F!!K

[cottonpicken]

-anyone catch cbc's ban on trans fat piece.cant be good for canola.

[almoy]

Should be good news for canola as more fast food restaurants might switch to canola oil as it has NO trans fat.

[TOM4CWB]

I caught it too;

Thought it was done very poorly... as the new stabilised cooking oils are ready to fill this need with healthy alternatives.

Now we need to do a P.R. job on the healthy developments in our industry!

[AdamSmith]

Only saw the CTV National News and their take on the Trans Fat study was that the only negative for canola was that we don't grow enough of it here in Canada. A lady who was interviewed suggested that to replace all the existing oils within the food industry with canola oil would require 10 million acres of Canola but I thought we grew over thirteen million acres in Canada. So I didn't quite get the point she was making, but it was positive towards Canola.

You can trust the CBC about as much as you can the CWB.

[melvill]

Gee, you three, I think the point was really missed. This trans fat reduction issue is really good for canola, especially the Nexara and equivalent types. I'm half tempted to paste in an entire article that I received yesterday but it's so long that Agri-ville subscribers would send a hit-man to "talk" to me. Basically, what it boils down to is this:
1. the Nexera and equivalent canola oils produce frying oils that actually have a longer frying life than generic canola oil or partially hydrogenated canola or partially hydrogenated soyoil.
2. the Nexera and equivalents proved to have a superior tasting french fries than soyoil,
3. lower combined trans and saturated fats in foods than ANY oil tested.

Yes, these types of canola lack a little in the agronomic characteristics - yield - but we have talented breeders and I'm guessing that those bugs will be worked out.

Other ideas?

[TOM4CWB]

Lee,

I think you missed the point... that the CBC had the perfect opportunity to give the high stability Canola oils like Nexera, IMC, and HEAR a real positive plug... they have had a tough go of it in the past year on the marketing side.

Everyone says the switch to high stability oils needs to happen, but few are willing to pay the extra cost.

The message I got was negative... not that there was a positive alternative that resolved the issue... in plentyful supply!

[melvill]

Your points are well taken, Tom. Maybe a few viewer letters to the CBC National would be helpful. Anyone wanting to send CBC an e-mail can contact me and I'll send my article to you to forward to CBC. Or if you want to read it yourself -

lee.melvill@gov.ab.ca

In fact, I think I'll send it myself right now.

[melvill]

One more thing, Tom. When I found myself agreeing with you just now, I took my pulse. Guess where it was - over 170! Grin.

[wd9]

Just got home and had to read Agriville, not any time to post anything much but will post CCC's media article. This is an opportunity for canola and the government understands they may need to fund development into HOLL (high stability, aka high monounsaturated) to solve the new proposed legislation from the task force. This is a plus for canola as it is the healthiest oil with no trans fats - unless of course like all other oils, you hydrogenate. Canola is still #1 though and we grow it. The article:

Canola oil is perfect fit with new trans fat recommendations


June 29, 2006: The Canola Council of Canada (CCC) supports the intent of the recommendations of the Trans Fat Task Force to reduce trans fat in the Canadian diet.



Canola Council president Barb Isman says the recommendation to restrict the trans fat content of most foods to less than five percent of the total fat content and to two percent of vegetable oils and soft, spreadable margarines is “a good first step and one the canola industry is already helping to make happen”.



All canola oil is trans fat free and it is the lowest in saturated fat of all commercially available fats and oils. “Canola oil is a perfect fit with the new recommendations,” Isman says, “but other lower priced zero trans fat alternatives out there can be very high in saturated fats and Canadians should be concerned about that.”



Isman explains that the Task Force only partially studied the issue of increased saturated fat intake in relation to the new trans fat recommendations. Isman agrees with the Task Force that further examination of this issue should be part of the government’s response to improve public health through consumption of healthy oils and fats.



Isman acknowledges that the Trans Fat Task Force necessarily focused its work on public health and trans fat intake but now “the canola industry looks forward to seeing a complimentary analysis from the government on the potential impact to Canadian agriculture and agri-business”.



The CCC president is confident that food manufacturers will take a closer look at canola oil to meet any new regulations the federal government may consider based on the Task Force report. Canola oil has a well balanced fatty acid profile with the lowest level of saturated fats of all commercially available oils (7%) and the second highest level of monounsaturates (61%). It is a good source of polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acid and, as a liquid oil, canola has zero trans fat.



She also points out that an innovative new canola product known as “high stability” canola oil can now be used by food companies and restaurants to make margarines, baked goods and in deep frying without partial hydrogenation. That’s the process that forms trans fats. Isman says the industry estimates that high stability canola oil can decrease saturated and trans fat in foods such as cookies and crackers in the range of 85%.