1. Most Canola Oil is produced in Canada.
2. The origin of the word Canola is debated. Some believe that Canola stands for Canadian Oil, where Canadian stands for the CAN and OLA represents Oil. On the other hand, some contest that Canola actually stands for Canadian Oil Low Acid (CAN-O-L-A).
3. Canola Oil is produced from the Canola Oil plant. This plant is a hybridized version of the Rapeseed plant, and it’s proper name is Canola now. This hybridization process took place through traditional breeding methods, not genetic engineering.
4. Chemically, Canola Oil is different than Rapeseed in that it must have less than two percent erucic acid and less than 30 micromoles of glucosinolates. It can not be called Canola unless it meets these chemical standards.
5. Canola is a plant from the Brassica family. This is the same family that cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower comes from.
6. Canola seeds are grown on tall plants that yield pods. These pods resemble pea pods (about ⅕ the size) and each one is filled with about 20 black or brown seeds. These seeds are where the oil comes from.
7. The average canola seed is 45% oil.
8. Non-GMO Canola Oil has gained popularity in recent years. This type of oil avoids the use of seeds that have been grown using genetic modification.
9. Genetic modification became common place in Canola plants years ago to help them grow more successfully. The genetic modification made the plants more tolerant to Roundup and also to produce Bt toxins that are toxic to certain insects.
10. Approximately 90% of Canola Oil produced today in the US is not Non-GMO.
11. Canola Oil has a high heat tolerance, light taste profile and light yellow color making it ideal for baking, cooking and frying.
12. After the oil is expelled, the remaining solids (known as the canola meal) is often used for animal feed.

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The debate about GMOs is a big one right now. The natural foods industry is seeing a swift and strong movement towards GMO avoidance in food products. This change, many would say, has been a long time coming.

Canola oil is at the center of this debate. It is among the top 5 crops that are genetically modified in the US, along with sugar beets, soy, cotton and corn. Canola oil that has been genetically modified has become the norm in the food industry; around 90% of the current canola harvested comes from genetically modified seed.

Where The Misunderstanding Lies

In the storm of the non-GMO movement, some people are (incorrectly) claiming that canola seeds, at their genetic foundation are a genetically modified plant and Non-GMO options cannot, therefore, exist. This misled claim comes from a misunderstanding about why genetic modification has come into play, and what it’s purpose was. Let us begin with with the growing of the canola plant.

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As a food manufacturer, you probably already know that demand for Non-GMO foods is on the rise in the US. In fact, “Non-GMO” is now the fastest growing store brand claim¹. That’s because consumers are increasingly caring about what they’re putting in their bodies, and they’re calling for change through their grocery stores and legislation.

As a food manufacturer, you should be increasingly aware of this trend, and begin researching whether changing your ingredients to their non-GMO counterpart is a smart move.

If you’re using conventional Soybean or Canola Oil, you could make the switch to Non-GMO Expeller Pressed Canola Oil instead. Here are 5 basic reasons to make the change.

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Canola and Safflower Oil are often sold as Non-GMO, Expeller Pressed Oils. These are two different traits that are used to describe the oils, but you’ll often find them together. Why is that? Let’s first review what they mean, and then we’ll go into why.

Non-GMO Oils

Non-GMO refers to the fact that the seeds that become the oil are not genetically modified in the growing process. The term GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organism. When a crop is genetically modified, this means it’s genetic make up has been changed to help it be more resistant the herbicide Roundup and therefore grow more successfully. This is a practice that has become the norm in the US and Canadian farming communities. A non-GMO oil is made from seeds that do not use this practice.

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Whole Foods is showing their support for a consumers “right to know” concerning GMOs. At the Natural Products Expo West in spring of 2013, they announced that by 2018 all products in their US and Canadian stores must be labeled to indicate if they contain GMOs (genetically modified organisms).

This 5 year deadline will allow them to work with manufacturers to help transition their ingredients to non-GMO sources and/or change all appropriate labeling to clearly state when ingredients containing GMOs are used.

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Oh, the places you'll go, non-GMO...

The Non-GMO movement is a hot topic right now. In fact, “GMO-free” is now the fastest growing store brand claim¹.

Whether you’re a producer, consumer or a manufacturer, everyone is discussing the importance of Non-GMO and how the new movement is affecting their work and their lives. For manufacturers and distributors in the natural foods sector, it’s especially important to understand the following:

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