Innovations in Oils
Transitioning to renewable resources
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LINOLA
Normally linseed (flaxseed) produces an oil with over 50% linolenic acid (18:3), which is highly susceptible to oxidation and imparts a strong drying property on the oil. This makes linseed oil a sought-after industrial ingredient for oil-based paints and other surface coatings, but severely limits its use in food products. To enable the broader use of linseed as a food oil, a new low-linolenic form was bred by inducing mutations that inactivated the two Fad3 genes responsible for conversion of linoleic acid (18:2) to linolenic acid, leading to a build up in linoleic acid to around 65-70% and leaving only around 3% linolenic acid.
The new oil was developed by CSIRO and United Grain Growers (Canada) during the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was commercialised under the Linola™ brand mainly in Canada (where it was classified under the Solin flax grain category), and to a lesser degree in Australia and the UK during the 1990s and early 2000s, with the oil being used mainly by Unilever as a replacement for sunflower and safflower oil in the highly polyunsaturated margarines of that time. However, the strong shift in the market-place to monounsaturated oils and the sustained expansion of the more-productive canola crop resulted in Linola exiting commercial production in 2007.
Linola has recently begun to be evaluated as a drying agent in bio-based interior paints where its fatty acid profile gives excellent drying properties without the undesirable yellowing that was typical of linseed oil based paints.
Get the facts …
Linola is the latest entry in specialty oils marketplace. I.C.I.S., 1998
Genetic control of polyunsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis in flax (Linum usitatissimum) seed oil. Theoretical & Applied Genetics (1986)
A mutant genotype of flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) containing very low levels of linolenic acid in its seed oil. Canadian Journal Plant Science (1986)
<-- More Oil Innovations -->
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BIOMASS OIL
Crop plants engineered to make large amounts of triglyceride oils in their leaves, stems and roots rather than just in their seeds and fruits.
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OMEGA-3 CANOLA
Canola oil engineered as a sustainable, affordable & safe plant source of ω3 DHA & EPA, essential dietary fatty acids normally obtained from fish.
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SHO SAFFLOWER
Super-high oleic (92%) safflower oil has been developed for use in high-stability industrial lubricants and as a feedstock for chemicals and polymers.
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LINOLA
Low-linolenic linseed oil developed by induced mutation provides an alternative source of polyunsaturated oil for food and industrial use.
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WAX ESTERS
Crambe is being engineered to produce novel waxes that combine fatty acids and alcohols for use as lubricants and renewable industrial feedstocks.
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ACETYL-TAG OILS
Unique triglycerides with an acetate group replacing one of the fatty acids, have reduced viscosity and can be drop-in replacements for diesel fuels.
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HIGH OLEIC SOYBEAN
Soybean producing highly stable oil with up to 82% oleic acid is the first new oil crop to be developed using advanced gene editing technology.
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