Innovación, Investigación y Salud
Ago. 11, 2023![](https://chilealimentos.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/canola_699px.jpg)
Nueva tecnología permite extraer aceite, proteína y fibra de la canola
Dutch food tech company Cano-ela’s latest extraction technique allows food innovators to draw out three ingredients from rapeseed while helping “eliminate waste streams” and enabling producers to develop food products. It can improve the taste, texture and sustainability of plant-based foods as well as meat or dairy alternatives.
The technique can extract the oil, protein and fiber from rapeseed, also known as canola. In a conversation with Food Ingredients First, Juliana Romero, founder and CEO of Cano-ela, states the reason behind the focus on rapeseed, “There is a worldwide availability, which means that the raw material is already there and many people know how to grow it. Moreover, the nutritional profile of the crop is very good.”
High on nutrition
“The seed is densely nutritious, rich in oil, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals,” remarks Romero.
She points toward the good fats and protein profile in rapeseed, “The ratio of omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids is very healthy, comparable to olive oil. It is one of the few proteins from plant origin, with a complete amino-acid profile.»
“Canola seed has long been used to produce oil. The resulting byproducts end up as waste or animal feed. In total, this makes it the largest protein-rich waste stream in the world,” she says.
She deems this a “terrible waste” because it may not be the best way to process the seed. She adds, «You can extract many other healthy ingredients from it.»
Getting the right push
To help propel Cano-ela’s “rapeseed innovation,” Vroegefasefinanciering (VFF) Gelderland – which is part of the
Netherlands Enterprise Agency – provides funding, while StartLife and Oost NL are backing the Dutch-based food tech start-up’s efforts. Romero discusses this development: “The funding enables us to conduct extensive research into the match between product and market. This includes conducting trials with potential customers in different phases.” “StartLife and Oost NL are valuable partners who also help us focus on the business case.»
With the cash injection, Cano-ela is now “working toward a pilot plant” to scale up production.
Nutrition Insights/August 09, 2023