What remains in oilseed cake after mechanical pressing?

After mechanical pressing, the remaining material—known as oil cake—is a coarse residue that still retains approximately 3 to 15 percent of residual oil, depending on the efficiency of the equipment and the type of material processed.12

This residue is a concentrated source of high-quality protein and minerals. Its primary uses include:34

• Animal Feed: Most oil cakes are broken up or ground into meal for use as a protein-rich supplement in poultry and livestock feed.53
• Fertilizer: Cakes derived from toxic seeds, such as castor beans or tung nuts, are unsuitable for consumption and are instead utilized as fertilizers.3
• Further Processing: Because the cake retains residual oil, it is often subjected to solvent extraction to recover the remaining oil more completely. Additionally, some cakes, such as those from cottonseed, require further processing to remove toxic components like gossypol before they can be safely fed to nonruminant animals.153