Quality of Canadian Soybean, oilseed-type 2017
5. Fatty acid composition
Linolenic acid (C18:2), the main fatty acid found in soybean oil, averaged 54.4% and ranged from 52.5% to 55.7%, whereas last years average was 53.1% with a range from 52.6% to 55.1%. Oleic acid, the second most important soybean fatty acid, averaged 20.0% in 2017 that is lower than the 2016 value of 22.7%. The other important unsaturated fatty acid, a-linolenic acid (C18:3), averaged 9.6% in 2017 (8.2% in 2016) and ranged from 8.7% to 10.4%. Total saturates averaged 15.2% in Canada varying from 15.0% (Québec) to 15.7% (Alberta).
Iodine value estimates the level of fatty acid unsaturation in oil; the higher the number of double bonds in the oil the higher the iodine value and the level of unsaturation. For 2017 the a-linolenic acid average was higher than last year; this is reflected in the iodine values being higher to last year, 137.0 units in 2017 versus 133.2 units in 2016. Figure 5 presents the iodine value trend since 2006 for eastern Canada and western Canada and the overall Canadian averages. The yearly variations are a reflection of the environmental differences that includes geography (temperature and precipitation being different between eastern and western Canada).
Up until this year eastern Canada was growing over twice the amount of soybean than western Canada, therefore Canadian averages were weighted towards eastern averages. In 2017, eastern Canada produced about 1.8 times more soybean than western Canada. If production keeps increasing in the west, the Canadian averages will reflect both production areas equally.
Figure 5. Iodine value averages of Canadian oilseed type soybean, 2006 to 2017
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Details
Iodine value averages of Canadian oilseed type soybean, 2006 to 2017 Region 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Western Canada 132.9 137.6 138.1 137.8 139.2 132.4 131.2 134.0 140.0 134.5 136.4 134.7 Eastern Canada 138.6 132.8 135.0 137.0 133.6 136.1 132.4 134.2 136.5 133.3 132.0 138.0 Canada 137.7 133.6 135.7 137.2 135.4 134.6 132.1 134.1 137.5 133.7 133.2 137.0
| Province | Number of samples | %, in oil | SATSFootnote 1 | Iodine Value, UnitsFootnote 2 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C16:0 | C18:0 | C18:1 | C18:2 | C18:3 | ||||
| Soybean, No. 1 Canada and Soybean No. 2 Canada | ||||||||
| Manitoba | 104 | 9.8 | 4.4 | 21.6 | 53.5 | 9.0 | 15.1 | 135.2 |
| Saskatchewan | 31 | 9.9 | 4.6 | 22.5 | 52.5 | 8.7 | 15.5 | 133.3 |
| Alberta | 6 | 9.9 | 4.8 | 22.3 | 52.5 | 8.7 | 15.7 | 133.2 |
| Western Canada | 141 | 9.8 | 4.5 | 21.9 | 53.2 | 8.9 | 15.2 | 134.7 |
| Ontario | 209 | 10.5 | 4.0 | 19.2 | 54.8 | 9.9 | 15.3 | 137.7 |
| Québec | 58 | 10.2 | 3.9 | 18.6 | 55.3 | 10.4 | 15.0 | 139.3 |
| Eastern CanadaFootnote 3 | 267 | 10.5 | 4.0 | 19.1 | 54.9 | 10.0 | 15.3 | 138.0 |
| Prince Edward Island | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| New Brunswick | 19 | 10.2 | 4.1 | 18.5 | 55.7 | 9.9 | 15.2 | 138.6 |
| Nova Scotia | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Maritimes | 19 | 10.2 | 4.1 | 18.5 | 55.7 | 9.9 | 15.2 | 138.6 |
| Canada | 427 | 10.3 | 4.1 | 20.0 | 54.4 | 9.6 | 15.2 | 137.0 |
| Soybean, No. 3 | ||||||||
| Western | 5 | 9.5 | 4.7 | 23.5 | 51.9 | 8.5 | 15.3 | 132.6 |
| Central and Maritimes | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Canada | 5 | 9.5 | 4.7 | 23.5 | 51.9 | 8.5 | 15.3 | 132.6 |
| Soybean, No. 4 | ||||||||
| Western | 2 | 9.9 | 4.9 | 25.3 | 50.9 | 7.0 | 16.0 | 128.6 |
| Central and Maritimes | 1 | 10.1 | 4.0 | 21.1 | 52.9 | 10.2 | 15.0 | 136.9 |
| Canada | 3 | 10.0 | 4.6 | 23.9 | 51.6 | 8.1 | 15.7 | 131.3 |
| Soybean, No. 5 | ||||||||
| Western | 1 | 10.0 | 4.9 | 26.2 | 50.2 | 6.8 | 16.0 | 127.6 |
| Central and Maritimes | 1 | 10.0 | 3.8 | 22.8 | 55.2 | 6.1 | 14.7 | 131.5 |
| Canada | 2 | 10.0 | 4.3 | 24.5 | 52.7 | 6.4 | 15.4 | 129.5 |
| Soybean, All grades combined | ||||||||
| Western Canada | 149 | 9.8 | 4.5 | 22.0 | 53.1 | 8.9 | 15.2 | 134.5 |
| Central and Maritimes | 288 | 10.5 | 4.0 | 19.0 | 55.0 | 10.0 | 15.3 | 138.0 |
| Canada | 437 | 10.2 | 4.2 | 20.0 | 54.4 | 9.6 | 15.2 | 136.8 |