Which sequence correctly lists the typical steps in extracting oil from soybeans?

Which sequence correctly lists the typical steps in extracting oil from soybeans?

• A. Soybean cleaning; Flaking and conditioning; Extracting; Refining
• B. Cleaning; Refining; Extracting; Flaking and conditioning
• C. Extracting; Refining; Cleaning; Flaking and conditioning
• D. Refining; Cleaning; Extracting; Flaking and conditioning

Answer: (A)

The sequence being tested shows how oil is practically recovered from soybeans. Start with cleaning to remove dirt, stones, and other foreign material, which protects equipment and improves product quality. Next, flaking and conditioning break the beans into thin flakes and adjust moisture, increasing surface area so the oil can be released more efficiently during extraction. Then extracting pulls the oil out, typically with a solvent or by pressing, leaving behind the solid meal. Finally, refining cleans and stabilizes the crude oil, removing impurities, pigments, and odors to produce a neutral, longer-lasting oil. This flow makes sense because you must first remove contaminants, then maximize the material’s oil-releasing surface, then actually remove the oil, and only after that improve its purity and stability. Refining before extracting or skipping the preparation steps would hamper yield and quality.

The sequence being tested shows how oil is practically recovered from soybeans. Start with cleaning to remove dirt, stones, and other foreign material, which protects equipment and improves product quality. Next, flaking and conditioning break the beans into thin flakes and adjust moisture, increasing surface area so the oil can be released more efficiently during extraction. Then extracting pulls the oil out, typically with a solvent or by pressing, leaving behind the solid meal. Finally, refining cleans and stabilizes the crude oil, removing impurities, pigments, and odors to produce a neutral, longer-lasting oil.

This flow makes sense because you must first remove contaminants, then maximize the material’s oil-releasing surface, then actually remove the oil, and only after that improve its purity and stability. Refining before extracting or skipping the preparation steps would hamper yield and quality.