芥花籽油(英文版本).doc

CanolaCanola refers to a cultivar of either Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) or Field Mustard (Brassica campestris L. or Brassica Rapa var.). Its seeds are used to produce edible oil suitable for consumption by humans[1][2] and livestock.[3] The oil is also suitable for use as biodiesel.Originally, Canola was bred naturally from rapeseed in Canada by Keith Downey and Baldur R. Stefansson in the early 1970s,[4][5] but it has a very different nutritional profile in addition to much less erucic acid.[6] The name “canola“ was derived from “CanCanadian o oil, l low a acid“ in 1978.[7][8] Genetically modified rapeseed is sometimes referred to as RapeseedRapeseed 0000. A product known as LEARLEAR (for low erucic acid rapeseed) derived from cross-breeding of multiple lines of Brassica juncea may also be referred to as canola oil and is considered safe for human consumption.[9]ContentsContents1 History 2 Production and trade 3 Canola oil o3.1 Health benefits o3.2 Erucic acid issues o3.3 Biodiesel 4 Genetic modification issues o4.1 Legal issues 5 See also 6 References 7 External links [ [editedit] ] HistoryHistoryClose up of rapeseed bloomsCanola field in Temora, New South WalesCanola was developed through conventional plant breeding from rapeseed, an oilseed plant already used in ancient civilization as a fuel. The word “rape” in rapeseed comes from the Latin word “rapum,” meaning turnip. Turnip, rutabaga, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, mustard, and many other vegetables are related to the two natural canola varieties commonly grown, which are cultivars of Brassica napus and Brassica rapa. The change in name serves to distinguish it from natural rapeseed oil, which has much higher erucic acid content.Hundreds of years ago, rapeseed oil was used as a fuel in lamps in Asia and Europe. The Chinese and Indians used a form of rapeseed oil that was unrefined (natural).[10] Its use was limited until the development of steam power, when machinists found rapeseed oil clung to water- or steam-washed metal surfaces better than other lubricants. World War II saw high demand for the oil as a lubricant for the rapidly increasing number of steam engines in naval and merchant ships. When the war blocked European and Asian sources of rapeseed oil, a critical shortage developed and Canada began to expand its limited rapeseed production.After the war, demand declined sharply and farmers began to look for other uses for the plant and its products. Rapeseed oil extracts were first put on the market in 1956–1957 as food products, but these suffered from several unacceptable characteristics. Rapeseed oil had a distinctive taste and a disagreeable greenish colour due to the presence of chlorophyll. It also contained a high concentration of erucic acid. Experiments on animals have pointed to the possibility that erucic acid, consumed in large quantities, may cause heart damage, although Indian researchers have published findings that call into question these conclusions and the implication that the consumption of mustard or rapeseed oil is dangerous.[11][12][13][14][15] Feed meal from the rapeseed plant also was not particularly appealing to livestock, due to high levels of sharp-tasting compounds called glucosinolates, and they would not eat it.A variety developed in 1998 is considered to be the most disease- and drought-resistant Canola variety of rapeseed to date. This and other recent varieties have been produced by using genetic engineering. Currently, 82% of the rapeseed crops planted in Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan are GM (genetically modified) herbicide-tolerant canola varieties.[16]Canola was originally a trademark, but is now a generic term for edible varieties of rapeseed oil. In Canada, an official definition of canola is codified in Canadian law.[17][ [editedit] ] ProductionProduction andand tradetradeRapeseed was once considered a specialty crop in Canada, but Canola now has become a major American cash crop. Canada and the United States produce between 7 and 10 million tonnes of canola seed per year. Annual Canadian exports total 3 to 4 million tonnes of the seed, 800,000 tonnes of canola oil and 1 million tonnes of canola meal. GM canola may not be grown in any of the countries banning GMOs and some of those even ban importation of the end products. Within the United States, 90% of the canola crop is grown in North Dakota.[18]Rapeseed is the highest-producing oil-seed crop in the USA. An Oregon State University researcher has determined that growing winter rapeseed for hybrid Canola seed appears possible in central Oregon, USA, but the state prohibits it from being grown in Deschutes, Jefferson, and Crook counties because it may attract bees away from specialty seed crops such as carrots, which require bees for pollination. The rapeseed blossom is a major source of nectar for honeybees.The major customers of canola seed are Japan, Mexico, China, and Pa。