Canola vs. Sunflower Oil: The Pros and Cons of Each

Posted by Alexa Ketterling

Canola and sunflower oil are both commonly used oils in the natural food industry. They are light in color and flavor, and you'll find them used in products like baked goods, snacks, granolas, bars and used for frying. 

Similar as they are they also have their differences. Today we will dive into the rundown of what is the same and what the difference is when it comes to these two oils. 

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Does Non-GMO Canola Exist?  The Non-GMO Project Weighs In

Posted by Alli Wills

Yes, There is Non-GMO Canola!

Our readers write to us almost every day to ask why they saw canola in a Non-GMO Project Verified product. There’s a fairly pervasive misconception that all canola is genetically modified, but this is not true! Non-GMO canola does exist; when you see canola in a product bearing the Butterfly, you can rest assured that it’s non-GMO canola because we test (major) high-risk crops that go into your food.

Canola’s story starts with the rapeseed plant, which is a member of the Brassicaceae family like cabbage, beets, mustard, and turnips. The name of this plant comes from rapum, the Latin word for turnip. While we think of this as a Canadian crop, rapeseed has been a traditional part of Asian cuisines for more than 4,000 years. It did not become widespread in Canada until it was used to make industrial engine lubricant during the Second World War.

In the 1970s, researchers at the University of Manitoba started working to alleviate two potential problems with rapeseed: erucic acid (which has been connected to heart problems) and glucosinolate (which just tastes bitter or pungent). By repeatedly crossing rapeseed plants that were lower and lower in these compounds, scientists used traditional breeding methods to create canola: a rapeseed variety that is very low in erucic acid and glucosinolate. The first canola variety emerged under the name Tower canola in 1974. To be clear, Tower canola was a non-GMO crop. GMOs had not been developed yet!

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The How-To Pricing Of Bulk Oil Compares to Sunflower/Safflower Oil

Posted by Alexa Ketterling

High quality, non-GMO and organic oils are in such high demand. If you use specialty oils or natural oils as a bulk ingredient in your manufacturing facility you are probably already well aware.

These premium oils often come at a higher price. Perhaps you are already feeling the pressure from the market, and looking at other alternatives that could help you save on costs and increase your profitability.

Today, let’s focus on the giant elephant in the room…. the price. Here is how some of the most commonly known healthy non-GMO and organic oils compare.

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Are All Expeller Pressed Oils Also Non-GMO?

Posted by Alexa Ketterling

Expeller Pressed vs. Non-GMO: these two traits are interrelated and a common point of discussion. Is expeller pressed oil automatically non-GMO? Is all non-GMO automatically expeller pressed? To help with a bit of the confusion we will break down some helpful information to find out truly whether or not it your oil is just expeller pressed or non-GMO — and what the difference really is.

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Naturally Non-GMO Oils

Posted by Alexa Ketterling

With non-GMO oil trends continuing to grow, it’s important to understand the difference between the oils that are naturally non-GMO and which ones have GMOs in them that you will specifically need to avoid.

When you are doing your research you want to make sure that the oil has all the necessary QA certifications in place. For example, if you need to verify your finished product with the Non-GMO Project, you’ll need to look for only Non-GMO Project Verified oils — but only for the high risk or commonly GMO oils. Focusing on that will help you make sure the oils you get are truly non-GMO.

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Why Manufacturers Are Choosing An Canola & Olive Blend

Posted by Hannah Broaddus

Why would a natural food manufacturer choose something other than Extra Virgin Olive Oil? Especially something like a blend — a mix of EVOO and other milder oils like canola, soybean, or sunflower?

If you are in the food manufacturing world, you will understand that there’s a lot at play when it comes to these decisions: it’s not just about consumer perception and which oil is the highest quality. It’s also about the taste profile of the oil and how it affects your final product. It’s about about the price of your ingredients, and about quality certifications available (like Non-GMO Project Verified or Organic Certified). There’s a lot of things at play!

So why do some manufacturers opt for a blend of olive oil and canola, or olive oil and sunflower, over something like 100% Extra Virgin?

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A Brief History Of The Canola Plant

Posted by Hannah Broaddus

Let’s talk about the canola plant.

The history of how the canola plant came to be is important: a key misunderstanding that people have about canola oil is that it can’t be organic or non-gmo because it was genetically modified from a rapeseed plant to become a canola plant. They believe that being genetically modified is a basic pre-requisite for existing.

This is not true, and is a misunderstanding of the timeline of events and what occurred.

The history of the canola plant will help illustrate the story of what really happened and why non-gmo and organic canola seeds, grown without genetic modification, really do exist.

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Non-GMO Canola Oil Varieties: What Are They?

Posted by Hannah Broaddus

We've worked with many food manufacturers who want to make the switch from conventional (GMO) canola and soybean oil to their non-GMO alternatives. Many opt for non-GMO canola oil, which is a highly popular option right now.

If you're working on getting your product Non-GMO Project Verified, or even if you just want to use more non-GM ingredients, Non-GMO Canola Oil can be a great fit -- for a lot of reasons. It's a mild-tasting, versatile oil that can be an ideal ingredient in many different types of products.

With that in mind, it's important to understand your different options when it comes to Non-GMO Canola Oil. There's two main types of Non-GMO Canola Oil that you'll find on the market today (and one new, less common option). 

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Is Olive Oil Non-GMO / GMO Free / Without GMOs?

Posted by Hannah Broaddus

Is olive oil non-GMO? This is one of the most common questions we get about olive oil, and I thought I’d address this one again.

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6 Brands Of Non-GMO Seals Now Exist

Posted by Hannah Broaddus

If you thought that the infamous butterfly seal was everywhere, be assured that the “quality seal” market for non-GMO products is only growing and diversifying.

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The Explosive Growth of Natural & Organic

Posted by Hannah Broaddus

It’s always interesting to me to look at the natural and organic trends on a larger scale; they show the incredible power that consumers have to shape what we as food manufacturers make. It’s also amazing to me how, by acting as consumers, can shape this change through what we buy.

With this in mind, I recently ran across an infographic that I thought would be worth sharing. It outlined the timeline of the growth of the “natural” and organic food market, from the mid-90s to now. The changes are gradual at first, but clearly snowball in recent years.

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Non-GMO Project: Pre-Verification Steps & Timeframes You Need To Know

Posted by Hannah Broaddus

The process of getting your products Non-GMO Project Verified from start to finish can be lengthy and tedious — most people in our industry, however, would still assert that it’s well worth it.

Right now, there is a huge demand for this seal; there are currently 2,600 brands with more than 34,000 products verified. That said, the process that the Non-GMO Project outlines on their website often takes longer than many brands would expect. There is also a “pre-verfication" process that has to be completed internally in your company before you can fully decide to move forward to get this QA seal.

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The Tipping Point: 10 Major Companies Shift To Non-GMO

Posted by Hannah Broaddus

Many now believe that the non-GMO trend “tipping point” has been passed, with major brands like General Mills, Post, Hersey’s, Unilever, Campbell’s, Chobani, Hellmann’s and Pepsi all releasing non-GMO versions of some of their products.

 

“We are now at the tipping point and with this major momentum the shift to non-GMO food is only going to gain more speed”, says Todd Larsen, executive co-director of Green America.

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A New Non-GMO Quality Seal Is Developed

Posted by Hannah Broaddus

Quality seals are an important part of the food industry, and whether you love them or hate them, consumers generally consider “the more the better” to be true.

In recent months, a new quality seal has been developed in support of the non-GMO trend.

As of today, the Non-GMO Project Verified seal has dominated the market. Until now, they’ve been just about the only option available; they were first to the scene and have dominated the quality seal discussion in the last 3 years.

But this is changing, with a new Non-GMO seal to the scene and likely more to come down the road.

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Research You Should Be Doing Before Becoming Non-GMO Project Verified

Posted by Hannah Broaddus

The process of getting your products Non-GMO Project Verified, from start to finish, can be a lengthy and tedious (but worthwhile) process.

That said, there is also a preparatory process that has to be completed within your company before you can really move forward with getting certified: you have to figure out if it’s really worthwhile.

You’ll need to look closely at the costs, the benefits, outline all of the changes that will be required from each different department and how it will affect your future sales.

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