Flaking is the process of passing conditioned oilseeds or grains between smooth counter-rotating rollers to produce thin, uniform flakes that rupture cell walls, increase surface area and improve the efficiency of subsequent solvent extraction or pressing.
In trade practice
Before flaking, seeds are conditioned by heating and adjusting moisture to achieve the plasticity needed for flake formation without crumbling or sticking; flake thickness is monitored continuously because flakes that are too thick reduce oil recovery while flakes that are too thin may blind extraction screens. In solvent extraction plants, flake quality is a critical process control point, and operators measure flake thickness and residual oil in the spent flake to assess extraction efficiency. Buyers of solvent-extracted meal do not typically specify flaking parameters directly, but poor flaking practice can result in elevated residual oil in meal, affecting its energy value and specification compliance. Hexane residue limits in the finished meal are governed by Directive 2009/32/EC on extraction solvents.
In a specification
Flaking is generally a process control parameter rather than a traded specification; however, a toll-crushing or processing agreement may state target flake thickness as an indicative range and require the processor to document flake quality as part of the batch processing record.