Oilseeds Services

Assessing quality

The Grain Research Laboratory's Oilseeds Services laboratory assesses the end-use quality of Canadian oilseed crops through chemical and physical tests. These tests measure important quality parameters in the seed and the final product. Crop types include canola, flaxseed, soybean, mustard, solin, and sunflower.

The Oilseeds Services team

• Analyzes the quality of canola, flaxseed, solin, and mustard surveyed from the annual harvest on the Prairies in the Canadian Grain Commission's (CGC) Harvest Survey
• Analyzes the quality of soybean and canola surveyed from the annual harvest in Eastern Canada in the Harvest Survey
• Monitors the quality of export shipments of Canadian oilseeds
• Provides quality data and information to marketers, processors and customers of Canadian oilseeds
• Develops and refines NIR calibrations for oilseeds quality factors
• Carries out contract analyses for stakeholders, including assessing the quality of new varieties from the canola public co-op breeding trials of the Western Canada Canola/Rapeseed Recommending Committee
• Provides analytical services on oilseeds export shipments for the CGC's Industry Services Division

Through its services, the Oilseeds Services team supports the development, registration, and marketing of new oilseed varieties.

Methods and standards

The team uses internationally accepted methods including those of the American Oil Chemists' Society (AOCS) and International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

The team provides analytical services to outside laboratories for oil, protein, and glucosinolates, free fatty acids, chlorophyll and fatty acid composition.

Experience and expertise

The Oilseeds Services team is represented on the following committees and organizations:

• Oilseeds Subcommittee of the Prairie Registration Recommending Committee for Grain
• Western Canada Canola/Rapeseed Recommending Committee
• Groupe Consultatif International pour la recherche sur le Colza (GCIRC or Colza Steering Committee)
• AOCS Technical Committee on Seed and Meal Analysis
• Canadian Advisory Committee to ISO's subcommittees on Oleaginous Seeds and Fruits; Animal and Vegetable Fats and Oils; Animal Feeding Stuffs; and Cereals and Pulses

As participants in programs of the Canadian International Grains Institute, the team learns about customers' quality requirements and establishes contacts with buyers, marketers, producers and processors.

To find out more about our staff, their research and area of expertise, read the biographies for:

Doug DeClercq, Program Manager, Oilseeds Services