Valorization of Oilseed Press Cakes for Sustainable Food Production: Nutritional and Technological Perspectives

Oilseed press cakes are major by-products generated during mechanical extraction of vegetable oils from seeds such as soybean, sunflower, rapeseed, sesame, flaxseed, groundnut, and pumpkin. Although traditionally used as animal feed or discarded in some processing systems, press cakes retain substantial amounts of proteins, dietary fibre, minerals, phenolic compounds, peptides, and residual lipids. Their nutritional density makes them promising raw materials for human food applications and supports the development of circular and sustainable food systems. Advances in fractionation, protein extraction, fermentation, enzymatic treatment, drying, and extrusion have enabled the conversion of press cakes into functional flours, protein concentrates, fibre-rich ingredients, bakery products, snacks, beverages, and meat alternatives. However, challenges involving antinutritional factors, allergenicity, oxidation, sensory characteristics, contaminants, and processing costs must be addressed, the nutritional composition, functional properties, processing strategies, food applications, and future opportunities for valorizing oilseed press cakes in sustainable food production.