>> Narrator: CANOLA OIL IS A
COMMONLY USED TYPE OF COOKING
OIL.
IT'S DERIVED FROM THE SEED OF
THE CANOLA PLANT, WHICH
NORTH AMERICAN FARMERS HAVE BEEN
GROWING FOR ABOUT 30 YEARS NOW.
THE PLANT BLOOMS IN THE SUMMER,
PRODUCING BRIGHT YELLOW FLOWERS.
FARMERS HARVEST THE SEEDS FROM
PODS WHICH FORM AFTER THOSE
FLOWERS DIE OFF.
CANOLA OIL IS ONE OF THE
HEALTHIEST COOKING OILS.
COMPARED TO OLIVE, SUNFLOWER,
AND SOYBEAN OILS, IT HAS THE
LOWEST LEVEL OF SATURATED FAT --
7%.
IT ALSO CONTAINS MORE HEALTHY
OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS AND IS HIGH
IN MONOUNSATURATED FAT, WHICH
LOWERS CHOLESTEROL.
WHEN THE CANOLA SEED ARRIVES AT
THE PROCESSING FACTORY, IT
CONTAINS FOREIGN MATERIAL --
MOSTLY PLANT PIECES.
SO THE FIRST STEP IS TO CLEAN
THE SEEDS IN A VIBRATING SIEVE.
THE SEEDS -- SMALLER THAN THE
OPENINGS IN THE SIEVE'S MESH --
FALL THROUGH TO A CONVEYOR
BELOW.
THE FOREIGN MATERIAL REMAINS ON
TOP.
A CONVEYOR MOVES IT TO A STORAGE
BIN, WHERE IT'S COLLECTED FOR
SALE AS CATTLE FEED.
THE SEEDS PASS BY A MAGNET.
IT REMOVES ANY METAL THAT MAY
HAVE FALLEN IN DURING THE
JOURNEY FROM FIELD TO FACTORY.
NEXT, THE SEEDS ENTER A ROLLER
MILL.
THEY PASS BETWEEN TWO STEEL
ROLLERS, WHICH CRUSH THEM INTO
THIN FLAKES.
A CONVEYOR THEN FEEDS THE FLAKES
INTO A SCREW PRESS.
IT HAS A LARGE REVOLVING
SCREW-SHAPED SHAFT ENCLOSED
WITHIN A SLOTTED CAGE.
AS THE SHAFT TURNS, ITS THREADS
SQUEEZE THE FLAKES WITH HIGH
PRESSURE, FORCING OUT THE OIL,
WHICH THEN DRAINS OUT THROUGH
THE SLOTS.
42% OF CANOLA SEED IS OIL.
THIS GROUP PRESS EXTRACTS NEARLY
3/4 OF THAT.
THE REMAINDER IS STILL TRAPPED
IN THE PRESSED FLAKES, NOW
REFERRED TO AS CANOLA CAKE.
THE CAKE EXITS THE OTHER END OF
THE PRESS AND MOVES ON TO A
SECOND EXTRACTION, THIS ONE A
70-MINUTE WASH WITH A SOLVENT.
THIS CHEMICAL-EXTRACTION PROCESS
REMOVES ALL BUT A TRACE OF OIL.
THE FACTORY THEN GRINDS THE CAKE
INTO PROTEIN-RICH MEAL THAT IT
SELLS AS ANIMAL FEED.
THE EXTRACTED OIL, STORED IN
LARGE TANKS, NOW ENTERS THE
REFINING PHASE.
FIRST, THEY WASH THE OIL FOR 20
MINUTES WITH SODIUM HYDROXIDE.
DURING THIS WASH CYCLE, THEY
SPIN THE OIL AT HIGH SPEED SO
THAT THE CENTRIFUGAL FORCE
SEPARATES THE NATURAL
IMPURITIES, WHICH THE FACTORY
LATER SELLS TO SOAP
MANUFACTURERS.
AFTER THIS CLEANING PROCESS, THE
CANOLA OIL IS VISIBLY CLEARER.
HOWEVER, IT STILL CONTAINS
NATURAL WAXES, WHICH MAKES IT
LOOK CLOUDY.
SO THE NEXT STEP IS TO COOL THE
OIL TO 41 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
THIS THICKENS THOSE WAXES SO
THAT THEY CAN BE FILTERED OUT.
THE WAXES DON'T GO TO WASTE,
EITHER.
THE FACTORY USES THEM TO PRODUCE
VEGETABLE SHORTENING.
IN THE FACTORY'S LAB,
TECHNICIANS RECREATE PRODUCTION
ON A SMALL SCALE TO ENSURE
PERFORMANCE AND QUALITY.
MEANWHILE, BACK IN THE FACTORY,
AFTER WASHING AND FILTERING THE
OIL, THEY BLEACH IT TO LIGHTEN
THE COLOR, THEN USE A
STEAM-INJECTION HEATING PROCESS
TO REMOVE THE CANOLA ODOR.
THE OIL IS NOW FULLY REFINED AND
READY FOR BOTTLING.
THE EQUIPMENT FIRST TURNS THE
PLASTIC BOTTLES UPSIDE DOWN AND
INJECTS FILTERED PRESSURIZED AIR
TO BLOW OUT ANY DUST OR DIRT
INSIDE.
THEN IT TURNS THE BOTTLES RIGHT
SIDE UP AGAIN TO POSITION FOR
FILLING.
JUST BEFORE A NOZZLE STARTS
FILLING, IT APPLIES A VACUUM.
IF THERE'S NO SUCTION,
INDICATING A LEAK IN THE BOTTLE,
THE MACHINE AUTOMATICALLY EJECTS
THAT BOTTLE FROM THE LINE.
EACH BOTTLING MACHINE IN THE
FACTORY FILLS 22,000 BOTTLES PER
HOUR.
THE LABELING MACHINES WORK
AT THE SAME SPEED.
THEY SPREAD GLUE ON THE BACK OF
EACH LABEL, THEN APPLY THE
LABEL'S EDGE TO THE BOTTLE.
THE BOTTLE SPINS, WRAPPING THE
REST OF THE LABEL AROUND ITSELF.
AS THE BOTTLES COME OFF THE
LABELER, A ROBOT SEPARATES THEM
INTO GROUPS OF 12.
THEN IT PICKS UP AND DEPOSITS
EACH DOZEN IN A SHIPPING BOX --
FROM FIELD TO FACTORY TO YOUR
PANTRY, WHERE, ONCE OPENED,
CANOLA OIL HAS A SHELF LIFE OF
ABOUT A YEAR.
