- Title: POLAND: Scientists hail "Drop of Health" as superior vegetable oil
- Date: 6th June 2014
- Summary: LUBLIN, POLAND (MAY 20, 2014) (REUTERS) 'DROP OF HEALTH' OIL BEING POURED ONTO PLATE FROM TEST TUBE PROFESSOR JERZY TYS, PROJECT MANAGER FROM THE INSTITUTE OF AGROPHYSICS OF THE POLISH ACADEMY OF SCIENCES IN LUBLIN, TASTING THE OIL WITH BREAD OIL BEING POURED INTO TEST TUBE (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) PROFESSOR JERZY TYS, PROJECT MANAGER FROM THE INSTITUTE OF AGROPHYSICS OF THE POLISH ACADEMY OF SCIENCES IN LUBLIN, SAYING: "This oil has a lot of antioxidants - elements that influence preventing cancer-related diseases by, in a way, cleaning, flushing away free radicals." OIL IN TEST TUBE TYS SMELLING OIL VARIOUS OF RAPESEED FIELD (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) DOCTOR TADEUSZ RUTKO, INSTITUTE OF AGROPHYSICS OF POLISH ACADEMY OF SCIENCES IN LUBLIN, SAYING: "Not all the varieties of rape are suitable for production of 'Drop of Health' oil. It has to be a group of oils of the Vistive variety with high level of oleic acid and the cultivation of rape has to be done in special conditions. Such a plantation has to be isolated from other varieties of rape and such a plantation has to be protected and cultivated in an ecological way." VARIOUS OF RAPESEED BEING PROCESSED VARIOUS OF MACHINERY FOR PROCESSING VARIOUS OF OIL COMING OUT OF TAP/GOING INTO BOTTLE (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) PROFESSOR MARIAN PANASIEWICZ, OILS EXPERT FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF LIVE SCIENCES IN LUBLIN, SAYING: "Every product, including vegetable oils, after an extended period of storing may result in an organism reacting to the conditions. In the case of 'Drop of health' oil it is, in my opinion, impossible because the technology of production, bottling and storing minimizes all the dangerous factors that all food products are exposed to while storing." VARIOUS OF A SCIENTIST COLLECTING A SAMPLE OF THE OIL OIL BEING PUT IN TEST TUBE BOTTLES OF 'DROP OF HEALTH' OIL ON SHELF VARIOUS OF OIL BEING PLACED IN MACHINE TO MEASURE COLOUR, VISCOSITY, CONTAMINATION ETC RESULTS OF TEST ON SCREEN
- Embargoed: 21st June 2014 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Poland
- Country: Poland
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA339EWJ67992OGOFH8LN2GW51E
- Story Text: While experts have been telling us for years that quality vegetable oils are good for our health, a research facility in Poland believes it is producing the most beneficial salad oil on the planet.
They call it the 'Drop of Health' and say just a small amount drizzled on your salad will provide a host of benefits.
Project Manager at the Polish Academy of Sciences in Lublin Jerzy Tys says the oil, derived from rape seed, contains higher concentrations of anti-oxidants and unsaturated fatty acids, including Omega 3 and Omega 9 than oils currently available on supermarket shelves.
"This oil has a lot of antioxidants - elements that influence preventing cancer-related diseases by, in a way, cleaning, flushing away free radicals," he said.
Free radicals are naturally occurring molecules that damage healthy cells in the body during the process of ageing.
Rapeseed (also known as canola) oil has been widely available for human consumption for decades, but it has come under criticism for its highly refined processing methods and the genetically-modified nature of most crops.
But the scientists at the Academy's Institute of Agrophysics say their cultivation and production methods ensure that 'Drop of Health' is superior to oils currently on the market.
Doctor Tadeusz Rutko is responsible for growing the organic rapeseed used in the oil.
"Not all the varieties of rape are suitable for production of 'Drop of Health' oil. It has to be a group of oils of the Vistive variety with high level of oleic acid and the cultivation of rape has to be done in special conditions. Such a plantation has to be isolated from other varieties of rape and such a plantation has to be protected and cultivated in an ecological way," he said.
Crucial to the process are the conditions under which the seeds are turned into oil.
Before they are pressed, the seeds are examined for any micro-biological or chemical contamination, and they are stored with the help of liquid nitrogen to keep them cold.
The oil is processed in a sterile environment with no exposure to light or oxygen. It is then placed in dark bottles, again to protect it from exposure to light.
According to independent expert Professor Marain Panasiewicz, from the University of Live Sciences in Lublin, all of this helps to minimise the degradation of the finished oil when it's stored.
"Every product, including vegetable oils, after an extended period of storing may result in an organism reacting to the conditions. In the case of "Drop of health" oil it is, in my opinion, impossible because the technology of production, bottling and storing minimises all the dangerous factors that all food products are exposed to while storing," he said.
But while the research project for 'Drop of Health' ends this year, it will be some time before the oil is available on supermarket shelves. European Union regulations insist on a five-year wait before a product developed using EU funds can be produced on an industrial scale. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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