What is colza oil obtained from?

Colza oil or colza is a non-drying oil obtained from the seeds of rapeseed (Brassica napus subsp. napus. syn. Brassica napus var. oleifera Delile, Brassica campestris subsp. napus (L.) Hook.f. & T. Anderson). Colza is extensively cultivated in France, Belgium, the United States, the Netherlands, Germany and Poland. In France, especially, the extraction of the oil is an important industry.

In commerce, colza is a traditional rapeseed oil (with turnip rape oil, sarson oil, toria oil (Brassica rapa ssp.), and ravison oil), to which they are very closely allied in both source and properties. It is a comparatively nonodoriferous oil of a yellow colour, having a specific gravity varying between 0.912 and 0.920. The cake left after extraction of the oil is a valuable feed ingredient for pigs.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org

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31 Comments

Denny Quigley

It hasn't been called 'rapeseed' in decades. It is called Canola which is the oil used in cooking and margarine.

Lesley Bird

Called Rapeseed oil in the UK. Useful to know it's name elsewhere.

Dog001

Colza is the european cultivar of Rapeseed. It is genetically different from Canola. Colza has up to 54% erucic acid, which damages the cardiac muscle of animals. Canola is a low erucic acid cultivar, and Canadian Gov regulation limits the erucic acid to a maximum of 2%. Colza is still produced in Europe for Bio-Diesel and Animal Feeds. But Canola is now being grown for human consumption, especially for infant foods, and is slowly replacing Colza in animal feed.

Elaine GIbson

Canola oil in Canada

bonniecardona

In Cabada we call it Canola Oil as it was developed here

David Stokes

Rapeseed oil, from is from the rape plant, now called Canola because modern forms of highly productive plants were developed in Canada. It is used mostly as a cooking oil in Australia. Another reason for the name change is because uneducated millennials couldn't get their heads around the difference between rape and rapeseed.

Val Wilkinson

And the rest of the U.K. Joseph A. Robitaille, 🤦‍♀️

Val Wilkinson

It’s called rapeseed in the U.K. Denny Quigley, no-one here calls it canola. It can be used in salad dressings as well as for cooking with

Val Wilkinson

Never heard it called that. Rapeseed oil is produced in most agricultural areas of the U.K.- not only is it the healthiest combination of oil types, but it’s tasty and locally produced.