Ground flax seeds (Linum usitatissimum L.)
Ingredient obtained by milling brown or golden flaxseed to particle sizes ranging from grits to fine flour (micronized). Comminution increases bioavailability of actives (notably ALA omega-3 and lignans), but exposes lipids to oxidation—hence the need for stabilization and oxygen/light protection. Sold as full-fat meals or partially defatted flours (oil-press by-product) for bakery, snacks, beverages, and functional nutrition.
Caloric value (per 100 g)
~500–550 kcal/100 g (varies with moisture and fat; full-fat ≈ higher, defatted ≈ lower).
Composition and markers (typical values)
Total fat: ~38–45 g/100 g (full-fat); 8–15 g/100 g (partially defatted).
Protein: ~18–23 g/100 g.
Available carbs: ~1–3 g/100 g; total dietary fiber ~25–35 g/100 g (notably soluble mucilage).
Lignans (e.g., SDG): hundreds of mg/100 g (wide cultivar/process variability).
Minerals: K, Mg, P; phytates present (mineral binding).
Polyphenols: present; TPC used as an index.
Oxidation: monitor PV, p-AV, Totox of intrinsic oil.
Lipid profile (per 100 g; share of total lipids)
Note: the high n-3 PUFA fraction increases oxidative susceptibility → use barrier packs, N₂ flushing, and cool storage.
Production process
Seed selection/cleaning → optional thermal enzyme inactivation (lipoxygenase/lipase) → milling (hammer/roller/pin; cryomilling to limit heat) → sieving to target D90 → (opt.) partial defatting (mechanical/solvent-free press) → standardization (fineness/moisture) → O₂/light-barrier packaging.
Sensory and technological properties
Aroma/color: nutty/cereal; golden to brown.
Functionality: natural binder/emulsifier (mucilage), high water-holding (up to 2–3× weight); improves moistness and shelf life in bakery.
Rheology: increases viscosity; excessive inclusion can reduce loaf volume (gluten interference).
Stability: prone to rancidity (auto-oxidation) accelerated by heat/light/metals.
Food applications
Bread/bakery: 3–12% flour basis; full-fat or defatted for fiber and ALA; prefer preferments/autolyse to preserve volume.
Snacks/granola/bars: 5–20% for texture and omega-3/lignans.
Beverages/ferments: 1–3% (pre-disperse; stabilize with xanthan/LBG).
Plant-based: flax “egg” (hydrogel ≈ 1 part meal : 10–15 parts water; hydrate then strain); burgers/spreads.
Dairy/desserts: 1–4% for body/fiber (use micronized meal to avoid grittiness).
Nutrition and health (food use)
Rich in ALA (n-3), dietary fibers (soluble/insoluble), and lignans (precursors of enterolignans).
Grinding improves absorption of ALA and lignans vs whole seeds.
GI: low; recipe sugars may dominate.
Caution: contains cyanogenic glycosides; at typical intakes (≈10–30 g/day) considered safe in healthy adults—avoid excessive doses; diversify sources.
Interactions: high fiber can affect drug/micronutrient absorption—separate intake by time. Adjust to individual tolerance (hydration for constipation/IBD).
(No health claims without explicit regulatory authorization.)
Quality and specifications (typical topics)
Moisture/aw, granulometry (D90), Lab* color.
Lipids: PV, p-AV, Totox; ALA by FAME profiling.
Fiber: TDF/SDF/IDF; gel viscosity as mucilage index.
Contaminants: metals/pesticides within limits; compliant mycotoxins; microbiology (TVC/Y&M).
Sensory: free from rancid/metallic notes.
Storage and shelf life
Store cool, dark, in O₂/light-barrier packaging (multilayer pouches or jars with N₂ flush).
Control RH to avoid caking; reseal with minimal headspace.
Shelf life: whole > ground; ground is more sensitive (preferably consume within a few months). Apply FIFO.
Allergens and safety
Flax is not among the EU “major 14,” but specific seed allergies and cross-reactivity (other seeds/peanut) occur—consider voluntary advisory in multi-line plants (HACCP). Physical hazard: hard fragments with coarse milling.
INCI functions in cosmetics
Typical entries: Linum Usitatissimum (Linseed) Seed Powder/Extract.
Roles: skin conditioning, mild film-forming, gentle exfoliant (fine powders); mucilage gels as humectant/soothing (ensure preservation).
Troubleshooting
Early rancidity → excess O₂/light/T → add food-grade antioxidants, upgrade barrier, keep cold.
Low loaf volume → high dose/gluten interference → lower % flax, raise hydration, use preferment, add vital gluten.
Grittiness in drinks/creams → coarse particles → micronize, hydrate warm, strain.
Phase separation in emulsions → weak flax gel → raise SDF or combine with xanthan/LBG.
Sustainability and supply chain
Temperate crop supporting beneficial rotations; by-products valorized (oil, press-cake, fiber). Plant practices: energy efficiency, effluent control to BOD/COD targets, recyclable packaging, logistics with controlled RH/T.
Conclusion
Ground flax seeds are a techno-nutritional ingredient delivering n-3 ALA, fiber, and lignans, improving structure and moisture across formats. Performance hinges on fineness, hydration, dosage, and oxidation control; tight standardization of lipid/fiber profiles and oxidation markers underpins stable, repeatable products.
Mini-glossary
ALA — α-linolenic acid (n-3 PUFA).
SFA/MUFA/PUFA — saturated/monounsaturated/polyunsaturated fatty acids.
n-6 / n-3 — omega-6 / omega-3 PUFA families.
SDG — secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (flax lignan).
TPC — total phenolic content.
PV / p-AV / Totox — peroxide value / p-anisidine value / total oxidation index.
TDF/SDF/IDF — total/soluble/insoluble dietary fiber.
FAME — fatty-acid methyl esters (for GC profiling).
aw — water activity.
RH — relative humidity.
FIFO — first in, first out.
HACCP — hazard analysis and critical control points.
BOD/COD — biochemical/chemical oxygen demand (effluent load).
LBG — locust bean gum.
Studies
In the seeds there are interesting antioxidant components such as the phenylpropanoid compounds, vanillic acid, vanillin, coumaric acid, ferulic acid and are the richest source of alpha-linolenic acid as well as an excellent source of dietary fibers.
The flax stem is the main source of cellulose-rich fibres used by the textile industry for the production of bed linen. Its seed oil (linseed) is beneficial for human health due to the presence of a high amount of omega-3 fatty acids. In addition, linseed oil is used in the preparation of many industrial solvents (1).
Flax contains about 34% oil and a high content of α-linolenic acid (> 50%) makes it a common feed ingredient for the enrichment of n-3 fatty acid (2).
It also contains mucilosis polysaccharides (neutral polysaccharides and acids composed mainly of galacturonic acid) (3).
One of the most common diseases of the flax plant is the fungal disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum (4).
Flax studies
References_________________________________________________________________________
(1) Shivaraj SM, Deshmukh RK, Rai R, Bélanger R, Agrawal PK, Dash PK Genome-wide identification, characterization, and expression profile of aquaporin gene family in flax (Linum usitatissimum). Sci Rep. 2017 Apr 27;7:46137. doi: 10.1038/srep46137.
Abstract. Membrane intrinsic proteins (MIPs) form transmembrane channels and facilitate transport of myriad substrates across the cell membrane in many organisms. Majority of plant MIPs have water transporting ability and are commonly referred as aquaporins (AQPs). In the present study, we identified aquaporin coding genes in flax by genome-wide analysis, their structure, function and expression pattern by pan-genome exploration. Cross-genera phylogenetic analysis with known aquaporins from rice, arabidopsis, and poplar showed five subgroups of flax aquaporins representing 16 plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIPs), 17 tonoplast intrinsic proteins (TIPs), 13 NOD26-like intrinsic proteins (NIPs), 2 small basic intrinsic proteins (SIPs), and 3 uncharacterized intrinsic proteins (XIPs). Amongst aquaporins, PIPs contained hydrophilic aromatic arginine (ar/R) selective filter but TIP, NIP, SIP and XIP subfamilies mostly contained hydrophobic ar/R selective filter. Analysis of RNA-seq and microarray data revealed high expression of PIPs in multiple tissues, low expression of NIPs, and seed specific expression of TIP3 in flax. Exploration of aquaporin homologs in three closely related Linum species bienne, grandiflorum and leonii revealed presence of 49, 39 and 19 AQPs, respectively. The genome-wide identification of aquaporins, first in flax, provides insight to elucidate their physiological and developmental roles in flax.
(2) Cherian G, Quezada N. Egg quality, fatty acid composition and immunoglobulin Y content in eggs from laying hens fed full fat camelina or flax seed. J Anim Sci Biotechnol. 2016 Mar 3;7:15. doi: 10.1186/s40104-016-0075-y. eCollection 2016.
Abstract. Background: The current study was conducted to evaluate egg quality and egg yolk fatty acids and immunoglobulin (IgY) content from laying hens fed full fat camelina or flax seed....Results: Egg production was higher in hens fed Camelina and Flax than in Control hens (P < 0.05). Egg weight and albumen weight was lowest in eggs from hens fed Camelina (P < 0.05). Shell weight relative to egg weight (shell weight %), and shell thickness was lowest in eggs from hens fed Flax (P < 0.05). No difference was noted in Haugh unit, yolk:albumen ratio, and yolk weight. Significant increase in α-linolenic (18:3 n-3), docosapentaenoic (22:5 n-3) and docoshexaenoic (22:6 n-3) acids were observed in egg yolk from hens fed Camelina and Flax. Total n-3 fatty acids constituted 1.19 % in Control eggs compared to 3.12 and 3.09 % in Camelina and Flax eggs, respectively (P < 0.05). Eggs from hens fed Camelina and Flax had the higher IgY concentration than those hens fed Control diet when expressed on a mg/g of yolk basis (P < 0.05). Although the egg weight was significantly lower in Camelina-fed hens, the total egg content of IgY was highest in eggs from hens fed Camelina (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The egg n-3 fatty acid and IgY enhancing effect of dietary camelina seed warrants further attention into the potential of using camelina as a functional feed ingredient in poultry feeding.
(3) European Scientific Cooperative on Phytotherapy. Lini semen. 2nd ed. New York: Thieme; 2003. ESCOP Monographs; pp. 290–6.
(4) Wojtasik W, Kulma A, Dymińska L, Hanuza J, Czemplik M, Szopa J. Evaluation of the significance of cell wall polymers in flax infected with a pathogenic strain of Fusarium oxysporum. BMC Plant Biol. 2016 Mar 22;16:75. doi: 10.1186/s12870-016-0762-z.
Abstract. Background: Fusarium oxysporum infection leads to Fusarium-derived wilt, which is responsible for the greatest losses in flax (Linum usitatissimum) crop yield. Plants infected by Fusarium oxysporum show severe symptoms of dehydration due to the growth of the fungus in vascular tissues. As the disease develops, vascular browning and leaf yellowing can be observed. In the case of more virulent strains, plants die. The pathogen's attack starts with secretion of enzymes degrading the host cell wall. The main aim of the study was to evaluate the role of the cell wall polymers in the flax plant response to the infection in order to better understand the process of resistance and develop new ways to protect plants against infection. For this purpose, the expression of genes involved in cell wall polymer metabolism and corresponding polymer levels were investigated in flax seedlings after incubation with Fusarium oxysporum....Conclusion: The results suggest that the role of the cell wall polymers in the plant response to Fusarium oxysporum infection is manifested through changes in expression of their genes and rearrangement of the cell wall polymers. Our studies provided new information about the role of cellulose and hemicelluloses in the infection process, the change of their structure and the expression of genes participating in their metabolism during the pathogen infection. We also confirmed the role of pectin and lignin in this process, indicating the major changes at the mRNA level of lignin metabolism genes and the loosening of the pectin structure.
Ground Flax Seeds 
