Method for fractionating oat, products thus obtained, and use thereof

A method of preparing β-glucan, protein, starch and lipid concentrates from oat, comprising the steps of:

• (a) extracting non-heat-treated oat or oat treated at a temperature up to 100° C. and at a relative humidity at most 16% with supercritical CO2, whereby a fat-extracted oat fraction and one or more fat fractions are obtained,
• (b) dry-milling the fat-extracted oat fraction by impact milling into oatmeal having such a particle size that at least 95% of the particles are between 1.0 and 3,000 μm calculated on the basis of the volume,
• (c) dividing the thus obtained oatmeal into a first coarse fraction and a first fine fraction, said first coarse fraction comprising a β-glucan concentrate having a β-glucan content of 30 to 50% and a fat content of less than 3.5%, and said first fine fraction comprising a starch concentrate having a starch content of more than 70%, and said division being performed by using one or more operations selected from sieving and air classification and, optionally, dry milling,
• (d) dividing said first fine fraction further by sieving or air classification into a second coarse fraction, a second fine fraction and a third fine fraction, said second coarse fraction comprising a β-glucan concentrate having a β-glucan content of 45 to 60% and a fat content of less than 2%, said second fine fraction comprising a starch concentrate having a starch content of more than 80%, and said third fine fraction comprising a protein concentrate having a protein content of more than 30% and up to 80%.