Canola Ink
October 24, 2008
In This Issue
Dietetics Professor Says Canola Oil is the Best Choice
Trans Fat and Omega-3s Among Top Factors in Canadians Food Decisions
BioExx Gets $635,000 for Canola Protein Projects
New Brassica Juncea Varieties May Thrive in Hot, Dry Regions
Canola Meal Shows Potential in Bioplastics
Car Fueled on Canola Oil Blows Past Competition
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 concerns.
Dietetics Professor Says Canola Oil is the Best Choice
A clinical assistant professor in dietetics at Marquette University has endorsed canola oil as the number one option for cooking oils. "Whenever possible, selecting products that use canola oil as a primary fat is probably the best choice," said Barb Troy in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She indicated that when choosing an oil it’s important to look at trans and saturated fat content. Canola oil is free of trans fat and has the lowest amount of saturated fat among all common cooking oils.
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Trans Fat and Omega-3s Among Top Factors in Canadians Food Decisions
Food low in trans fat is the single most important nutritional factor in making food decisions for Canadians, according to a newly released 2008 Tracking Nutrition Trends survey. This bodes well for canola oil, which is free of the artery-clogging fat. Foods that contain omega-3 fats also cracked the top five list of what Canadians look for when making nutritional choices. Seventy-five percent of survey participants considered omega-3 fatty acids, found in canola oil, to be essential to a healthy diet.
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BioExx Gets $635,000 for Canola Protein Projects
Bio-Extraction (BioExx) received $635,000 to help fund two major projects exploring the potential of canola proteins. BioExx received a $335,000 grant from the Agriculture Council of Saskatchewan and a $300,000 deferred-payment loan from Ag-West Bio Inc. to develop Protein Super-Concentrate products, canola seed-based protein isolates, which can be used in a variety of food applications. These products are slated to hit the market in early 2010.
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New Brassica Juncea Varieties May Thrive in Hot, Dry Regions
Brassica juncea could make a tremendous impact on the growth of canola in regions considered too hot or dry for traditional canola (Brassica napus). B. juncea is heat and drought tolerant, which has prompted plant breeders to explore the possibility of creating new varieties that produce oil with the same fatty acid composition as B. napus. Pioneer Hi-Bred said it has B. juncea varieties that produce canola quality oil and is now focusing on improving their performance and profitability.
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Canola Meal Shows Potential in Bioplastics
Researchers continue to find useful applications for canola meal. Dr. Scott Pryor, a professor at North Dakota State University, is experimenting with extracted canola proteins to produce biodegradable bioplastics, which could replace petroleum-based plastics. Panels on automobiles or farm equipment are potential applications for the canola-based bioplastics.
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Car Fueled on Canola Oil Blows Past Competition
Six-hundred miles, 12 gallons of canola oil, first place. A car driven on canola oil took home first prize in an automobile race that had one rule—no gas. The "Escape from Berkeley" race started on Oct. 11 in Berkeley, Calif., and ended three days later at the Sahara Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nev. Jack McCornack and Sharon Westcott from Cave Junction, Ore., crossed the finish line first using just 12 gallons of canola oil for the 600 mile race, winning the $5,000 purse.
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