Abstract
Flaxseed has been cultivated for at least 8,000 years in Europe and Asia, mainly for use in industrial paint oil and polymers, and partly for cereals and baked goods. The consumption of flaxseed as a food has recently increased dramatically, as it contains a large amount of the n-3 fatty acid, α-linolenic acid, dietary fiber, and flaxseed lignan. We report a new method to improve the processing suitability of flaxseed as a food ingredient. An impact mill with classifier was used to grind cold-pressed flaxseed meal into a fine powder which was stable against oxidation. This finely ground cold-pressed flaxseed meal was suitable for making baked goods such as cookies and bread. Flaxseed lignan in the cold-pressed meal was stable under heat treatment, and the lignan glucoside in flaxseed and its derivatives showed strong antioxidative potency.
