Camelina (OmegaMontana™)
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A History of Camelina
Although camelina is known in North America primarily as a weed, it was known as "gold of pleasure" to ancient European agriculturists. Cultivation probably began in Neolithic times, and by the Iron Age in Europe when the number of crop plants approximately doubled, camelina was commonly used as an oil-supplying plant. Cultivation, as evidenced from carbonized seed, has been shown to occur in regions surrounding the North Sea during the Bronze Age. Camelina monocultures occurred in the Rhine River Valley as early as 600 BC. It was cultivated in antiquity from Rome to southeastern Europe and the Southwestern Asian steppes. The crop was widely grown in Eastern Europe and Russia up to the early 1940's with some production lasting up to the 1950's. Camelina was replaced with the introduction and widespread use of oilseed canola. It is suggested that camelina, with its high content of unsaturated fatty acids (approx. 90%), was more difficult and expensive to hydrogenate than oilseed rape (canola), and this led to its decline. Hydrogenation is the process that creates trans-fatty acids, which must be listed on labels, starting 1/1/2006 because of the linkage between trans-fats and obesity, CVD, diabetes and other health disorders. Today Camelina is produced in Slovenia, Ukraine, China, Finland, Germany, Austria and Montana.
The Benefits of Camelina
The main product of Camelina sativa is the oil produced by crushing and pressing the seeds, which contain about 30 to 40 % of oil on a dry matter basis. Camelina oils are high, about 50 %, in polyunsaturated fatty acids. Their composition varies with the agrotechnical measures used in their production but primarily linoleic (18:2) and linolenic acid (18:3) are found in the oil recent studies in the field of human nutrition have focused attention on the relative nutritional value of the various oils or fats. A low proportion of saturated fatty acids and a high ratio of OMEGA-3 to OMEGA-6 fatty acids have been identified as desirable in edible oils. Camelina, with its high content of OMEGA-3 fatty acids, (38% of the total fatty acid content), offers an opportunity to supply the growing demand for high quality edible oils. This makes camelina oil a rich source of essential fatty acids and excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. These compounds may have favorable nutritional implications and beneficial physiological effects.
Camelina is gluten free
Camelina oil is a fabulous baking oil and salad oil; it is also excellent for many cosmetic purposes. Camelina meal (presscake) if excellent animal/pet feed high protein supplement.
