ABSTRACT
Corn contributes significantly to the world edible oil supply. Besides traditionally grown oilseed crops, technological innovations in refining, bleaching and deodorization, newer oils like cottonseed and rice bran oils have also become popular in the recent times. Edible oils and fats of vegetable origin are composed of triglycerides that are esters of one molecule of glycerol and three molecules of fatty acids. The oilseeds sector has remained vibrant globally with 4.1% growth per annum in the last three decades. The production of annual oilseed field crops has increased considerably since 1960, and now constitutes over 50% of the total production of fats and oils in the world. There are reports showing that in certain linseed species extent and degree of polyunsaturated fatty acids are so low that the oil extracted is perfect for edible purposes. For example, Linum strictum L. is largely cultivated for edible oil and fodder purposes in Afghanistan.
