Oil yield is the quantity of oil recovered from a given mass of oilseed, expressed as a percentage, and serves as a central measure of raw-material efficiency and processing plant performance in vegetable-oil trade.
In trade practice
Crushers calculate oil yield by comparing the oil content of incoming seed, measured by nuclear magnetic resonance or solvent extraction in the laboratory, against the oil actually recovered after pressing or extraction. Seed moisture, hull content, temperature control and press throughput all affect the result. Buyers of bulk sunflower or rapeseed oil use supplier-declared yield figures to benchmark procurement costs, while quality teams cross-check them against seed specification certificates.
In a specification
A purchase contract or tolling agreement may state a minimum guaranteed oil yield percentage on an as-received moisture basis, with an agreed deduction method if the figure is not achieved.