Rapeseed is used primarily for producing rapeseed oil (including canola oil), which has a wide range of applications:
- Cooking: Rapeseed oil is popular for frying, baking, drizzling, and salad dressings due to its high oleic acid content and vitamin E. Cold-pressed rapeseed oil is also used in homemade skincare products because of its moisturizing and anti-inflammatory properties.
- Industry: Rapeseed oil is used in biofuel production (biodiesel and HVO), lubricants for machinery and jet engines, soaps, and margarine. It was historically used in lighting and as a lubricant for trains and lighthouses.
- Agriculture: The seed cake left after oil extraction is used as livestock feed. Rapeseed plants are also used as green manure and cover crops. The protein-rich rapeseed meal is gaining importance as a source of plant-based protein for food and animal feed.
- Cosmetics and medicine: Rapeseed oil is used in skincare products and has some use in medicine. It was also used in historic liniments.
Overall, rapeseed is a versatile crop with uses in food, bioenergy, animal feed, industrial products, and cosmetics, making it a valuable and widely utilized resource globally.
