Safflower meal

Oil extraction produces an undecorticated (hulled) safflower meal with approximately 200-220g/kg CP and 400g/kg CF. The undecorticated meal is also called whole pressed seed meal, whereas the decorticated meal is referred to as safflower meal. Decortication of the hulled meal yields a high protein (420-450g/kg CP), less fibrous (150-160g/kg CF) meal, which is more suitable for inclusion in poultry or pig diets (Darroch, 1990). 

The mineral content of safflower meal is generally less than that of soybean meal, but safflower meal is a comparable source of Ca and P. Safflower meal is a rich plant source of iron (Darroch, 1990). Compared with other oilseed meals, safflower meal has a relatively poor vitamin profile, but is a good source of biotin, riboflavin and niacin compared to soybean meal (Darroch, 1990). 

The palatability of safflower meal to poultry tends to be low (Ravindran and Blair, 1992) due to the presence of two phenolic glucosides matairesinol-p-glucoside, which imparts a bitter flavour, and 2-hydroxyarctiin-p-glucoside, which also has a bitter flavour and has cathartic properties (Darroch, 1990). Both glucosides are associated with the protein fraction of the meal, and they can be removed by extraction with water or methanol, or by the addition of P-glucosidase. 

A review of early studies showed that poultry performed poorly when fed diets containing unhulled safflower meal (Ravindran and Blair, 1992). Partially dehulled safflower meal, however, can be utilized in balanced diets for broilers and layers at levels limited by its fibre content. However, satisfactory performance is achieved only with supplementation with other proteins to improve the protein quality of the diet. 

Darroch, C.S. (1990) Safflower meal. In Thacker, P.A. and Kirkwood, R.N. (eds) Nontraditional Feed Sources for Use in Swine Production. Butterworths, Stoneham, Massachusetts, pp. 373-382. 

Wylie, P.W., Talley, S.M. and Freeeman, J.N. (1972) Substitution of linseed and safflower meal for soybean meal in diets of growing pullets. Poultry Science 51, 1695-1701. 

Table 4.1.31 A. Safflower meal expeller (IFN 5-04-109). The ground reside obtained after extraction of most of the oil from whole safflower seeds by a mechanical extraction process. (From AAFCO, 2005.)...

The by-product of the extraction of safflower oil is a grayish tan to brown cake or meal that exhibits flakes or shreds of whitish safflower hulls. Table 10 presents typical analysis for safflower meal. Most meal produced in the United States is of a solvent-extracted type. The amino acid and mineral contents of meal are shown in Table 11. 

Others spent considerable time searching for alternative uses for safflower hulls, the best bet in that period was to export the 6% fraction to Japan, where safflower hulls were used as low cost filler in many types of compound feeds. Japan was also a regular consumer of 20% protein (sometimes purchased basis 20% protein-fat combined analysis), but in today s market, safflower meal from the United States is not competitive in the Japanese market. 

Safflower hulls find their best market when incorporated in safflower meal, and none has been produced separately for many years in the United States, because most mills produced only two fractions when decorticating, 20 and 42% portions. Today, the energy consumed in separating safflower meal fractions exceeds the premium that can be gained from the high protein fraction, so most mills confine themselves to offering as is meal of 25% protein. 

Promising experiments have been done to produce protein flour or protein isolates from safflower meal. The USDA compared safflower protein isolate with isolate from soy and found the safflower product to be quite useful. The study also outlined the cost of investment and production for the process envisioned (128-130). Other researchers have written extensively on this subject (131-134). A factory would need considerably more than the total U.S. supply of safflower meal to produce an economically viable protein isolate. Unless a scientific breakthrough can materially reduce the hull portion of a safflower seed while retaining satisfactory yields, meal will continue to sell for a modest price and to be considered a second-rank product. NIOP Rules 8.1.1-8.1.3 established the factors guiding the trade in safflower meal. 

As noted, expeller safflower meal is dangerous to store under any conditions. Solvent-extracted safflower meal is much more stable and can be stored safely so long as moisture levels are kept low in storage. Safflower meal can hold 10% moisture under California weather conditions, but it is preferable to maintain it at a 5-7% moisture content if storage is for an extended period. Long-term storage in small diameter tanks should be avoided, because safflower meal tends to bridge under such conditions and become difficult to remove. 

M. L. Baker and co-workers. Feeding Safflower Meal., Bulletin 402, Nebraska Agriculture Experiment Station, Jan. 1951. 

N. W. Hilston, C. B. Boubicik and L. Paules, Comparative Value of Soybean Meal, Safflower Meal and Urea for Fattening Steers, Wyoming Agriculture Experiment Station, Aug. 1951. 

The extracted cake is ground to yield a 20 to 42% protein meal, with the higher protein content obtained from decorticated (dehulled) seed. Meal produced by the solvent method contains about 1% fat vs 5% when the expeller process is used. Safflower meal is of good quality, although somewhat deficient in lysine and methionine. 

High protein content safflower meal, made from dehulled seed and containing about 42% protein, is now considered a protein source for human consumption. However, most safflower meal is used as a protein supplement for livestock. The meal is not very palatable when used alone. 

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