Canola Ink
December 5, 2008
In This Issue
This Year's Canola Crop Hits Record High
Canola Alleviates "Fry-a-Phobia" for Restaurant Patrons
Supplementing Vitamin E Supplements with Canola Oil
Canola Processing Plant Lands European Export Contract
Canola Protein Ideal for Nutrition Bars
World Congress on Oils and Fats Features Canola
Newspaper Calls Canola "Great Canadian Crop"
Please copy, reprint or transmit any portion of this report. Contact Robert Hunter at (204) 982-2126 or e-mail hunterr@canolacouncil.org with questions or comments.
This Year's Canola Crop Hits Record High
According to Statistics Canada’s final field crop report for 2008, canola production hit 12.5 million tons, up 32.8 percent from last year. Farmers in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta reported record-breaking harvested area, and yields were higher than ever in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
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Canola Alleviates "Fry-a-Phobia" for Restaurant Patrons
The simple fact is that fried food, though not the healthiest choice, tastes great. Fortunately, many restaurants have begun to fry with canola oil – which is low in saturated fat, free of trans fat, great for high cooking temperatures and easy on the budget – and alleviate the guilt that hangs over a huge pile of onion rings. Zucchini and eggplant deep-fried in canola oil served with saganaki cheese, an appetizer offered at Milos restaurants in New York and Montreal, is so popular that two prep chefs devote their entire day to slicing and frying the veggies. Mercadito and Mercadito Cantina restaurants in New York City offer fried cornbread bites with salsa instead of the traditional basket of tortilla chips. After the bites were tested with every oil in the book, canola won out.
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Supplementing Vitamin E Supplements with Canola Oil
A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that canola oil is a more effective source of vitamin E than supplements, which were not found to reduce the risk of heart disease. Canola oil is a good source of vitamin E and studies find that this crucial antioxidant has a significantly greater impact on overall health when consumed through natural foods.
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Canola Processing Plant Lands European Export Contract
In building a Saskatoon-based canola processing plant, Bio-Extraction Inc. (BioExx) has signed a 10-year agreement that makes Helm AG the only European distributor of BioExx-produced canola proteins. At least 70 percent of these proteins will be sold to the Hamburg, Germany-based chemical and nutritional company for use in human and animal products. Some proteins will be offered as early as January 2009.
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Canola Protein Ideal for Nutrition Bars
As busy consumers increasingly eat on the go, nutrition bars have become a lucrative, innovative product. Burcon NutraScience has adopted two canola protein isolates which, in addition to being affordable, have a few notable advantages over soy. Dr. Martin Schweizer, Burcon’s technical development manager, said canola is preferable because it lacks the inherent bean flavor found in soy products. In addition, canola (unlike soy) is not a common allergen, so products made with canola protein may appeal to a wider range of consumers.
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World Congress on Oils and Fats Features Canola
The 2009 World Congress on Oils and Fats and the 28th Annual International Seed Federation Conference are jointly scheduled for Sept. 27-30 in Sydney, Australia, with focuses including canola oil and meal, biodiesel, and health and nutrition. Robert Hunter, vice president of communications for the Canola Council of Canada, will be one of the presenters.
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Newspaper Calls Canola "Great Canadian Crop"
Canola recently made a major cameo in the Chatham Daily News, hailed for contributing more than $11 billion to Canadian economic activity and being responsible for about 75 percent of production. Because of canola oil’s desirable health and culinary qualities, such as low saturated fat-zero trans fat content and a high smoke point, the article praises it for having "diverse functional properties" and the ability to create dishes that are healthful and flavorful.
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