Course:FNH200/2014w Team07 VegetableOils

<font="Times New Roman">Canola Oil

Canola oil at a Canadian grocery store.

Vegetable oils are composed of triglycerides which consist of glycerol and three fatty acids. The fatty acids in vegetable oils can either be solid (saturated) or liquid (unsaturated) at room temperatures. The edible vegetable oils are natural oils which are extracted from fruits, plants, or seeds such as coconut, canola, and almond. Vegetable oils have a wide variety of uses from culinary or cooking uses and pet food additives to industrial uses such as bio-diesel, cosmetics, and paints. Furthermore, vegetable oils are also used in the production of margarine and shortening. In this project, the major vegetable oil that we will be focusing on is the canola oil.

History

The Brassica family of plants.

The word “canola” is a contraction word of Canada and ola which means oil or simply “Canadian oil”. Canola belongs to the Brassica genus, which includes cauliflower, broccoli, and cabbages. Canola was first developed by using traditional plant breeding techniques in Saskatchewan and in University of Manitoba in the early 1970s from the rapeseed plant. Initially, the natural rapeseed oil contains significant levels of eicosenoic, erucic acids and glucosinolates (sulphur compounds) which are not essential for human growth and could also be harmful for the consumers. As a result, through the improved plant breeding techniques, plant breeders are able to reduce the total content of erucic acids and glucosinolate in canola oil for better consumption. Canola varieties are enhanced by reducing the levels of these toxic acids to the current world standard which is less than 2% erucic acid.

Definition

In the context of canola oil production, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency controls many aspects of its labeling, advertisement, claims, and regulatory plant inspection and safety.

The common name used is “canola oil”, which is an oil produced from the low euric acid Brassica juncea. This rapeseed oil can be derived from different seed species such as Brassica napus L, Brassica campetris L., and Brassica juncea L Part of the Seed Regulations that CFIA ensures, are the seed labeling that must be present along with the variety name if applicable. In regards to shortening that contains a vegetable oil, it is required that it be listed in the ingredients as “vegetable oil shortening.”

Manufacturing and Processing

Conventional Refined, Bleached, Deodourized (RBD) Method

A graphical overview of the manufacturing process.

Seed Cleaning

'Dockage,' or inedible debris such as grains, weeds, roots, dirt and other particles are removed before the extraction process can begin. In general, dockage material is cleaned until about 2.5% remains before processing.

Seed Pre-conditioning & Flaking

Seeds are usually pre-heated to about 30 to 40° C, which results in improvement during flaking and other processes. Preheating the whole seeds is done through indirect heating via placing seeds in a rotary kiln, or direct heat contact . In especially cold climates, pre-heating is essential before the seeds are flaked to prevent premature shattering of the husks .

The pre-heated canola seeds are then flaked in between two cast iron rolls. Flake thickness is adjusted by changing the position of the roller instrument. Rotation speeds of the rollers will vary depending on its size. The purpose of the flaking process to is rupture the cell walls of the seeds, making it easier to extract the oil in the following steps . Flakes with high surface areas will result in more efficient yields . The thickness of the flakes are important - the optimum is 0.3 to 0.38 mm thickness. 0.2 mm thickness will result in flakes too brittle, and flakes exceeding 0.4mm will result in lower oil extraction yields .

Cooking

Flakes are cooked in either stack cookers or steam-heated drums . Using the stack cooker method, a mechanical arm rotates, sweeping flakes into a chute, onto a heated tray surface. The flakes are gradually passed on to different trays in a controlled manner. The discharge rate of flakes is regulated closely to ensure the depth at each tray is constant, ensuring the even cooking of flakes. Cooking lasts about 10 to 15 minutes at an optimum temperature of about 85° C. The purpose of cooking the canola before extraction is to deactivate the enzyme myrosinase, which produces undesirable by-products, lowering the quality of both the oil and the leftover meal. It reduces the viscosity of oil, allowing easier collection of the crude product during the screw press extraction.

Screw Pressing

An industrial-sized screw press.

A large metal cylinder shaft is fashioned with flat steel bars placed edge-wise, forming into the helical shape of a screw. The shaft rotates and presses the canola, extracting oil from these flakes, and discharging compressed seed meal, known as 'cake.'Spaces between each of the steel bars allow oil to flow downward in the apparatus to be collected .

Solvent Extraction

60 to 70% of oil from the canola is extracted from pressing. Utilizing solvent extraction, producers are able to extract and collect the residual oil in the cake. Liquid hexane is an industrial, economically viable solvent which is commonly used in both the canola and vegetable oil industry.

Degumming & Refining

The extracted oil contains undesirable impurities, which are removed via water degumming process. The oil is heated to 80° C and mixed with hot demineralized water into a high speed mixer. The centrifugal motion of the mixer separates the impurities from oil. The impurities are removed in the form of precipitate, and re-added to the cake to produce a more nutritious animal feed . The oil is then cooled, and proceeds to refining.

Refining removes further impurities to allow later processes to proceed smoothly . There are two methods of oil refining - alkali refining and physical refining. In alkali refining, the oil makes contact with the soapy base, sodium hydroxide. Free acids are saponified. Together, the impurities mixed with sodium hydroxide are removed from the oil. Physical refining involves distilling the free-acids at a high temperature.

Bleaching, Hydrogenation & Deodourization

Bleaching ensures the removal of unattractive compounds which affect the colour and clarity of the final product . Clays are used to effectively remove colour producing pigments, such as chlorophyll and carotenoids .

The bleached oil is now set for two fates - hydrogenation or deodourization. Hydrogenation is used to produce a solidified product (like margarine) which has a higher shelf-life . The process of deodourizing the oil is to remove compounds which give off undesirable odours. This is done through a steam distillation procedure, under very high (225 to 260° C) temperature conditions. The steams acts as a vessel for carrying volatile compounds. The result is a tasteless, odourless, translucent oil, ready to be packaged and shipped to consumers.

Expeller Press Method

Expeller pressed oil

Deviating from chemical extraction methods, expeller pressed canola oil products are produced by mechanically crushing canola seeds to collect the crude oil. No solvents or chemicals are utilized in the oil extraction process of canola. Expeller press oil can be put on the markets are refined or unrefined . The refining process in both expeller press extraction and chemical extraction results in a loss of colour, flavour and nutrients from the oil.

It should be noted, expeller pressed oil is not the same as cold pressed oil. Cold pressing does not allow temperatures during extraction to exceed 49° C .

Packaging

Packaging of canola oil normally entails five standard practices tailored to accommodate the needs of the manufacturer. These processes involve bottling, labeling, capping, end of line packaging and palletizing, with machinery varying to company specifications for their end product. For example, container preferences significantly differ between corporations, if not within the same brand. Different products require an assortment of options, and depending on the size and production requirements, additional packaging machinery can be implemented. These configurations include conveyors, bottle rinsers, bottle unscramblers, and inkjet coders, among the many.

Bottling

Liquid filling systems are used in the casing process. Taking into account specific properties such as viscosity, density, and foaming characteristics, particular packaging methods are used to provide the best option for transportation and application of their product. Incorporating numerous options, filling equipment can become quite intricate by using siphon fillers, piston fillers, volumetric fillers, pressure filling, and vacuum fillers in addition to the basic pressure overflow filler for the process of canola oil bottling.

Labeling

Further packaging usually requires labeling, and similar to the bottling process, includes numerous options to suit the needs of the producer. In order to present the product in an attractive manner to the consumers, while conveying specific information, different labeling techniques are employed to facilitate this process. A few selections that might be prevalent in canola oil packaging might be the use of pressure sensitive wrap, semi-automatic hot melt, vertical wrap around, front and back labeling, and full body sleeve labelers.

Capping

The capping process also utilizes numerous configurations based on product presentation and safety. This allows the ability for maximizing product quality, shipment needs, and can also have aesthetic properties. Rotary cap has been often used, along with in-line screw cap, in-line cap, snap cap, and chuck caps.

End of Line Packaging

The next step after individual packaging is preparation for transportation and shipment. These processes include case sealers, a very prominent machinery used during this portion of the production line, where box flaps are either taped, stapled or hot melt glued for the individual items . In addition to case sealers, a case erector can also be implemented for vertical or horizontal erection of boxes prior to sealing; they can then be used with case packing equipment before being sleeve wrapped and loaded onto pallets.

Palletizing

In the occurrence of large-scale shipment or specific shipment needs, palletizing is often done during the end of line packaging . This additional step allows for cases of the product to be transported on top of a pallet for convenient relocation. Machines designed for this process include pallet wrappers, and several types of automatic palletizing equipment used in conjunction with labeling and coding equipment on the exterior of the cases.

Manufacturing and Quality Control

The Department of Justice regulates the manufacturing and quality of canola oil through the Food and Drug Act and Food and Drug Regulations Under the Food and Drug Regulations, certain specifications regarding fats and oils are stated under Division 9, Section 001, “vegetable fats and oils shall be fats and oils obtained entirely from the botanical source after which they are named, shall be dry and sweet in flavor and odour and, with the exception of olive oil, may contain emulsifying agents, Class IV preservatives, an antifoaming agent, and B-carotene in a quantity sufficient to replace that lost during processing, if such an addition is declared on the label.”

Derived Products

The many uses for canola.

Food Uses

Margarine

Margarine is a substitute for butter. While butter is made of animal fat, margarine is mainly made of vegetable oil. Among all the commonly used vegetable oils, canola oil contains the least saturated fatty acid (7%) and the highest total unsaturated fatty acids (88%).

However, the use of canola oil margarine is controversial due to trans fatty acids. To make margarine solid at room temperatures, hydrogenation must occur. Trans fatty acids may be created during this process. Similar to saturated fatty acid, trans fatty acids can increase LDL cholesterol; it can also lower HDL cholesterol, which is good for heart health. In general, high saturated fatty acid and trans fatty acids content results in a more solid margarine.

Shortening

Vegetable oils, such as canola oil, are used to produce shortening. Shortening produced from vegetable oil is cheaper and requires no refrigeration.Shortening raises concern about health when vegetable oil has been found containing trans fatty acids during the process. Trans fatty acids may be produced as a by-product after canola oil is manufactured into shortening. Due to public health concern, some food companies have replaced canola oil with lower unsaturated fats vegetable oils, such as palm oil and coconut oil, which can be identified as non-hydrogenated vegetable oil.

Non-food Uses

Animal Feed

Canola cake.

Canola meal is the animal feed produced from canola oil extraction. In the industry, it is called 'cake'

Crude canola oil contains a portion of phospholipid material which are removed during oil processing. In Canada, this material is added back to the meal in the desolventizer-toaster at a level of 1-2%. It can reduce the dustiness of the meal, and increase the metabolizable energy value. Canadian canola cake have higher level of oil than meals produced in other nations. The oil content tends to be relatively high at 3.5% compared to 1-2% in canola meals produced in other countries.

Canola meal can be fed to ruminant, pigs, poultry, and fish. It appears to be a good source of supplemental protein for ruminant. Researches show that calves fed canola meal had greater weight gains during the supplementation period than did calves fed beans or the low level of sunflower meal.

Bio-diesel

Bio-diesel refers to clean burning renewable fuel that made from natural vegetable oil or animal fats. Compared to traditional petro-diesel fuel, using bio-diesel can reduce large portion of unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter from tailpipe emissions.

Compared to other oil producing plants, rapeseed (canola) produces more oil per unit seed. Therefore, using canola for bio-diesel production is more efficient. Canola bio-diesel has an advantage due to its high oil content, superior flow in cold weather, oxidative stability, quality standards, and carbon sequestration. Canola oil contains the lowest level of saturated fat, which helps to prevent it from freezing during winter. Canola is one of the best choices for producing bio-diesel.

It is controversial whether or not canola oil better used for consumption, or as biofuel. Scientific study shows that in Manitoba, one of the most important canola producing provinces in Canada, only about 2.4% of all canola is used for bio-diesel.

Inks & Paints

Canola oils can be used as the ink carriers for color pigments. Though, oils better suited for this purpose are soybean oil, tall oil, linseed oil, and dehydrated castor oils. The choice of oil is determined by their drying characteristics, which are determined by the degree of unsaturation. Canola oil, which is one of the least unsaturated vegetable oil, has very limited opportunity to be considered. However, when the oleic acid in canola oil is derivatized with hydroxy or epoxy groups, it can be use in coating and paints.

Nutrition Benefits and Controversies

Unlike many oils like coconut or olive oil, canola oil is usually extracted and produced in unnatural ways. Even though canola oil have been marketed as a healthy oil for baking, it is still a very controversial topic present day. In general, it is relatively low in saturated fat while containing a great equilibrium between polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. On the other hand, many online articles have claimed that canola oil contains very high levels of erucic acid, which a toxic substance that may lead to severe damages to the body such as respiratory distress and, in extreme cases, blindness . Despite all that, the level of this substances is below Food and Drug Administration standards. So, where should the line be drawn to determine whether the usage of canola is acceptable? Lets examine the beneficial factors and the nutrition labels.

Fatty-acid composition of canola oil compared with other vegetable oils.

Benefits

Canola oil contains only 7% saturated fat in comparison to the higher percentage of saturated fat amongst other varieties of cooking oil. Canola is dominantly a monounsaturated oil and because of this, it is in some aspects superior to other polyunsaturated oils like sunflower and corn oil. It contains omega-3 fatty acids, which is associated with lowering inflammation, curbing stiffness of joint pain and lowering levels of depression Studies have shown people with diets that are naturally high in monounsaturated fats are prone to to have lower rates of cancer as well as heart diseases. With that being, it can be categorized as a good choice for cooking.

Controversies

Dr. Axe focuses on the two following arguments about why canola oil is harmful: “ 90% of canola oil is genetically modified” and “canola oil is a partially hydrogenated oil." Dr. Axe supports the first statement by presenting a case studies published in Environmental Sciences Europe. In short, the case study shows the 90-day long trial where mammals were fed with GMO soybeans resulted in kidneys disruption by 43.5% and liver by 30.8%, clearly illustrating the harmful correlation. In addition, canola oil is genetically modified, therefore harms the nutritional value by altering the oil’s structure. It is found that canola tends to deplete vitamin E levels in mammals.

The process of extracting canola is originated from the rapeseed plant, which was essentially an insect repellant that is used in commercial manufactures. Despite all the pros and cons, there are still debate over this topic simply because there are not enough sufficient credible evidence that clearly verifies the the harmful effects it has on the human body. But, one thing that is know for certain is that canola oil is a heavily processed products. As such, Carlo Monteiro cites “it is never healthy.”

Exam Question

Question: What is the importance of 'flaking' the canola seed in the manufacturing process?

Answer: Flaking ruptures cell walls of the canola seed and increases surface area, making it easier to extract oil in subsequent steps.

Conclusion

To the surprise of many, canola oil is a highly processed food product, involving a large number of steps to manufacture the raw canola seed into a sellable product. It is an inexpensive oil which is favoured by chefs because of its flavourless, odourless properties.

Many nutritionists and dieticians of Canada recommend canola oil as a healthy choice. It is high in omega-3 fatty acids, low in saturated fat, and moderately high in monounsaturated fat. However, due to its highly processed nature from commercial processing, there is a controversial backlash against the product as a health food.