Larissa

Hi guys
On arriving in Aus I couldn't help but notice cans and bottles of "Canola Oil" everywhere, I couldn't think of what it came from as I haven't heard of Canola plants.... I have only just done a search and found out that it's a genetically engineered form of oil seed rape. I bought some for my new deep fat fryer as the local shop didn't have pure sunflower oil, but now I'm really put off using it.
Some of the articles on the net are very anti (try http://www.ithyroid.com/canola_oil.htm) and others are promotional stuff, which you'd expect to be gushing the benefits of Canola, but as the author of the article quoted, I'm going back to olive oil (sunflower for deep fat) and checking my labels, reason being I don't get billions of negative articles when I look up "Olive oil"!
Take care and stay off the yicky canola stuff
x x
Larissa

Megalania

Stay away from margarine then:

Widdi

Hello,

I`m a farmer in both UK and WA. Canola is just the Australian and US term for Oilseed rape. There is nothing more to it!

In fact the Australian government has not allowed genetics into foodstuffs and looks like they wont either. - you may get it in cotton etc.

hope this clears it up. -

other terms for you - a combine is called a header.

a seed drill is called a combine!!

a tractor is usually called either a beut or a bast...

John

bondipom

http://www.choice.com.au/viewArticle...tid=100008&p=5

Labelling requirements

There are many reasons why people want to avoid GM foods: personal health; environmental effects; or philosophical or ethical reasons. So it’s imperative that individual consumers be given the opportunity to choose for themselves whether or not they eat GM foods. Current labelling laws mean that any food that contains an ingredient or processing aid that contains novel DNA an/or novel protein or has altered characteristics must be labelled as a genetically modified food. However, highly refined foods, where the refining process has removed the novel DNA/protein, do not need to be labelled. An example is canola oil made from genetically modified canola. Flavours derived from GMOs do not need to be labelled if they are present in foods at a concentration no more than 1g/kg.

There is a major loophole that says a food does not have to be labelled if a GM food, ingredient or processing aid is unintentionally present at a level of less than 1% per ingredient. ACA feels that manufacturers may take advantage of this loophole and avoid responsibility for knowing the origins of all the ingredients in their products. If a manufacturer uses a supplier who isn’t sure of the GM status of the ingredients they sell, and if testing methods aren’t good enough to detect any small amounts of GM ingredients present, the food won’t have to carry a label – even hough no-one is sure it’s free from GM foods

bondipom

http://www.truefood.org.au/guide2.html
For a guide to GM free foods.

Megalania

Can't be bothered about all the GM warmongering. Just don't like the taste of canola or sunflower oils. Gimme some Ghee.

Larissa

Does anyone know any good links for Aus food additives, I'm sure I've heard stuff in the media about Aus allowing additives which are banned in Europe, but would like to know a bit more.
Ta
Larissa

Simone

Oh, good thing I bought Olive oil spread yesterday then, nearly got Canola!
I also use Nuttelex, was reccomended by colleagues, seems all natural etc etc.

I do still have that canola spray stuff(for the bbq). It's so nice and handy(for frying pan too), though I am wary about those sprays anyway.

Megalania

Nuttelex ingredients: sunflower oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, water, salt, emulsifiers(471, 322, soybean lecithin).

Widdi

since the 80s I have grown over 180,000 tonnes of rape/canola in UK and OZ

not one tonne has been or is genetic so far. (I don`t like the thought of this either!!)

We`ll see what happens but it seems the media (and therefore the general public) want more healthy food cheaper.

The problem is it just can't be done!

The reason I`m moving to australia is that farming and food is more respected.

we do after all - need it to live.

ABCDiamond

Choice Magazine reckons that "Can't believe it's not butter" is the best margarine type product.

Olive oil spreads: Olive oil has acquired a certain mystique as a key ingredient of the heart-healthy ‘Mediterranean diet’, but in fact it’s only one of a number of healthy oils. It’s rich in monounsaturates, but so is canola. And although you pay a premium for most of these spreads (their average price is 67 cents per 100 g), you don’t get as much olive oil in them as you might think.
OLIVE GROVE Classic Spread (‘with cholesterol free olive oil’, according to the label) has the most "saturated plus trans fats" with 23%, followed by the much cheaper COLES FARMLAND Olive Spread with 22%.

http://www.choice.com.au/viewarticle...tid=100008&p=1

renth

Me neither, GM is going to feed the world's starving.

The UK tabloids came up with the great way of describing GM poducts as "Frankenstein food" - no wonder so many are against it...

kirsty&al

Don't go shouting that too loud, if you’re ever in Ireland

A.

Megalania

Come again Mac.

kirsty&al

I've been told by a couple of Irish people that it is a rude word in Irish.

A.