Canola Protein?

[LeslieDJoyce]

Saw a "no corn no soy" chicken food at the store today ... it uses Canola as the protein. Thoughts?

 

[Cindy in PA]

I believe canola is one of the most GMO crops, if I remember correctly. There is a lot about canola (rapeseed) being really corrosive also. That said, they put it in all kinds of human food. Hope someone knows more about it, but I would pass.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I believe canola is one of the most GMO crops, if I remember correctly.  There is a lot about canola (rapeseed) being really corrosive also.  That said, they put it in all kinds of human food.  Hope someone knows more about it, but I would pass.

Canola planted today is about 96% the Monsanto-made RoundUp-Reafy GMO kind. That stuff cross contaminates so well it is not allowed to be grown here.

Canola was originally developed from rapeseed. Rapeseed = mustard gass ... it is highly corrosive, etc. Some genius took the corrosive stuff out of the proteins in rapeseed and got a new crop they renamed canola ... then started selling canola oil which is high in Omega 3, and is considered a bit if a wonder food ... especially if you can get your hands on organic canola. Good luck with that because of the cross-contamination issue. And we are now starting to understand the problems if diets too high in Omega 3s, so canola is slipping somewhat in popularity.

Meanwhile, there is a lot of worry about canola oil already if you poke around the Internet. Regardless of what is written or read about canola, it is wise to remember who has done the research on it, especially GMO canola ... that's right, the developers. Monsanto controls the seed of GMO canola, and Monsanto isn't above suing people who wind up with "their" seed due to cross contamination. As far as I know, Monsanto doesn't allow outsiders to research their crops.

That all is what it is and goes for all GMO crops, except for the origins of canola and it's heritage of rapeseed. So for me, this is where it gets more interesting: canola protein meal is, of course made from the protein that's separated out of rapeseed when the oil is made. It has only recently been given GRAS rating, so will be showing up in human foods, not sure how long it has been an additive in animal feed. But ... how suceptible is canola protein to undoing back into poison by cross contamination? What else do we not know?

I dont tend toward paranoia, but I buy very little prepared or processed foods ... so I've pretty well elimonted canola oil from my own diet. I even gave up buying mayonnaise, which is probably my favorite food, because it is impossible to find without canola oil in it. I don't like the idea that the only way we know it is canola and not rapeseed is because it has been doused with RoundUp. But so has GMO soy, which had been the most popular protein found in commercial feed so far. I've been hoping to eliminate soy from my food chain as my own body does not tolerate it well. And virtually all animal feeds contain GMO corn ...

I'm just disappointed that just when I thought it couldn't get worse, I learned it can. So, does anyone know anything reassuring about canola protein meal?

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Here is a related thread on this topic ... This is the type of feed I'm writing about that supposedly uses Canola protein ...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/602845/home-grown-layer-feed

Interesting that in my area Purina's "Home Grown" Layer is usually more expensive than Purina's Layena. But the "Home Grown" is on special now.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Interesting ... retailers of this product say it is from Purina, but I'm not finding it at Purina's website. Googling just takes me back to retail websites, or forums like this. Verrrrry peculiar!

 

[featheredmom]

Leslie

You can always make your own mayonnaise, I throw mine in the kitchenaid and let it do all the work! OR buy Hellmann's or Best foods(same company, same recipe). The original version is made with soybean oil(I know, not a big improvement from the canola) or, they have an olive oil version. The best is now Hellmann's uses cage free eggs(I know in commercial terms it doesn't mean much, but it is a start and says something about their business practices).

I make my own mayo about 75% of the time, but keep a jar of Hellmann's on hand for those times I either run out in the middle of a recipe, or just for convenience.

I too am food conscious, I understand!! We will never use canola in anything, there is too much unknown and I just can't trust something that has been modified from a poisonous plant.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Leslie

You can always make your own mayonnaise, I throw mine in the kitchenaid and let it do all the work!

That's what I've been trying to do ... I haven't gotten the hang of how long to whisk it before it "breaks," though. Also, I use olive oil and don't love the flavor of it ... maybe I'll try "light" olive oil.

In your kitchenaid ... can you detail the process? Recipe? How long to whisk? I'm thinking of trying with duck eggs as they have even more emulsifiers in the yolk. So far I've just been too lazy/disorganized.

 

[bairo]

I don't do canola at all dont use anything that needs to be tampered with at the cellular level just to make it safe for consumption.

Are we (as a people) really that hard up for food that we need to modify toxic plants in order to consume it? Oils for example...There are 16 different types of oils (just the ones that I know of) that are easily derived from plants that are safe to eat, readily available at common grocery stores, and inexpensive for the most part. BESIDES CANOLA

I have a soy free recipe, and a corn/soy free recipe. I use field peas and sunflower seed as main sources of protein. I would add a bit of fish meal as well if I had a good inexpensive source. So far though just letting them free range a couple times a week to hunt bugs and such on top of my recipe gives them plenty of protein with plenty of amino acid diversity

Just my thoughts.

 

[featheredmom]

In your kitchenaid ... can you detail the process? Recipe? How long to whisk? I'm thinking of trying with duck eggs as they have even more emulsifiers in the yolk. So far I've just been too lazy/disorganized.

Extra light tasting Olive oil SHOULD give you what you are looking for, but usually I opt for sunflower or peanut oil, I have even made it with coconut oil(not as good). Mixing oils can also be a great way to stay healthy w/o a bad taste(part olive oil, part whatever else)

make sure all ingredients are room temp and your mixing bowl warmed(add hot water while you are separating eggs, pour out, dry with a towel, & you're ready to go), second, add eggs and start up the kitchenaid, pour in vinegar mixed with mustard powder and salt(sometimes I also add garlic and/or lemon and experiment with different types of vinegar, white seems to produce the best results, but you can do any). Once it is thoroughly mixed, add oil SUPER slow(easiest is to poke a hole in the bottom of a paper cup with a toothpick and just hold it over the bowl and let it drip while the mixer does the work). Once the oil is all incorporated it shouldn't take longer than a minute(maybe 30seconds?) the mayo will be thick and creamy and ready to eat!!

If you want your mayo to keep longer in the fridge, keep it out on the counter for 4-8hrs before refrigerating(I know it sounds wrong, but it is an important step for preservation).

You can even make it a bit healthier by using whole eggs or half and half(2 yolks, 2whole eggs), by playing with different combinations, you will discover what you and your family like best! If you want "miracle whip" type, add a bit of sugar with your vinegar(hellmann's uses a small amount of sugar anyway, not much, just like a half tsp, for Miracle whip, you need a few Tbsps). Mayo is very adaptable. The biggest tips are the warm bowl/room temp ingredients, pouring slowly(it can literally take 30min depending on how much mayo you are making), and leaving it out to preserve.

Good luck!!

 

[Chris09]

That's what I've been trying to do ... I haven't gotten the hang of how long to whisk it before it "breaks," though. Also, I use olive oil and don't love the flavor of it ... maybe I'll try "light" olive oil.

In your kitchenaid ... can you detail the process? Recipe? How long to whisk? I'm thinking of trying with duck eggs as they have even more emulsifiers in the yolk. So far I've just been too lazy/disorganized.

Just a heads up,
Many people find the flavor of olive oil used in a mayonnaise is too strong when used by itself. Using half olive oil and half sesame oil is an option for a milder tasting mayo which still is high in oleic acid. Also some people find that olive oil really packs the weight on as oleic acid is a longer chain fatty acid and is more likely to contribute to the buildup of body fat than the shorter chain fatty acids found in coconut oil.
Try 1/2 sesame oil and 1/2 expeller pressed coconut oil. Since coconut oil goes very firm below 76F, using half coconut oil produces a mayo that is very thick and "scoopable".

Chris