Ingredient Information

Function

Canola oil is a vegetable oil used in baking, frying, and in salad dressings. Low in saturated fat and containing omega-3 fatty acids, canola oil is considered a healthy option for stir frying and baking. It is a common ingredient in margarine spreads and shortenings. It can be found in prepared foods that contain vegetable oils.

Other Use and Industries

Canola oil is often an ingredient in candles and cosmetics, such as lipstick. It is also used as newspaper ink and as a biodegradable industrial lubricant. It has high oxidative stability and can be used in the place of mineral oils or as hydraulic fluid.

Health Effects

Canola oil is considered a healthy fat as it is low in saturated fat content, also contains omega-3 fatty acids, and is high in monounsaturated fat. Research has shown that canola oil can prevent colon cancer. On the other hand, there are some questions about the modifications that have been made to the rapeseed to make it suitable for human consumption. Although developers claim that natural selection was used to obtain a low erucic acid variety, new corps are genetically modified to be herbicide resistant.

Origins

Canola oil is derived from the seed of the rapeseed plant. Special hybrid varieties of the rapeseed plant have been developed to produce a seed that is low in erucic acid. Today, genetically modified herbicide resistant varieties are available. Production of canola oil involves harvesting the seed, mechanically pressing the seed and extraction of the oil. The resulting crude oil is processed further to remove impurities.