Register online today for the March 2007 Canola Growing Great 2015 convention - Check the convention website for up to date details of the program and special events for the Canola Council's March 20 - 23/07 AGM and convention at Bear Mountain Resort, Victoria, BC. Register online before January 31/07 to receive a 10 percent registration fee discount. Book your tee time on the convention registration form. Call the Resort to reserve a room at convention rates.
Thanks to the sponsors who've come to the fore and linked up with the convention so far - Lead: Syngenta. Partners: BASF; Cargill Limited; Canadian Canola Growers Association; Monsanto Canada. Supporter: Bunge. Friend: Dow AgroSciences.
Canola oil grows in the Olive Garden! - Darden Restaurants, the owner of 1,267 Olive Garden and
Red Lobster restaurants, plans to switch to canola oil by November 2007. More than 100 of these
restaurants are already using canola oil following 18 months of testing and consumer feedback.
"Our goal was to offer the healthful benefits of a zero trans fat oil while providing
our guests with the great-tasting food they deserve and have come to expect," says CEO
Clarence Otis.
D.C. restaurants join the trans fat-free club - New York City's trans fat ban has spurred restaurateurs in other parts of the U.S. to eliminate trans fat from their menus. Washington, D.C. restaurants Capitol City Brewing Co. and B. Smith's announced last week they will both be trans free.
Capitol City Brewing Co. owner David von Storch is a fitness and health guru who also recently opened a fitness centre. His restaurant is now using canola oil. According to press reports, B. Smith's began the transition away from trans fat months ago.
"As people become more aware that trans fat isn't good for you, a lot more restaurants are going to go that direction," says Kathy King, B. Smith's spokeswoman.
Madhouse Munchies sticks with canola oil for expanded chip line - Madhouse Munchies president Jim Ehlen (featured presenter at the Council's 2006 convention in NYC) says the same recipe and philosophy that made their potato chips so successful - quality ingredients and 100% pure mono unsaturated canola oil - have been applied to the company's new white and blue lines of tortilla chips. Madhouse Munchies was one of the first specialty snack manufacturers to differentiate its product based on high mono canola oil. For more, go to www.madhousemunchies.com.
McDonald's New Zealand adds canola to the menu - McDonald's New Zealand has announced it is replacing its cooking oil with a vegetable oil blend with less than 1% trans fat. Its suppliers will also be partially cooking products in non-hydrogenated canola oil, reducing saturated fat by 83% over 2004 levels.
"We have been working with dietitians and our suppliers over the past few years to make further improvements to our oil. We believe that by making this change we have taken another significant step to further improve the nutritional profile of our menu," says Mark Hawthorne, McDonald's country manager.
BASF and Monsanto join forces for hybrid canola production - BASF and Monsanto
Canada last week signed a licensing agreement to develop and commercialize Clearfield canola
hybrids. Under the 10-year agreement, Monsanto will market Clearfield hybrids under the DeKalb
canola seed brand.
This is a global agreement covering Clearfield development and commercial
activity in canola and oilseed rape in several countries, but it will begin with canola in Canada.
Manitoba biofuels projects approved - Ten Manitoba biofuels initiatives have been approved for federal assistance through the Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council. The producer-involved projects are mostly feasibility studies and business plans for biofuel production facilities. The funding comes from the federal government's Biofuels Opportunities for Producers Initiative.
The Manitoba projects will receive a total of $360,000. Information on the approved projects is available on the MRAC website at: www.mrac.ca
Stelmach announces Alberta cabinet - Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach announced his cabinet this past Friday. George Groeneveld is the new minister of agriculture and food. Mel Knight is minister of energy. Rory Campbell is deputy minister of agriculture and food, and Dan McFadyen is deputy minister of energy. Check www.gov.ab.ca for details.
The Canola Council will be closed December 25 through January 1.
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