Canola oil’s future bright amid vegetable oil changes
From the Western Producer
Canola has a golden future in terms of demand for its oil, a senior Archer Daniels Midland executive told the Canola Council of Canada annual meeting. It has been part of the revolution in vegetable oil use and development, plus it fits perfectly into growing food industry needs. As canola’s high-oleic and low saturated fat qualities are increased, more users will probably tap into it.
The food processing industry has undergone a dramatic shift in the last decade, switching out of trans-fat laden partially hydrogenated oils and into fats that are either naturally high in saturated fat, like palm, or converted into high saturated fats by full hydrogenation. Fully hydrogenated fats don’t contain trans fats. However, to make heavy, saturated fats work well in food processing, they often have to be blended with light liquid oils. That’s where canola fits in beautifully.
Canola is valued by food processors because it is produced in large acreages, sourced by multiple companies and is relatively affordable and dependable, which are great advantages over other possible blending oils. High oleic canola oil is also a much-valued product among food providers, including restaurants. Because it is abundantly available and reasonably priced, restaurant companies feel confident adopting it.