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Why is cottonseed oil considered a by-product oil?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Three blocks of butter on a plate with a piece cut off, next to a butter knife and a blue checkered cloth in the background.
fat and oil processing Butter.

Cottonseed oil is classified as a by-product oil because the cotton plant is primarily cultivated for its fibre, rather than for the oil itself.1

While many oilseeds are grown specifically for the purpose of oil and protein meal production, cottonseed is a secondary output derived from the processing of cotton grown for textile use. Once the staple cotton is removed by ginning, the remaining cottonseed is processed to extract oil, while other components like linters and hulls are utilized for various industrial and agricultural applications.12