Canola meal produced as a by-product of the oil extraction is widely used as a high-protein feed. As a result of its high oil (40%¨C45%) and protein content (20%), the production of canola or edible oilseed rape has expanded rapidly in recent years to become the third most important oilseed crop globally after palm oil and soybean.
What is canola oil?
Canola (Brassica napus L.), also known as rapeseed, is a flowering plant that produces seeds used to make canola oil. Canola oil is one of the most widely consumed oils in the United States. It is popularly used in home and restaurant cooking as well as in industrial food production.
Where does canola oil accumulate?
Almost half of the final weight of canola seed is oil accumulated in lipid bodies or oleosomes, located in the cytoplasm of embryo cells. Protein accumulation is almost linear during seed filling, while oil accumulation begins around 20 days after pollination and occurs at a higher rate than protein accumulation ( Jolivet et al., 2011 ).
Where did canola come from?
Canola is a European crop that migrated to America, with a stop in Canada along the way. In fact, the crop we call canola is actually a type of European rapeseed that was developed by Canadians, using conventional plant breeding, into a food crop providing healthier and safer vegetable oil for human food use.