Cold-pressed ghani oil value addition

Cold-pressed ghani oil — also called kachi ghani oil — is edible oil extracted by slow mechanical crushing of oilseed in a wooden or stone ghani at low temperature, retaining heat-sensitive flavour and nutrient compounds. The practice converts groundnut, sesame, mustard, sunflower, safflower or coconut seed into a premium retail product priced above refined-oil mainstream brands.

Principle

Conventional commercial extraction uses solvent (hexane) followed by refining at temperatures above 200 degrees C, removing free fatty acids, phospholipids, pigments and aromatic compounds in pursuit of shelf-stable neutral oil. Cold pressing keeps extraction temperatures below 60 degrees C, preserving heat-sensitive nutrients, free fatty acids, natural aromatics and — in mustard oil — pungent allyl isothiocyanate. The trade-off is lower oil recovery per kg seed but a differentiated product.

Implementation

The ghani may be wooden (kolhu) or stone, hand-driven, bullock-driven or motorised at low rpm to avoid frictional heating. KVIC's Wood-Press Oil scheme finances oil ghani units at village scale to revive traditional processing capacity. Output is typically marketed unrefined, with sediment settling and basic filtration as the only downstream steps.

Safety and regulatory status

FSSAI Food Product Standards Chapter 2 governs fats and oils. Mustard oil labelled kachi ghani must contain a minimum 0.20 percent natural allyl isothiocyanate by weight; lower values disqualify the kachi ghani claim. Other cold-pressed oils are regulated under the same chapter for free fatty acid, peroxide value and adulterant limits. Labelling requirements mirror the standard edible-oil framework with disclosure of crop source and extraction method.

Adoption context

The format suits oilseed growers near urban premium markets and aligns with the organic and natural-foods retail channel. FPOs and SHGs operating common-facility ghani units have adopted the model to capture processing margin within the producer collective.

Limitations

Yield recovery is 15-25 percent lower than solvent extraction. Shelf life of cold-pressed oil is shorter because free fatty acids and pigments accelerate rancidity, requiring smaller pack sizes and faster inventory turnover. Quality claims are difficult to verify without lab testing, which exposes the channel to counterfeit risk.

See also Organic Vegetable Marketing and Buyback Contract Risk for related value-chain practices.

References

FSSAI Food Product Standards, Chapter 2 - Fats, Oils and Fat Emulsions. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.