List of Flammable Ingredients in Canola Oil

Ingredients

Canola oil is made from the rape seed, also called "oilseed." Rape seeds are grown all over the world for making cooking oils as well as biofuels; it is a cousin of the mustard plant. Rape seed crops are not suitable for feeding animals or livestock because they contain euric acid and glucosinolates; these harmful substances are removed from rape seeds during the production of canola oil. The term "canola" was applied to the rape seed in 1979 by Canadian farmers. "Canola" usually refers to the oil made from the rape seed, but it can also refer to the entire plant.

Rape seed has the same flammability of any ordinary crop. Canola oil is not considered to be flammable, but it is combustible; materials that do not ignite at temperatures under 100 degrees F are not categorized as flammable by OSHA standards. The smoke point of canola oil is 230 degrees C, or 446 degrees F. The flash point -- the point at which a substance can ignite -- of canola oil is 290-330 degrees C, or 554-626 degrees F.

Canola oil is popular in cooking because it heats well without burning and is sometimes advertised as a healthier alternative to other cooking oils; however, it has no health advantages over other vegetable oils.

Canola oil burns just like diesel fuel when used in a diesel engine. It is not used in its pure form; rather, it is combined with an alcohol (such as methanol or ethanol), heated and used as a biofuel. Biofuel is fuel made of renewable biological resources rather than nonrenewable fossil fuels. Since canola is not very flammable, the alcohol helps the fuel to ignite and burn, thus fueling the engine. Biofuel is touted as an environmentally friendly alternative to diesel fuel.

Canola oil has nutritional properties similar to other vegetable oils. It is relatively high in fat and cholesterol; it is not toxic, however, and unless enough canola oil is consumed to make one sick there is no need to seek medical attention. Using canola oil as biofuel produces some carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, but its emissions are far less toxic than those of diesel fuel.