Food shortages in the world are recognized today as a global problem. In 2009, according to experts, the number of people living in conditions of chronic malnutrition totaled more than 1 billion people.
The food problem is due to various factors. On the one hand, these are socio-economic reasons associated with the method of production and distribution of resources, and on the other, global ones, related to population growth, changes in the diet, climatic phenomena and the finite nature of natural wealth.
Achievements of science create real prerequisites for eliminating the threat of food shortages. The first way is to improve the fertility of the earth; use of marine resources and energy efficiency. The second way is the introduction of scientific achievements for the directed change of crops and the development of promising animal breeds.
The canola plant (the marketing name of one of the varieties of rapeseed) is a vivid example of obtaining a given result using methods of selection and genetic engineering.
Predecessor
The botanical name for rapeseed is Brassica napus olifera Metzg. This is a herbaceous plant. Rod - Cabbage. Family - Cruciferous. Not found in the wild. It is believed that rape came from the crossing of spring or winter colza with leaf cabbage.
Rapeseed has been cultivated for 6 thousand years. Cold-resistant, moisture-demanding plant that feels good in temperate climates. Both spring and winter crops are widespread. Cereals grown after rape give a higher yield. The plant improves the structure of the soil, increases its fertility, enriching with nitrogen.
The use of rapeseed
Rapeseed cultivation is a commercially viable crop production area. Culture is widely used. First of all, rapeseed is used as an oilseed , the value of which increased significantly by the end of the 20th century, since it began to be used for biodiesel production.
Plant flowers contain a lot of nectar. It is valued as a good honey plant. Productivity of 1 ha of crops - up to 90 kg of honey. In addition, the crop is used as a green fertilizer.
Rapeseed oil: benefits and harms
The product is obtained from seeds by compression in a screw press. Preliminary raw material warms up. The product is used in the manufacture of soap, drying oil, in the textile and leather industries. Rapeseed oil is a raw material for biodiesel. It produces lubricants and hydraulic fluids.
The inhibition of the spread of rape was the inherent cruciferous content in the seeds of erucic acid and glucosinolates. With a high content of these substances, it is not used in food or animal feed.
Erucic acid is one of the fatty acids. It is not metabolized in mammals, accumulating in various tissues. Studies have shown: erucic acid is a danger to human health. It causes serious disturbances in the work of the heart, affects blood vessels. The safe content of this substance in oil is from 0.3 to 0.6%.
Other organic compounds - glycosinolates, thioglycosides and their derivatives are also harmful to human health. They affect various organs of the person, give the oil a bitter taste.
Producers have directed all their efforts to breeding new varieties of rapeseed. It was required to reduce the content of erucic acid and glucosinolates to a safe minimum and to get rid of a pronounced taste.
Canola plant
In 1974, breeder B. Stefanson in Canada bred a rape variety with a low content of erucic acid and glycosinolates. A new type of rapeseed was called "canola" (canola - Canadian oil low acid). It was a great marketing move. The name stuck, became popular.
So what is canola? A plant that differs from traditional rape by a low content of compounds harmful to mammals, including humans, is erucic acid and glucosinolates. This fact required a clear distinction between two different products from such similar plants. The first is oil for technical needs, made from rapeseed, the second is a valuable food raw material that is made from canola. That is the essence.
What does canola look like? Outwardly, it is no different from rape. The plant has a root root growing to a depth of 2 meters. The stem is straight, covered with a light bluish bloom. Stem leaves are different from basal leaves, which are collected in a rosette. Flowers are collected in a brush, they are yellow or white. That is, outwardly rape is the same canola. The photo clearly demonstrates this fact.
Canola pods have a length of up to 10 cm and a width of up to 0.3 cm. One pod contains 15-30 dark brown spherical seeds, they ripen unevenly along the height of the plant, so after collecting them they leave for some time to ripen.
Canola cultivation has some features. It sprouts earlier and grows faster than regular rape. The canola plant is stronger and more resistant to external influences. Its average yield is 20% higher.
Today, culture is cultivated on an area of more than 4 million hectares. In Europe - in countries such as France, the UK, Denmark, the Czech Republic and Finland. The main manufacturers in the world are China, India, Canada, and Japan. In these countries, canola blooming fields are part of a traditional rural landscape.
In the future, with the accumulation of experience in the cultivation of canola, there was a need for a culture more tolerant of herbicides. Such varieties were developed by genetic modification in 1995.
Canola oil
The nutritional value of the product provided him with high demand in the global food market. Canola oil is close in quality to olive at a lower cost compared to it.
Canola oil remains clear for a long time. It does not rancid and does not get an unpleasant odor when exposed to air, as it happens, for example, with soy.
Canola oil is a healthy product. Due to its high content of unsaturated fatty acids, it helps strengthen blood vessels, reducing the risk of formidable diseases such as stroke and myocardial infarction. In this way, heart health is maintained. The oil has the lowest saturated fat content and does not contain trans fats at all. With regular use of the product, a pronounced antioxidant effect is provided. He is involved in the regulation of fat metabolism. Due to its composition, the product is recommended to be used to lower blood cholesterol. At the same time, the risk of blood clots and a number of diseases, including cancer, is reduced.
Using canola oil
In cooking, it is used mainly in the preparation of cold dishes. The light texture and neutral taste of canola oil does not interfere with other products. It is part of various marinades, mayonnaise and other sauces are prepared from it. Sometimes it is used in a mixture with olive.
The most widely used product is in Israel and Canada. In the homeland of canola, it can be found everywhere. Cafes and restaurants on the menu offer a variety of dishes using this product. Consumers who are aware of the dietary qualities of foods always choose canola when choosing an oil . The recipe for a perfect low-calorie salad can not do without this product. It is suitable for frying, since its smoke point is higher than that of olive.
In the United States, canola oil has been considered safe for human health when eaten since 1985. However, in terms of product consumption, this country lags significantly behind its neighbor, Canada.
Use of canola in livestock
In many countries, the plant is grown as a feed crop. It is mowed to a green mass, haylage and grass flour are harvested. Canola is growing fast. It is very effective to use the culture as a pasture for pigs and sheep, as well as for fattening all types of animals and birds. The canola plant is a storehouse of feed protein, the content of which in the meal reaches 38%. It is easily digested. Used as a high protein supplement.
Colza and canola. What's the Difference?
Faced with an unfamiliar product, the consumer seeks to find out for himself its benefits and harms. The same thing happens with a product called Canola Oil. After all, the name of the plant is not familiar to us. So what is canola? The plant looks no different from rapeseed. The main feature due to which this harmonious name appeared is in the properties of the oil obtained from these two cultures.
Rapeseed oil is a product for technical use. Valuable raw materials for the production of environmentally friendly biodiesel, lubricants. The more erucic acid - and in traditional rapeseed varieties its content reaches 50% - the higher the quality of biodiesel.
Canola oil is a valuable food product that is sold under this name in many countries around the world. It poses no danger to human health. Canola products are widely used in animal husbandry.
In the post-Soviet space, the attitude to the new culture is ambiguous. From complete denial to timid attempts to position canola oil as a dietary product. Time will tell who is right.
You can have a different attitude to products obtained from genetically modified plants, which include canola oil. The final choice is up to the consumer. For this, it is very important to have reliable and complete information.