Rapeseed oil extracts were first put on the market in 1956¨C1957 as food products, but these suffered from several unacceptable characteristics. That form of rapeseed oil had a distinctive taste and a greenish colour due to the presence of chlorophyll and still contained a higher concentration of erucic acid.
What is rapeseed oil?
Rapeseed oil is one of the most commonly produced vegetable oils globally. In 2019, world production of rapeseed oil was 24 million tonnes, led by Canada, China, and India as the largest producers, accounting together for 40% of the world total.
Where does rapeseed come from?
In France and Denmark especially, the extraction of the oil is an important industry. The name for rapeseed comes from the Latin word rapum meaning turnip. Turnip, rutabaga (swede), cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and mustard are related to rapeseed. Rapeseed belongs to the genus Brassica.
How did rapeseed oil work?
Attached to a canvas sea-anchor was another small punctured canvas bag that was filled with rapeseed oil. When the sea-anchor was streamed, especially in high seas, the wind and wave action would blow the boat downwind leaving the sea-anchor up to windward where the leaking oil would effectively smooth the approaching waves. oilnews