Oleochemistry, proteochemistry: what is the difference?

Oleochemistry, proteochemistry: what is the difference?

Oleochemistry, literally oil chemistry, refers to the process of transforming vegetable oils such as rapeseed, sunflower, palm, soya, and coconut, as well as animal fats. In oleochemistry, such raw material is first reduced to its basic components. After purification or transformation, the components are recombined with other molecules to form a wide range of products and ingredients.
Proteochemistry, literally protein chemistry, refers to the recovery of proteins obtained from the production of oils during the processing of seeds. This operation is called crushing. The seeds are ground and pressed to separate the liquid part (to obtain oil) from the solid shell (to obtain the oilseed meal, rich in protein). It is the conversion of these oilseed meals into plant-based resins, for example, that is the subject of proteochemistry.

Oleochemistry and proteochemistry share a common point: these processes enable producing renewable and sustainable ingredients, offering an efficient alternative to fossil-based products.