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- Canola oil comes from the rapeseed plant.
- The rapeseed plant is a bright-yellow flowering member of the family, of which mustard is also a member.
- The rapeseed plant is mainly cultivated because it is a rich source of erucic acid.
- Erucic acid has many practical applications.
- E.g., erucic acid and its derivatives are used in detergents, cosmetics, ink, paint, lubricant, and fuel industries.
- But in significant quantities, it can be toxic to the human body.
- In the 1970s, scientists from Canada crossbred a version of the crop to have lower amounts of erucic acid.
- The name “canola” comes from “Canada” and “ola,” denoting oil.
- And according to the Canola Council of Canada, canola oil must contain less than 2% erucic acid.
- Over the years, plant breeders have developed many canola varieties — this has improved seed quality and led to a boom in canola oil manufacturing.
Image courtesy of Frank Zhang through Unsplash
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