Abstract
Vegetable oils and products based on them have become an essential component of the dietary pattern of the population of Kazakhstan in recent years. Along with sunflower oil, the vegetable oils produced in Kazakhstan include rapeseed, safflower, corn, and cottonseed oils. In order to expand the range of vegetable oils in the country, it is important to develop and implement highly efficient technologies for processing rare and non-traditional oil-bearing crops, including melon and pumpkin seeds. The article considers the possibility of using cucurbit crops for the production of vegetable oils. As a result, technologies for producing vegetable oils from cucurbit seeds were developed. In the production of vegetable oils, non-traditional raw materials for the oil and fat industry, namely melon and pumpkin seeds, were used. The chemical composition and physicochemical parameters of pumpkin seeds were investigated. The physicochemical properties of oils obtained by cold pressing of melon and pumpkin seeds were determined. The study of oils derived from melon and pumpkin seeds showed that their quality indicators comply with the standards for the highest grade of unrefined sunflower oil. Therefore, the processing of melon and pumpkin seeds makes it possible to expand the assortment of vegetable oils. In addition, the processing of cucurbit seeds contributes to the integrated utilization of agricultural raw materials. Research in this area helps to expand the raw material base of the domestic oil and fat industry and reduce dependence on imports. Oils obtained from melon and pumpkin seeds can be used not only for food purposes but also in the production of functional and preventive food products. Thus, the use of non-traditional oil-bearing raw materials is relevant from both scientific and industrial perspectives.