a stickwater fraction, a moisture containing protein-rich fraction, and an animal feed grade oil fraction.
• extracting said mixture with a solvent;
• and
• removing said solvent to obtain a protein concentrate.

A protein source for use in animal and aquafeeds comprising an animal product selected from animal offal, whole fish too small for filleting operations, fish by-catch and whole birds with or without feathers in an amount of about 22% to about 90% by weight;

• and
• oilseed in an amount of about 10% to about 78% by weight;
• and
• wherein said animal product and said oilseed have been co-processed and cooked together, following which fluids have been removed therefrom to obtain a pressed mixture which has been dried to provide said protein source.

A protein and lipid-rich oilseed meal suitable for use in fish and non-human animal diets comprising a heat-treated dehulled oilseed, said oilseed being substantially free of flaxseed, mustard seed, rapeseed and cotton seed, said meal having:

• from about 26% to about 40% protein on a dry weight basis;
• from about 48% to about 64% protein on a lipid-free dry weight basis;
• from about 2.4% to about 4.6% methionine and cystine calculated as a percent of said protein;
• from about 3.6% to about 6.1% lysine calculated as a percent of said protein;
• from about 21% to about 52% lipid on a dry weight basis;
• from about 2% to about 12% crude fibre on a lipid-free dry weight basis;
• from about 0.16% to about 0.45% calcium on a lipid-free dry weight basis;
• and
• less than about 0.01% sodium on a lipid-free dry weight basis.

A protein concentrate containing an admixture of a co-processed oilseed and unhydrolyzed animal offal, said concentrate being suitable for use in fish and non-human animal diets, said oilseed comprising a heat-treated dehulled oilseed substantially free of flaxseed, mustard seed, rapeseed and cotton seed, said protein concentrate having:

• from about 38% to about 58% protein on a dry weight basis;
• from about 52% to about 77% protein on a lipid-free dry weight basis;
• from about 2.7% to about 4.6% methionine and cystine calculated as a percent of protein;
• from about 4.3% to about 7.9% lysine calculated as a percent of said protein;
• from about 24% to about 37% lipid on a dry weight basis;
• from about 1.7% to about 10% crude fibre on a lipid-free dry weight basis;
• from about 0.7% to about 3.6% calcium on a lipid-free dry weight basis;
• and
• from about 0.06% to about 0.30% sodium on a lipid-free dry weight basis.

An animal grade oil comprising oil derived from an admixture of a co-processed oilseed and unhydrolyzed animal offal, said oil being substantially free of flaxseed oil, mustard seed oil, rapeseed oil, and cotton seed oil, said animal grade oil having:

• from about 60% to about 92% of total fatty acids as unsaturated fatty acids;
• from about 8% to about 50% of total fatty acids as (n-6) fatty acids;
• from about 0.5% to about 35% of total fatty acids as (n-3) fatty acids;
• from about 3% to about 25% of total fatty acids as n-3 highly unsaturated fatty acids if said source of animal offal is fish;
• and
• a peroxide value less than about 8 milliequivalents per kg of oil at the time of production.

An edible organic oil comprised of cold pressed heat-treated oilseed, said oil being substantially free of flaxseed oil, mustard seed oil, rapeseed oil and cotton seed oil, said organic oil comprising:

• from about 86% to about 96% of total fatty acids as unsaturated fatty acids;
• from about 20% to about 80% of total fatty acids as (n-6) fatty acids;
• and
• a peroxide value of less than about 2 milliequivalents of peroxide per kg oil at the time of production.

A process for preparation of oilseed protein concentrates from oilseed for use in fish or other non-human animal diets comprising the steps of:

• subjecting said oilseed to heat treatment under conditions selected to substantially deactivate, destroy or reduce the concentration of at least some of the antinutritional components normally present in oilseed to produce heat-treated seed;
• dehulling said heat-treated seed to produce a meat fraction and a hull fraction;
• cold pressing said meat fraction to yield a high value human grade oil and a moisture containing protein and lipid-rich meal having a reduced fibre content;
• blending said protein and lipid-rich meal with water and an antioxidant to produce a blended mixture;
• cooking said blended mixture under conditions selected to substantially improve protein digestibility to obtain a cooked mixture;
• and
• separating said cooked mixture into a stick water fraction, a moisture containing protein-rich fraction, and an oil fraction.

A process for preparation of oilseed protein concentrates from oilseed for use in fish or other non-human animal diets comprising the steps of:

• drying said oilseed to produce dried seed;
• dehulling said dried seed to produce a meat fraction and a hull fraction;
• cold pressing said meat fraction to yield a high value human grade oil and a moisture containing protein and lipid-rich meal having a reduced fibre content;
• blending said protein and lipid-rich meal with water and an antioxidant to produce a blended mixture;
• cooking said blended mixture under conditions selected to substantially improve protein digestibility to obtain a cooked mixture;
• and
• separating said cooked mixture into a stick water fraction, a moisture containing protein-rich fraction, and an oil fraction.