Cotton seed cake

Cottonseed meal is the by-product of oil extraction from cotton seeds. As a protein-rich feed, cottonseed meal is a common source of protein for ruminants, notably in cotton-producing areas such as India, China and the USA, where it is used as a partial substitute for soybean meal.

Several methods are used to extract cottonseed oil, resulting in different types of cottonseed meal (see figure). This situation is slightly different from that of other major oilseeds such as soybean and sunflower, where one process is usually dominant. As a result, there is a wide range of cottonseed meals differing in their protein, fibre and oil content.