Australian scientists work to produce omega-3 from canola

Three Australian organisations have joined together to produce specialty omega-3 oils from canola varieties, breaking the world’s reliance on fish stocks. Oilseed company Nuseed, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and the Grains Research and Development Corporation have joined together in an AUS$50 million (UK£32.866 million) research collaboration which will use leading edge gene technology to develop and commercialise vegetable oil which will contain the same high quality, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) rich long chain omega-3 that traditionally comes from fish.

The goal is to take research to the commercial stage, producing healthy, long-chain omega-3 oils for the human food market but, more particularly for the lucrative aquaculture industry. The research partners were looking at ways to incorporate omega-3 enriched canola oil into fish feed. CSIRO Food Future Flagship director Bruce Lee said the organisation had been working on the project since the early 1990s. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine and International Milling Directory from Perendale Publishers