Flax seed industry

BeMiller, J.N. 1973. Quince seed, psyllium seed, flax seed and okra gums. In Industrial Gumes (R.L. Whistler and J.N. BeMiller, eds), 2nd Ed. Academic Press, New York. 

Rax is a source of many other valuable raw materials used in the food and the pharmaceutical industries. Flax seed (linseed) can be added to bakery products (whole and ground) increasing its taste, nutritive value and prolonging its shelf-life. The linseed oil, containing polyunsaturated fatty acids, is a fast-drying oil and is a basic component in the production of paints and... 

Although most seeds contain starch as the principal food reserve, many contain other polysaccharides and some have industrial utility. The first seed gums used commercially were quince, psyUium, flax, and locust bean gum. However, only locust bean gum is stiU used, particularly in food appHcations quince and psyllium gums are only used in specialized appHcations. 

The major protein sources used in animal production are oilseed meals. Their use in poultry diets was reviewed by Ravindran and Blair (1992). Soybeans, groundnuts, canola and sunflowers are grown primarily for their seeds, which produce oils for human consumption and industrial uses. Cottonseed is a by-product of cotton production, and its oil is widely used for food and other purposes. In the past linseed (flax) was grown to provide fibre for linen cloth production. The invention of the cotton gin made cotton more available for clothing materials and the demand for linen cloth decreased. Production of linseed is now directed mainly to industrial oil production. Thus, soybean is clearly the predominant oilseed produced in the world. 

Many species in the Europhorbiaceae and Labiatae families produce seeds with a high content of oil and contribution of hnolenic acid of up to 76% (1). Flaxseed has been used for years in the production of paints, varnishes, inks, and linoleum. In food applications, flaxseed is more often used than oil because of its better stability and because of the presence of fiber, lignans, and a-linolenic acid (ALA), which have health benefits. Cold pressed flaxseed oil is not considered suitable for deep-frying, although Chinese use it in stir-frying (2). In this chapter, oilseeds of flax, perilla, camelina, and chia are discussed as sources of oils with elevated content of ALA. These oilseeds are produced in industrial quantities and can be considered as potential sources of new oils with specific nutritional and functional properties. 

Fibers collected from seeds or seed cases, e.g. cotton and kapok Fibers collected from leaves, e.g. fique, sisal, banana and agave Fibers are collected from the skin or bast surrounding the stem of their respective plant. These fibers have higher tensile strength than other fibers. Therefore, these fibers are used for durable yam, fabric, packaging, and paper. Some examples are flax, jute, kenaf, industrial hemp, ramie, rattan, and vine fibers. 

Cellulose, the most abundant renewable and biodegradable polymer, is the promising feedstock for the production of chemicals for their appUcatimis in various industries. Annual production of cellulose in nature is estimated to be lO"—10 t in two forms, partially in a pure form, for example seed hairs of the cotton plant, but mostly as hemicelluloses in cell wall of woody plants (Klenun et al. 1998). The versatility of cellulose has been reevaluated as a useful structural and functional material. The environmental benefits of ceUulosics have become even more apparent (Hon 1996a). Cellulose is revered as a constmction material, mainly in the form of intact wood but also in the form of natural textile fibers like cotton or flax, or in the form of paper and board. The value of cellulose is also recognized as a versatile starting material for subsequent chemical transformation in production of artificial ceUulose-based threads and films as well as of a variety of cellulose derivatives for their utilization in several industries such as food, printing, cosmetic, oil well drilling, textile, pharmaceutical, etc. and domestic life. 

In the US, the commercial flax industry is located mostly in North Dakota and to a lesser extent in South Dakota and Minnesota. The flax is grown for seed in the summer. Several efforts, however, have been carried out to grow flax in the winter months (October to May) in the South Atlantic region of the US (Frederick et al. 1999 unpublished). Globally, the U.S. is the largest per capita consumer of flax... 

One of the more durable drying oils that has been in use for centuries is linseed oil, pressed out of the seeds of the flax plant—a scarce commodity until the linen industry expanded and thus made more flax available for other purposes as well. Hardening of the soft linseed oil films by rosin and adding turpentine created an enhanced varnish for wooden floors, fine furniture and for Stradivarius violins. 

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