Rapeseed Oil Tradition, Improvement and Transgenic

Rapeseed oil is a traditional cooking oil in many places. In particular, the rapeseed oil of “pressing the soil” is highly praised by many because it retains many “special flavors”. However, more and more rapeseed oil and transgenic rapeseed oil have been improved. What kind of advantages do they have that they can find a living space and even "become" traditional rapeseed oil?

The "fragrance" of rapeseed oil comes from harmful ingredients The unique "fragrance" of various vegetable oils comes from the volatile components. In the case of rapeseed oil, it is mainly glucosinolates. The glucosinolates are also known as glucosinolates or glucosinolates, and after decomposition, they produce isothiocyanates, nitriles, and cyanates. These breakdown products interfere with thyroid hormone synthesis and lead to goiter. Nitrile can also cause swelling of the liver and kidneys in animals. In severe cases, it can cause liver hemorrhage and liver necrosis.

Different varieties of rapeseed glucosinolate content is very different. Fortunately, after squeezing oil, they are mainly left in the oil cake. National standards stipulate that if the content in oil cake is less than 30 micromoles per gram, it can be called "low glucosinolate", and the variety with high glucosinolate content can reach 100 micromoles per gram or more. If the unpeeled oil cake is used as feed, it may cause animal poisoning. The content of glucosinolates in oil is lower than that in oil cakes. Considering the amount of oil consumed, the possibility of causing these symptoms is not great. However, it is not a good thing after all. If it can be avoided, it is still a good thing to avoid.

Another important ingredient in rapeseed is erucic acid, which is the main ingredient in oil after pressing. In animal experiments, erucic acid showed damage to the heart.

In short, enjoying the “flavor” of rapeseed oil comes at the expense of hazardous ingredients.

The "improved variety" of improved rapeseed oil is an eternal theme of modern agriculture. The "improved rapeseed" is directed towards reducing erucic acid and glucosinolates, commonly referred to as "canola." Canada's canola oil has a special name canola, usually translated as "corolla oil" or "canola oil."

The main difference between different food oils is the composition of fatty acids. The chemical structure of oil is triglyceride, which is a glycerol molecule with three fatty acids attached. Different fatty acids determine the nature of the oil. Fatty acids can be divided into three categories: saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The corresponding oils are also commonly referred to as saturated fats, monounsaturated fats, and polyunsaturated fats. Saturated fats are very stable, not easily degraded in heat storage, followed by monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats are very unstable, and are susceptible to oxidative deterioration. Current scientific evidence shows that saturated fat is unhealthy and monounsaturated fat is better. If the saturated fat in the diet is replaced with monounsaturated fat, it will contribute to cardiovascular health. Olive oil is known for its high content of monounsaturated fatty acids. Rapeseed oil is a vegetable oil with a relatively high content of monounsaturated fat. The fat composition of canola oil is not inferior to olive oil.

The fact that genetic modification is unrelated to double-lowness is different from what many people take for granted. The “double-low” nature of “double canola” is not obtained through transgenic technology, but through traditional breeding techniques. In fact, Canada had already cultivated canola before transgenic technology was applied to crop improvement. In China, there are also some canola varieties that are being promoted throughout the country.

However, the majority of North American canola is genetically modified. The improvement is to transfer the herbicide-resistant gene so that it can tolerate the herbicide so that it can be cultivated easily. The characteristics obtained by this transgene are not related to the "double low" feature. Simple and efficient weeding not only reduces the intensity of cultivation, but also avoids weeds and rapes competing for fertilizer, water and sunlight, which indirectly increases production. Although the labor force in North America is more expensive than China, because it reduces the cost of cultivation and helps increase production, it is cheaper to ship to China than Chinese local rapeseed.