Abstract: Sunflower oil is known as “healthy edible oil”, rich in linoleic acid, vitamin E, sterols, squalene and other bioactive substances, and it has a variety of physiological functions such as anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, anti-cholesterol, and antioxidant. Sunflower seed meal is a by-product of the production of sunflower seed oil, containing various high value-added components such as protein, chlorogenic acid and carbohydrate, so that it has great application potential in the food field. In this review, we elaborate on recent significant progress in the sunflower seed processing industry, focusing on the new technologies and methods used for sunflower seed pretreatment, oil extraction, and comprehensive utilization of meal, in order to provide a reference for the quality improvement of sunflower oil and the high-value development of sunflower meal.

Key words: sunflower seed oil; pretreatment; extraction technology; sunflower seed meal; protein; chlorogenic acid; carbohydrate