CANOLA SEED

Known also as Rapeseed. Canola is a crop with plants from three to five feet tall that produce pods from which seeds are harvested and crushed to create canola oil and meal. These plants also produce small, yellow flowers, which beautify the environment. The canola plant also produced seeds with a very low level of saturated fat, seven percent or below.

Christened “Canola” from “Can” (for Canada) and “ola” (for oil low acid),
Canola is generally referred to as Rapeseed 00 or Double Zero Rapeseed to denote both low glucosinolates and low erucic acid.

Characteristics

• Canola seeds contain about 44 percent oil. This large percentage of oil comes in a small package; canola seeds are similar in size to poppy seeds, though brownish-black in color.
• Although they look similar, canola and rapeseed plants and oils are very different.
• Canola oil is prized for its heart-healthy properties with the least saturated fat of all culinary oils.

Uses

Canola oil is the main product of canola seed since about 43 percent of the seed is oil. Canola oil is the lowest in saturated fats of all commonly used oils. Canola seeds are crushed into two component parts, oil and meal, which are then further manufactured into a wide variety of products.

Rapeseed is grown for the production of animal feed, vegetable oil for human consumption, and biodiesel: leading producers include the European Union, Canada, the United States, Australia, China and India.