A new variety of low-linolenic rapeseed oil; characteristics and room-odor tests

Two Canadian rapeseed oils, “Westar” and “low‐linolenic”, supplied by the Canola Council were studied and compared with a French rapeseed. The linolenic acid content of the low‐linolenic variety is about 3%. This drop in the C18∶3 is completely compensated for by an increase in the C18∶2. Seventy‐two percent of the triglycerides with at least one linolenic chain disappeared. A strong increase in the OOL and OLL was observed. The room‐odor tests showed that the “low‐linolenic” had a significantly higher odor score than the French rapeseed and the “Westar”, both of these being very similar. A fruity odor dominated in the “low‐linolenic”, and the fishy painty odors were particularly reduced.