How It's Made - Canola Oil

Summary

This video explains the production process of canola oil, from the harvest of canola seeds to its refinement and bottling. It covers key steps such as cleaning the seeds, extracting oil using mechanical and chemical methods, and refining the oil by removing impurities, waxes, and odors. The process also makes use of byproducts like animal feed and vegetable shortening. The oil is then packaged in bottles, ensuring cleanliness and quality control before being shipped to consumers. Canola oil is highlighted as a healthy cooking option, with low saturated fat and high omega-3 content.

Takeaways

• 🌼 Canola oil is derived from the seeds of the canola plant, which produces bright yellow flowers in the summer.
• 🌱 North American farmers have been cultivating canola for approximately 30 years.
• 🌿 Canola oil is considered one of the healthiest cooking oils due to its low saturated fat content (7%) and high levels of healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
• 🔍 The oil extraction process begins with cleaning the seeds to remove foreign materials and metal contaminants.
• 🌾 The seeds are crushed into thin flakes in a roller mill, which prepares them for oil extraction.
• 🤲 A screw press is used to extract nearly 3/4 of the oil from the canola seeds, leaving the remainder in the pressed flakes known as canola cake.
• 🧼 The remaining oil in the canola cake is removed through a chemical extraction process using a solvent.
• 🔄 The extracted oil undergoes a refining process, which includes washing, filtering, and bleaching to remove impurities and natural waxes.
• 🏭 The factory also recycles by-products, such as using the separated waxes to produce vegetable shortening and selling impurities to soap manufacturers.
• 🏡 Once bottled, canola oil has a shelf life of about a year when stored properly in a pantry.

Q & A

What is canola oil derived from?

Canola oil is derived from the seeds of the canola plant.

How long have North American farmers been growing canola plants?

North American farmers have been growing canola plants for about 30 years.

What happens to the seeds after the canola plant blooms?

After the canola plant blooms in the summer, farmers harvest the seeds from pods that form after the flowers die off.

Why is canola oil considered one of the healthiest cooking oils?

Canola oil is considered one of the healthiest cooking oils because it has the lowest level of saturated fat at 7%, contains more healthy omega-3 fatty acids, and is high in monounsaturated fat which lowers cholesterol.

What is the first step in the canola oil processing factory?

The first step in the canola oil processing factory is to clean the seeds in a vibrating cleaner to remove foreign material.

How does the factory separate foreign material from the seeds?

The factory separates foreign material from the seeds using a vibrating cleaner where seeds smaller than the openings in the cleaner's mesh fall through to a conveyor below, while the foreign material remains on top.

What is the purpose of the magnet in the canola oil processing?

The magnet in the canola oil processing is used to remove any metal that may have fallen in during the journey from field to factory.

How does the roller mill process the canola seeds?

The roller mill processes the canola seeds by passing them between two steel rollers which crush them into thin flakes.

What percentage of canola seed is oil, and how much does the screw press extract?

42% of a canola seed is oil, and the screw press extracts nearly 3/4 of that amount.

What is the second extraction process used in the canola oil production, and how long does it take?

The second extraction process used in canola oil production is a 70-minute wash with a solvent, which is a chemical extraction process that removes all but a trace of oil.

What happens to the canola cake after the oil is extracted?

After the oil is extracted, the canola cake is ground into protein-rich meal which is then sold as animal feed.

What is the purpose of washing the oil with sodium hydroxide during the refining phase?

The purpose of washing the oil with sodium hydroxide is to remove natural impurities, which are then separated using centrifugal force and can be sold to soap manufacturers.

How does the factory ensure the quality and performance of the canola oil?

The factory ensures the quality and performance of the canola oil by having technicians recreate production on a small scale in the lab.

What is the shelf life of canola oil once it's opened?

Once opened, canola oil has a shelf life of about a year.