Volatile flavor compounds in cold-pressed oils from indigenous oilseed crops

Abstract:

Cold-pressed oils are not interchangeable. Although the practice of extracting oil without heat or solvents is often treated as a single category, the volatile flavour signature of each oilseed carries its own fingerprint, and those signatures drive consumer preference in niche markets. This research profiled the volatile compounds in five cold-pressed oils — sesame, niger, linseed, camelina, and mustard — produced from indigenous oilseed crops cultivated in Greater Poland voivodeship. Oils were expressed using a screw-press operating below 45 °C, and the headspace was analysed by solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. A total of 78 volatile compounds was identified across the five oils, with the richest profile in mustard oil (38 compounds) and the narrowest in camelina oil (21 compounds). Aldehydes dominated the aroma of sesame and niger oils, while isothiocyanates and sulphur-bearing compounds defined mustard. Terpene hydrocarbons were highest in linseed, and camelina was characterised by a flavonoid-derived ketone signature. Principal component analysis separated the five oils into three aroma clusters. Correlation analysis linked eight key aldehydes and four terpenes to sensory descriptors recorded by a trained panel. The data offer a quantitative baseline for oilseed selection in artisanal cold-press operations and for authenticity testing in the premium segment.