From the field to the feed bunk: Canola meal’s journey

October 2013

The canola plant is a variation of the rapeseed plant, and was developed in the 1970s through standard plant-breeding techniques, resulting in a seed that provides an oil with lower levels of erucic acid. Canola meal was created for its oil, but the by-product of the oil extraction process, the meal, has become extremely valuable as well, especially to livestock producers.

Canola meal has low levels of glucosinolates in the coproduct meal portion, as well as a superior amino acid profile and high levels of rumen undegradable protein (RUP). Thanks to its superior protein makeup, canola meal has become a popular protein source in animal feeds around the world, including in rations for lactating dairy cows. The process from field to meal is made up of several critical points that must be monitored in order to ensure a high-quality, consistent end product:

1. Rolling. After harvest, the canola seed is rolled for flaking. This process helps rupture cells and make the oil easier to extract.
2. Cooking and pressing. The flaked seeds are cooked and subjected to a pressing process that removes some of the oil and compresses the seeds into large chunks, called cake fragments.
3. Solvent extraction. The cake fragments undergo a process called prepress solvent, which removes the remaining oil.
4. Desolventizing and toasting. Finally, the oil and meal are processed separately, according to the end product requirements. During this step, excess solvent is evaporated and the meal is heated, which eliminates anti-nutritional factors, such as glucosinolates. For the oil, different treatments are used to process for end products such as salad oils, margarines and shortening. The meal is processed into either pellets or mash.

Temperature is key to quality

The temperature during processing is crucial. If temperatures are too high for too long, the protein quality of the meal can decrease. Excessive heating reduces animal digestibility of some amino acids, so processors must exercise strict process control to ensure temperatures remain consistent and amino acid damage is minimized by not overheating the meal in the desolventizer-toaster. Canola meal’s amino acid profile is very attractive to dairy producers and nutritionists, because minimizing heat damage during processing helps to ensure a consistent protein source for dairy rations.