AURO-The-Natural-Choice-for-daily-Life-04.2019

GOLD-COLOURED OIL WITH AN OFF-DRY BOUQUET Rapeseed belongs in the family of crucifers and is dis- tributed in Europe only. It originates from the coastal areas of the Mediterranean region. It is very likely that the golden yellow plant emerged from a cross between the wild turnip and the field mustard, two species that share the Mediterranean as their main distribution area. Rapeseed was first cultivated in the Middle Ages and thus is a still young crop plant. The fuel for the oil lamps was won from rapeseed and field mustard. Rapeseed oil originally had a high share of bitter-tasting compounds and the critical erucic acid. Therefore it was barely used in food but as lamp oil, lubricant and as base material for the production of soap. It was only when varieties with less erucic acid and bitterns could be cultivated in the 1970s and 1980s that rapesed oil became one of the most important oil plants worldwide. At the end of the 20 th century, rapeseed had its heyday as nutritional oil and as base material for edible fats. Rapeseed oil is won in oil mills by pressing or by extrac- tion. Two different techniques are applied: the hot press- ing or refining in oil mills, or the decating process in decentralised oil mills. Only the yellow kernel of the fruit is used for oil production. The black shell is removed in order not to let the bitterns get into the oil. Compared to the refined oil, the decated rapeseed oil has the advantage that it contains more vitamins, carotines and other fat accompanying substances. At AURO, rapeseed oil from cer- tified organic farming (cof) is used as soap in many cleaning products. RAPESEED OIL from c ertified o rganic f arming Oils and fats cof The blooming period of rapeseed starts in spring- time and lasts about three weeks. During this time, the bright yellow fields can be seen everywhere. 56