Product Catalog

What is Canola Oil?
Canola is a specifically bred variety of rapeseed and is part of the mustard (or Brassica) family whose other members include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale and mustard greens. Canola oil contains a fatty acid profile of: 5% saturated fat, 57% monounsaturated acid (oleic acid), 23% polyunsaturated omega-6 and 10–15% polyunsaturated omega-3. It is thought that its high oleic acid content (similar to levels found in olive oil), low saturated fat content and relatively high omega-3 content make canola oil particularly beneficial for heart health.

How was Canola Oil developed?
In the late 1970s, canola was bred from rapeseed to contain low amounts of erucic acid, a long chain fatty acid that had been associated with detrimental health effects in animal studies. The new oil was referred to as LEAR oil (Low Erucic Acid Rapeseed) or Canola oil (from Canadian oil low acid, since most canola oil was grown in Canada).

What is Erucic Acid?
Erucic acid is a 22-carbon fatty acid that is present in all members of the Brassica family in trace amounts. Erucic acid constitutes 40%-50% of the fatty acid content in rapeseed, however canola has been bred to typically contain less than 2% erucic acid. Because of this, canola oil is thought to have a more neutral taste and to be healthier for human consumption. Note that erucic acid is not all bad: for individuals with the wasting disease adrenoleukodystrophy, erucic acid is actually helpful with treatment and was the lifesaving ingredient of Lorenzo's oil.

Is Canola an industrial oil?
Whereas it is true that Canola Oil can be used as an industrial oil (as an insecticide, lubricant, fuel, in soap, rubber and ink), this does not mean that the food form of canola is dangerous for human consumption or inedible. Many oils besides canola have been used as both industrial and edible oils, depending on how they are prepared. For example, coconut oil is used in many industrial products, including soaps and cosmetics, and flaxseed oil is used in paints and linoleum. Vegetables oils can be processed to make industrial chemicals, however the food forms of these oils are all safe.

Does Canola oil become rancid very quickly?
In general, vegetable oils with higher quantities of polyunsaturated fatty acids are more susceptible to rancidity than saturated fatty acids. In order to avoid rancid oil, it is recommended that all oils, including canola, be consumed before their expiration date. Storing oil in a cool, dark place will also decrease susceptibility to rancidity.

Canola oil is the fixed oil obtained from the seed of the cultivars of Brassica napus and Brassica campestris which are genetically low in both erucic acid and glucosinolates.

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