Quality of western Canadian canola, 2009

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Fatty acid composition

The mean for Canola, No. 1 Canada samples the mean iodine value of the oil is 113.7 units, almost 3 units higher than the 111 units in 2008. For Canola, No. 1 Canada samples the mean linolenic acid is 10.0% in 2009, which is significantly higher than both the 9.0% in 2008 and similar to the 10–year mean of 9.9%. For Canola, No. 1 Canada samples the mesan oleic acid content of the 2009 crop is 62.2%, a 1.0% decrease while the α-linolenic and linoleic acid contents increased by 0.9% and 0.4% respectively.

At 10.0%, the mean linolenic acid in all three provinces was similar in 2009. Usually, Alberta would have notably higher mean linolenic acid content than Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The drought like conditions in the northern Peace River region of Alberta (and British Columbia) caused the Alberta mean linolenic acid content to be similar to Manitoba and Saskatchewan means.

The average level of erucic acid in the 2009 crop is 0.01%, similar to the 0.01% in 2008 and well below the 10–year mean of 0.10%.

The mean level of saturated fatty acids is 6.9% in 2009, slightly lower than the 2008 value of 7.1%. The mean saturated fatty acid levels were similar in all three provinces in 2009. Usually, samples from the southern prairies have significantly higher saturated fatty acids than samples from the northern regions. However this was not the case in 2009 due to the cool summer conditions in the western prairies. The drought like conditions that still remains in the northern Peace River region of Alberta and British Columbia affected the fatty acid composition of the canola samples.

Based on the October 2009 data, the mean linolenic acid content for Canola, No. 1 Canada exports from Vancouver and Thunder Bay was equal to the 2008–2009 exports.

At 113.2 units, the iodine value for October 2009 Vancouver and Thunder Bay canola exports increased by 1 unit from the 2008–09 levels. The iodine value of the October, Thunder Bay canola export increase by up to one unit compared to the 2008–09 means. The level of saturated fatty acids in October 2009 Vancouver and Thunder Bay canola exports remained similar to the 2008–09 means. It is expected that the levels of erucic acid will remain constant during the 2008–09 shipping season – close to 0.02%, well below 0.1%.

Fatty acid composition of 2009 harvest survey samples, by grade and province

	Fatty acid composition1 (%)
	C16:0	C16:1	C18:0	C18:1	C18:2	C18:3	C20:0	C20:1	C20:2
1 Percentage of total fatty acids including: palmitic (C16:0), palmitoleic (C16:1), stearic (C18:0), oleic (C18:1), linoleic (C18:2), linolenic (C18:3), arachidic (C20:0), eicosenoic (C20:1), eicosadienoic (C20:2), behenic (C22:0), erucic (C22:1), lignoceric (C24:0)
2 Includes part of the Peace River area that is in British Columbia
3 Values are weighted averages based on production by province as estimated by Statistics Canada
Canola, No. 1 Canada
MB	3.94	0.26	1.76	62.23	18.77	9.96	0.64	1.25	0.07
SK	3.91	0.26	1.76	62.19	18.87	10.01	0.62	1.22	0.07
AB2	3.86	0.26	1.75	62.32	18.77	10	0.6	1.26	0.07
Western Canada3	3.9	0.26	1.76	62.25	18.81	10	0.62	1.24	0.07
Canola, No. 2 Canada
MB	4.07	0.28	1.7	61.46	19.45	9.87	0.62	1.28	0.07
SK	3.93	0.27	175	62.43	18.73	9.89	0.62	1.22	0.06
AB2	3.94	0.27	1.83	62	18.88	9.97	0.62	1.28	0.07
Western Canada3	3.93	0.27	1.8	62.1	18.9	9.91	0.62	1.24	0.07
Canola, No. 3 Canada
Western Canada3	4.1	0.3	1.8	61.9	19.1	9.6	0.6	1.2	0.1
Canola, Sample Canada
Western Canada3	3.8	0.3	1.8	61.9	18.9	10.4	0.6	1.2	0.1

Fatty acid composition of 2009 harvest survey samples, by grade and province

	Fatty acid composition1 (%)			Total saturates2	Iodine value3
	C22:0	C22:1	C24:0
1 Percentage of total fatty acids including: palmitic (C16:0), palmitoleic (C16:1), stearic (C18:0), oleic (C18:1), linoleic (C18:2), linolenic (C18:3), arachidic (C20:0), eicosenoic (C20:1), eicosadienoic (C20:2), behenic (C22:0), erucic (C22:1), lignoceric (C24:0)
2 Total saturated fatty acids are the sum of palmitic (C16:0), stearic (C18:0), arachidic (C20:0), behenic (C22:0), and lignoceric (C24:0)
3 Calculated from fatty acid composition
4 Includes part of the Peace River area that is in British Columbia
5 Values are weighted averages based on production by province as estimated by Statistics Canada
Canola, No. 1 Canada
MB	0.4	0	0.2	6.9	114
SK	0.3	0.01	0.2	6.9	114
AB4	0.3	0.01	0.2	6.8	114
Western Canada5	0.3	0.01	0.2	6.9	114
Canola, No. 2 Canada
MB	0.4	0.01	0.2	7	114
SK	0.4	0	0.2	6.9	113
AB4	0.4	0.01	0.2	7	114
Western Canada5	0.4	0.01	0.2	6.9	114
Canola, No. 3 Canada
Western Canada5	0.4	0	0.2	7.2	113
Canola, Sample Canada
Western Canada5	0.4	0	0.2	6.9	114

Erucic acid content of harvest survey samples, 1990–2009 - Canola, No. 1 Canada

Crop year	Erucic acid %
1990	0.60
1991	0.50
1992	0.50
1993	0.50
1994	0.50
1995	0.30
1996	0.40
1997	0.30
1998	0.30
1999	0.20
2000	0.15
2001	0.11
2002	0.11
2003	0.13
2004	0.12
2005	0.06
2006	0.05
2007	0.04
2008	0.01
2009	0.01

Linolenic acid content of harvest survey samples, 1990–2009 - Canola, No. 1 Canada

Crop year	Linolenic acid %
1990	10.9
1991	10.2
1992	11.1
1993	11.8
1994	10.6
1995	11.0
1996	10.4
1997	9.7
1998	8.5
1999	9.8
2000	9.9
2001	9.4
2002	10.6
2003	8.4
2004	11.2
2005	11.0
2006	9.9
2007	9.8
2008	9.1
2009	9.8

Oleic acid content of harvest survey samples, 1994–2009 - Canola, No. 1 Canada

Crop year	Oleic acid %
1994	59.3
1995	59.1
1996	60.3
1997	61.0
1998	62.3
1999	60.9
2000	61.5
2001	61.9
2002	60.6
2003	63.2
2004	58.9
2005	59.8
2006	62.0
2007	61.5
2008	63.2
2009	62.2

Total saturated fatty acid content of harvest survey samples, 1994–2009 - Canola, No. 1 Canada

Crop year	Saturated fatty acid
1994	6.58
1995	6.75
1996	6.80
1997	6.97
1998	7.38
1999	7.15
2000	7.09
2001	7.20
2002	7.03
2003	7.26
2004	6.96
2005	6.96
2006	6.98
2007	6.98
2008	7.09
2009	6.85

Iodine value of harvest survey samples, 1990–2009 - Canola, No. 1 Canada

Crop year	Iodine value units
1990	117
1991	115
1992	118
1993	119
1994	117
1995	117
1996	115
1997	113
1998	111
1999	113
2000	114
2001	112
2002	115
2003	110
2004	117
2005	116
2006	113
2007	113
2008	111
2009	114

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