Discover Canola
Learn more about the versatile cooking oil with research-backed health benefits.
What is canola oil?
Canola oil comes from the seeds of the canola plant. Canola is part of the Brassicaceae family, the same botanical family as cabbages, broccoli and cauliflower. Canola is a cool season crop and grows particularly well where cool night temperatures allow it to recover from hot days and when there are limited amounts of rainfall.
Canola is grown in Canada, Europe, Australia and parts of the United States. Each canola plant grows from 3 to 6 feet tall and produces beautiful yellow flowers. As the plant matures, pods form that are similar in shape to pea pods, but about 1/5th the size. Each pod contains about twenty tiny round black or brownish-yellow seeds which contain about 45% oil.
How is it made?
Once harvested, canola seeds are taken to a facility nearby where they are inspected and processed. Care is taken during processing to protect oil from damage from air, heat and light.
The steps from seed to oil include:
Crushing the seeds: Canola seeds are rich in oil and can be simply crushed to release about 80% of the oil. Depending on the temperature conditions used, this is referred to as “expeller-press” or “cold-press”. Raising the temperature slightly allows more of the oil to be released from the seed. The remainder of the seed, which is very high in protein, is processed into canola meal and used as a high-quality animal feed.
Extraction: To extract the remaining oil, hexane, a solvent approved for food grade oil extraction, is used to remove more of the oil. The hexane extraction is done under carefully controlled conditions in a closed environment and is recycled and reused. It does not stay in the oil or the meal.
Refining: Canola oil can be further refined to remove minor components, producing a shelf-stable, clear and neutral tasting oil. Although the term “bleaching” is used to describe this process, it refers to the removal of color pigments by filtering it through natural clay. Canola oil produced in this way can be stored at room temperature for about one year.
Why use canola oil?
Canola oil is one of the healthiest and most versatile cooking oils available. It’s heart healthy and has the least saturated fat of any common cooking oil, less than half that of olive oil. Canola oil has generated a lot of research interest into its potential health benefits because of its low level of saturated fat, high monounsaturated fat and balance of omega 3 and 6 fats. In fact, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized a qualified health claim for canola oil’s ability to reduce the risk of heart disease when used in place of saturated fat.
Canola oil is ideal for any type of cooking. The same unsaturated fats that make canola oil heart-healthy, mean that it doesn’t solidify in the fridge when used for marinades and salad dressings. The neutral flavor and high smoke point make it versatile for a variety of different cooking methods.
History of canola.
Canola has come a long way since its simple beginnings.
During the 1960s and 70s, canola was developed in Canada by Dr. Baldur R. Stefansson and Dr. Keith Downey using traditional plant breeding techniques to significantly reduce the levels of erucic acid and glucosinolates that were found in the parent rapeseed plant. The name “canola” is a contraction of “Canadian” and “ola”, which means oil.
There is a strict internationally regulated definition of canola that differentiates canola from rapeseed, based upon it having less than two percent erucic acid and less than 30 micromoles of glucosinolates. Oilseed products that do not meet this standard cannot use the term canola.
High erucic acid rapeseed acreage, although still grown, is now confined to production under contract for specific industrial uses, including environmentally friendly lubricants.
Canola oil: Separating fact from fiction.
FAQs.
Is canola the same as rapeseed?
Was canola developed through genetic engineering?
Traditional breeding was also used to develop high oleic canola oil to be used by the food industry instead of sources of artificial trans fat. Plant breeders are constantly making improvements to help farmers deal with challenges such as drought, pests and crop diseases. Today, many different varieties of canola are available including genetically modified (GM) and non-GM canola.
Is canola oil heated during processing?
Is bleach used during canola oil processing?
Why is hexane used to make canola oil?
Find canola oil recipes.
Canola oil is used in kitchens around the world, well liked for being healthy, affordable and versatile.
