Abstract: The conversion of high-erucic-acid rapeseed to canola was a significant landmark in the development of Canadian agriculture. Rapeseed was originally introduced in the 1930s by a Polish immigrant farmer and found to adapt well to Canadian soil conditions. The high erucic acid content of rapeseed oil made it an excellent lubricating oil for marine engines during World War II. After the war and with the introduction of diesel engines, the need for rapeseed oil quickly vanished. This article covers the seminal work by Canadian breeders in which a nonedible high-erucic-acid rapeseed plant was converted to canola in which the oil was very nutritious and suitable for human consumption. The oil was very low in erucic acid (< 2.0%) and had a remarkable fatty acid profile. In addition to being very low in saturated fatty acids, it was very rich in the monounsaturated fatty acid oleic acid and high in both linoleic and linolenic acids. The article reviews the processing of canola oil and includes some of its functional and health-related properties.
Publication Year: 2015
Publication Date: 2015-09-22
Language: en
Type: book-chapter
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 13
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