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<pre>Olive and canola oils both have high proportions of monounsaturated fatty
acids which are believed to be stable to relatively high temperatures.
However, canola also contains up to 10% of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an
omega-3 fatty acid, which is unstable to heat in the presence of oxygen.
Olive oil has around 1% ALA. Light and metals speed up the oxidation of
ALA. Flaxseed oil, which is very rich in ALA, is stored in the cold, often
in containers lined with resin to reduce oxidation. Purists will even
carry out extraction of flax in the absence of air because of the
instability of ALA. New varieties of canola containing much smaller amounts
of ALA have been developed and are considered ideal for frying. Newer
varieties of monounsaturated fatty acid rich sunflower oil (the normal
sunflower oil has high levels of omega-6 fatty acids), are also thought to
be ideal for frying. Both of these oils could easily be substituted for
olive oil and are a real threat. Some of the information on canola is in my
website.

Alfred Poulos
Megisti Oils
www.megistioils.com
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