Meeting the global demand for shea oil and shea butter extraction

Although it only grows in a limited swath of sub-Saharan African parklands, the wild shea tree supplies the entire world with enough shea nuts to meet the growing demand for both shea oil and shea butter. African civilizations have been processing shea nuts by hand for centuries, using tedious traditional methods of shea butter extraction…

Optimizing flaxseed oil production

One of the earliest domesticated crops in human history, flax has found a wide range of applications through the millennia. As a valuable source of food, animal feed, fiber, flooring, and many other uses, it’s no wonder why the Latin name of this ancient herb translates as “most useful.” Every part of the plant is…

Meeting the Demands of Cocoa Bean Processing

Anderson International cocoa bean processing

It’s no wonder why the source of cocoa beans, the cacao tree, was named “food of the gods” (Theobroma). The distinctively chocolatey flavor of cocoa products has been a favorite of countless civilizations throughout time—satisfying cravings both bitter and sweet, while supplying a bounty of beneficial qualities beyond food. However, many overlook the complexities of…

Calculating the Growth Potential of Organic Soybean Meal

Anderson International organic soybean meal

Although large-scale soybean processors dominate the commodity vegetable oil markets, these solvent extraction plants can’t produce organic products because of the hazardous chemicals they use. So, while small-scale mechanical oil mills may not be able to compete in terms of overall production volume or oil recovery rates, they can differentiate themselves by specializing in organic…