Glossary of Bulk Oil Terms

Canola Oil

Posted by Alexa Ketterling

Aug 8, 2018 2:52:26 PM

Oil made from the seeds of the canola plant.  The canola plant is a “sister plant” to the rapeseed plant.  Rapeseed plants have higher levels of eurcic acid (levels which are safe for cows but not for humans) than the modern canola plant.  This transition to the canola plant was done in the 70s through traditional breeding methods (think of Gregor Mendel’s pea plants) before the rise of genetic engineering.  To produce better yields, it became standard practice for the canola plant to be genetically modified in the 90s.  These canola plants can now be grown in non-GMO or GMO (conventional) varieties, and both are used for both meal and oil production.