Canola oil comes from the crushed seeds of the canola plant. Canola is part of the Brassica family. Cabbages, broccoli and cauliflower are also part of this same botanical family. Each canola plant grows from 3 to 6 feet (1 m -2 m) tall and produces beautiful yellow flowers. As the plant matures, pods form that are similar in shape to pea pods, but about 1/5th the size. Each pod contains about twenty tiny round black or brownish-yellow seeds.

Once harvested, canola seeds are taken to a facility where they are crushed to extract the oil contained within the seed. This oil is then further refined and bottled as canola oil. Basic characteristics of this cooking oil include a pale golden color, light texture, neutral taste and high heat tolerance. The average canola seed is 45% oil. The remainder of the seed, which is very high in protein, is processed into canola meal and used as a high quality animal feed.

Refined Canola OilSpecifications:

Chemical Characteristics:

Free Fatty Acid: 0.1 – 0.15% max

Peroxide Value: 1.0 – 2.0 meq/kg max

Color (Lovibond): 12.0 – 15.0 Yellow / 1.5 – 2.0 Red

Iodine Value (Wijs): 100 - 122

Moisture: 0.05 %max

AOM: 20 hrs min

Cold Test: 5.5 - 12 hrs min

Refractive Index @ 40oC: 1.460 – 1.467

Specific Gravity @ 25oC: 0.914 – 0.920

Saponification Value: 182 – 193

Smoke Point: 460 – 530oF

Flash Point: 610 – 640oF

Fire Point: 670 – 690oF

Fatty Acid Properties:

C16:0 Palmitic 3.0 – 5.0%

C16:1 Palmitoleic 0.2 – 0.3%

C18:0 Stearic 1.0 – 3.0%

C18:1 Oleic 56.0 – 76.0%

C18:2 Linoleic 10.0 – 24.0%

C18:3 Linolenic 4.0 – 13.0%

C22:1 Erucic 0.2 – 1.8%

Fatty Acid Distribution:

Saturated 4.3 – 7.4%

Monosaturated 54.4 – 65.0%

Polyunsaturated 27.2 – 37.0%