Canola plant. Canola Oil

The lack of food in the world is now recognized as a global problem. In 2009, according to experts, the number of people living in conditions of chronic malnutrition numbered more than 1 billion people.

The food problem is caused by different factors. On the one hand, these are socio-economic reasons associated with the mode of production and distribution of resources, on the other - global, associated with population growth, changes in diet, climatic phenomena and the finiteness of natural resources.

The achievements of science create real prerequisites for eliminating the threat of food shortages. The first way is to improve the fertility of the earth; Use of marine resources and energy efficiency. The second way is the introduction of scientific achievements for the directed change of agricultural crops and the breeding of promising breeds of animals.

Canola plant (the marketing name of one of rapeseed varieties) is a vivid example of obtaining a given result using breeding methods and genetic engineering.

Predecessor

The botanical name for rape is Brassica napus olifera Metzg. This is a herbaceous plant. Rod - Cabbage. Family - Cruciferae. In the wild does not occur. It is believed that rapeseed originated from the crossing of spring or winter turtles with cabbage.

Rape is cultivated for 6 thousand years. A cold-resistant, moisture-demanding plant that feels good in a temperate climate. Spread both spring and winter crops. Cereals, grown after rape, yield a higher yield. The plant improves the structure of the soil, raises its fertility, enriching it with nitrogen.

Use of rape

Rape cultivation is a commercially viable direction of plant growing. Culture is widely used. In the first place, rape is used as an oilseed crop , the importance of which increased significantly by the end of the 20th century, as it was used to produce biodiesel.

Plant flowers contain a lot of nectar. It is valued as a good honey plant. Productivity of 1 hectare of crops - up to 90 kg of honey. In addition, the crop is used as a green fertilizer.

Rapeseed oil: good and bad

The product is obtained from seeds by pressing in a screw press. Preliminary raw materials are heated. The product finds application in the production of soap, drying oil, in the textile and leather industries. Rapeseed oil is a raw material for biodiesel. It produces lubricants and hydraulic fluids.

Restricting the spread of rapeseed factor was the inherent cruciferous content in seeds of erucic acid and glucosinolates. With a high content of these substances, it is not used for food and animal feed.

Erucic acid is one of the fatty acids. It is not metabolized in mammalian organisms, accumulating in various tissues. Studies have shown: erucic acid poses a danger to human health. It causes serious disturbances in the work of the heart, it affects the vessels. The safe content of this substance in the oil is from 0.3 to 0.6%.

Harmful to human health are also other organic compounds - glycosinolates, thioglycosides and their derivatives. They affect various human organs, give the oil a bitter taste.

Manufacturers have directed all their efforts to the development of new varieties of rapeseed. It was required to reduce the content of erucic acid and glucosinolates to a safe minimum and get rid of a pronounced taste.

Canola plant

In 1974, breeder B. Stefanson in Canada produced a grade of rape with a low content of erucic acid and glycosinolates. A new rape variety was called canola (Canadian oil low acid). It was a successful marketing move. The name caught on, became popular.

So, what is a canola? A plant that differs from traditional rape with a low content of harmful for mammals, including humans, compounds - erucic acid and glucosinolates. This fact required a clear delineation of two different products from such similar plants. The first - oil for technical needs, produced from rape, the second - a valuable food raw material, which is made from canola. This is the essence.

What does a canola look like? Outwardly, it is no different from rape. The plant has a rooted root to the depth of 2 meters. The stem is straight, covered with a light, bluish coating. Stem leaves differ from the roots, which are collected in a rosette. The flowers are collected in a brush, they are yellow or white. That is, the external rape is the same canola. The photo clearly demonstrates this fact.

Canola pods have a length of up to 10 cm and a width of up to 0.3 cm. One pod contains 15-30 dark brown globular forms of seeds, they ripen unevenly over the height of the plant, so they are left to ripen for some time after collection.

Canola cultivation has some peculiarities. It grows earlier and grows faster than normal rapeseed. The canola plant is more robust and resistant to external influences. The average yield is 20% higher.

Today, the culture is cultivated on an area of more than 4 million hectares. In Europe - in countries such as France, Great Britain, Denmark, the Czech Republic and Finland. The main producers in the world are China, India, Canada, Japan. In these countries, the flowering canola fields are part of the traditional rural landscape.

In the future, as experience gained in canola cultivation, a need arose for a culture more tolerant of herbicides. Such varieties were derived by gene modification in 1995.

Canola Oil

The nutritional value of the product provided him with a high demand in the world food market. Canola oil quality is close to olive oil at a lower cost compared to it.

Canola oil remains transparent for a long time. It does not rancid and does not get an unpleasant odor when exposed to air, as it happens, for example, with soy.

Canola oil is a healthy product. Due to the high content of unsaturated fatty acids, it helps to strengthen blood vessels, reducing the risk of such formidable diseases as stroke and myocardial infarction. Thus, heart health is preserved. Oil has the lowest content of saturated fats and does not contain any trans fats. With regular use of the product, a pronounced antioxidant effect is provided. He is involved in the regulation of fat metabolism. Due to its composition, the product is recommended to be used to lower the level of cholesterol in the blood. This reduces the risk of blood clots and the emergence of a number of diseases, including cancer.

Use of canola oil

In cooking, it is used primarily in the preparation of cold dishes. Light texture and neutral taste of canola oil does not interfere with other products. It is a part of various marinades, from it mayonnaise and other sauces are prepared. Sometimes it is used in a mixture with olive.

The most widely used product is used in Israel and Canada. In the homeland of canola, it can be found everywhere. Cafes and restaurants on their menu offer a variety of dishes using this product. Consumers, who are aware of the dietary qualities of the products, always give preference to canola if the choice of oil is possible . The recipe for an ideal low-calorie salad can not do without this product. It fits also for frying, as the point of smoking is higher than that of olive.

In the USA, canola oil has a status of safe for human health when eaten since 1985. However, in terms of consumption of the product, this country lags far behind its neighbor, Canada.

Use of canola in cattle breeding

In many countries, the plant is grown as a forage crop. She mow down the green mass, harvest hay and grassy flour. Canola is growing rapidly. It is very effective to use culture as a pasture for pigs and sheep, as well as for the fattening of all kinds of animals and poultry. The canola plant is a fossil of fodder protein, the content of which in the meal is 38%. It is easily digested. Used as a high-protein supplement.

Rapeseed and canola. What's the Difference?

Faced with an unfamiliar product, the consumer seeks to find out for himself its benefit and harm. The same thing happens with the product called "Canola Oil". After all, the name of the plant is not usual for us. So what is a canola? The plant externally does not differ from rape. The main feature, due to which this harmonious name appeared, is the properties of the oil obtained from these two cultures.

Rape oil is a product for technical use. A valuable raw material for the production of environmentally friendly biodiesel, lubricants. The more erucic acid - and in traditional rapeseeds its content reaches 50% - the higher the quality of biodiesel.

Canola oil is a valuable food product, which under this name is sold in many countries of the world. It does not pose a danger to human health. Products from canola are widely used in livestock.

In the post-Soviet space, the attitude towards the new culture is ambiguous. From the complete denial to timid attempts to position canola oil as a dietary product. Time will tell who is right.

You can differently refer to products derived from genetically modified plants, which include canola oil. The final choice is for the consumer. For this it is very important to have reliable and complete information.