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USE OF RAPESEED OIL IN TRADITIONAL DIETS USE OF RAPESEED OIL IN small stone presses that press out the oil at oil.“ The consumer has no clue about the TRADITIONAL DIETS low temperatures. What the merchant then presence of trans fatty acids in canola oil Rapeseed oil has been used in China, _ sells to the housewife is absolutely fresh. cause they are not listed on the label. Japan and India for thousands of years. In Modern oil processing is a different thing A large portion of canola oil used in areas where there is a selenium deficiency, entirely. The oil is removed by acombina- _ processed food has been hardened through use of rapeseed oil has been associated _ tion of high temperature mechanical press- the hydrogenation process, which intro- with a high incidence of fibrotic lesions of ing and solvent extraction. Traces of the duces levels of trans fatty acids into the the heart, called Keshan's disease.” solvent (usually hexane) remain in the oil, final product as high as 40 per cent.* In The animal studies carried out over the _ even after considerable refining. act, canola oil hydrogenates beautifully, past 20 years suggest that when rapeseed Like all modern vegetable oils, canola oil _ better than corn oil or soybean oil, because oil is used in impoverished human diets, goes through the process of caustic refin- | modern hydrogenation methods hydro- without adequate saturated fats from ghee, ing, bleaching and degumming—all of genate omega-3 fatty acids preferentially— coconut oil or lard, then the deleterious — which involve high temperatures or chemi- and canola oil is very high in omega-3s. effects are magnified. cals of questionable safety. And because Higher levels of trans mean longer shelf In the context of healthy traditional diets canola oil is high in omega-3 fatty acids, __ life for processed foods, a crisper texture in that include saturated fats, rapeseed oil—in which easily become rancid and foul- _ cookies and crackers—and more dangers of particular, erucic acid in rapeseed oil— _ smelling when subjected to oxygen and chronic disease for the consumer.” does not pose a problem. In fact, erucic high temperatures, it must be deodorised. acid is helpful in the treatment of the wast- The standard deodorisation process THE MYTHS OF ing disease adrenoleukodystrophy and was removes a large portion of the omega-3_ MONOUNSATURATES the magic ingredient in Lorenzo's oil. fatty acids by turning them into trans fatty Consumer acceptance of canola oil rep- High levels of omega-3 fatty acids, pre- acids. resents one in a series of victories for the sent in unprocessed rapeseed oil, don't pose Although the Canadian government lists food processing industry, which has as its a problem, either, when the diet is high in the trans content of canola at a minimal 0.2 _ goal the replacement of all traditional foods saturates. per cent, research at the University of with imitation foods made out of products A 1998 study indicates that diets with Florida at Gainesville found trans levels as derived from corn, wheat, soybeans and adequate saturated fats help the body _ high as 4.6 per cent in commercial liquid __ oilseeds. convert omega-3 fatty acids into the long- chain versions EPA and DHA, which is Crude Vegetable Oil . what the body wants to do with most of the Frome showing 18-carbon omega-3s.”' Degumming modern oll retining, Ba-Is. manufacturing and Conversion is reduced by 40 to 50 per Caustic Refining handling processes. cent in diets lacking in saturated fats and high in omega-6 fatty acids from commer- l cial vegetable oils (particularly soybean oil). In the animal studies on canola oil, dietary saturated fats mitigated the harmful effects of omega-3s. A 1995 Wall Street Journal article reported that use of rapeseed oil in cooking was associated with greatly increased rates Dewaxing of lung cancer in the women breathing the fumes.” Once again, a lack of saturates in the diet may explain the association, because the lungs can't work without Winterisation Pre-Bleaching Hydrogenation Post-Bleaching Fatty Emulsifier Fractionation Interesterification adequate saturated fats.”* In India, rapeseed oil has been used as a cooking oil for thousands of years, but only Blending recently have Indian housewives been cajoled into the belief that saturated butter = and ghee should be avoided. Many now Deodorisation use vanispati, an imitation ghee made of | partially hydrogenated soybean oil. Salad oi | -_ — —_ THE MYTHS OF MONOUNSATURATES Consumer acceptance of canola oil rep- resents one in a series of victories for the food processing industry, which has as its goal the replacement of all traditional foods with imitation foods made out of products derived from corn, wheat, soybeans and oilseeds. Flowchart showing modern oil refining, manufacturing and handling processes. Caustic Refining Pre-Bleaching Hydrogenation Post-Bleaching TRADITIONAL AND MODERN OIL PROCESSING METHODS Rapeseed has been used as a source of oil since ancient times because it is easily extracted from the seed. Interestingly, the seeds were cooked first before the oil was extracted. In China and India, rapeseed oil was pro- vided by thousands of peddlers operating NEXUS = 35 AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2002 www.nexusmagazine.com