What is the real story for Non-GMO canola oil?

This oil is extracted from a special variety of rapeseed, a yellow-flowering plant in the Brassicaceae’s (cabbage) family. Originally, the canola plant (rapeseed) was developed through the traditional cross-breeding of plants during the 1970s in Canada when genetic engineering didn’t even exist. This was done through hybridizing to specifically breed the rapeseed plant to be very low in erucic acid which at high levels is not safe for consumption. 

Varieties of the canola seed are hybrids. Some are open-pollinated, and both are the result of traditional breeding, not genetic engineering. These become known as the “heritage seeds.” The Canadian seed industry changed the name from rapeseed to “canola” (Canadian Oil) to distance it from the negative association with the high erucic acid rapeseed. The genetically engineered seed came into play during the 1990s producing genetically modified canola plants that are tolerant to Roundup.

But not all canola seeds were genetically modified. These particular heritage seeds are naturally Non-GMO and always have been and they are now being used for all of the Non-GMO Project Verified Canola Oil.

What is the Non-GMO Project, and its’ certification process and standards?

Each batch of our North Prairie Gold oil is tested to make sure no GMO contaminations are present because of the concern of cross-contamination when grown next to conventional (Genetically modified) GMO canola crops. All Non-GMO seeds must have less than .9% GMO content to qualify as certified Non-GMO. The Non-GMO Project provides shoppers the assurance that a product has completed a comprehensive third-party verification for compliance with the non-GMO project standard. Also requiring genetic testing to achieve certification standard. 

From field to bottles, North Prairie Gold goes through this rigorous Non-GMO certifying process to be awarded the seal by the Non-GMO Project.

More information:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canola_oil