An Alberta-based research program designed to expand the range of food uses for canola and flax oil has received a financial boost.
The Bioactive Oils Program led by Randall Weselake, professor and researcher at the University of Alberta, will spend $16 million on flax and canola research designed to open new premium markets for Canadian farmers.
AVAC Ltd., the Alberta-based not-for-profit research funding organization, invested $5.3 million in the project.
One goal of the research is to broaden the range of canola oil’s fat content, AVAC said in a news release.
Canola oil’s saturated fat content ranges from six to seven percent. Weselake and colleagues want to create a canola with 15 to 20 percent saturated fat to make a more solid, shortening-like product for use in baking and frying.
The flax program would seek to increase the level of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, which show promise in reducing rheumatoid arthritis, high blood cholesterol and high blood pressure.
