Talk:Mustard oil

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I believe (but am not sure) that the the term "mustard oil" is used for two distinct oils:

  • the oil obtained after mixing ground mustard seeds with water (the way the condiment mustard is made), and then separating the oil from the remaining liquid. [I believe this is CAS 8007-40-7.]
  • the oil resulting from pressing mustard seeds

If true, the article should point this out, and should explain what kind of mustard oil is used for cooking in India. This EU opinion seems to refer to the first as "mustard oil", but the listed contents do not include erucic acid. AxelBoldt 23:58, 5 Mar 2005 (UTC)

I believe the article is correct now. AxelBoldt 06:13, 16 January 2006 (UTC)
I think the article is not that clear yet as wikipedia could/should be, about the two different oils. It took me some reasonabale time and reading (first on other wikipedia pages and internet), before I now start realising that these two types of mustard-oil might be completely different.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isothiocyanate#Biological_activity
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myrosinase#Myronsinase_activity
=> The Myrosinase's (actually it's a complex of different related enzymes) create different types of ITC's (=IsoThioCyanin's) from different precursors (type & amount depending on plant -sort & -part).
The ITC's are considered very healthy strong antioxidants and anti-carcinogic. The one in the 'Myrosinase fermented mustard oil type II destillate', is 92% Allyl-IsoThioCyanin (A-ITC). Similar ITC's are formed in similar way with myrosinase after chewing Brocoli, Brussels sprout, Water Cress, Garden Cress, etcetera. Allyl-ITC (most in brown mustard seed, yellow seeds create another ITC) is considered as the most irritative of them, but also effectively used in anti-cancer research treatments/trials (lung-cancer), where other ITC's can be effective too.
The 'average normal' mustard-oil is just the oil pressed from the seeds. As the wiki-pages state and as far that is 100% correct(?); (Allyl-) I.T.C. is only enzymatically formed after mixing with water. This would mean that 'normal mustard oil' practically doesn't contain Allyl-I.T.C. (the 92% compound of highly concentrated etheric 'type II destilled mustard oil'). The normal oil likely contains -compared to the seeds- much lesser Myrosinase enzyme and ITC precursors. If the oil is cooked; same destillation of Allyl-ITC happens, but now to get rid of it! And don't forget; these compounds can be very healthy too...
=> The destilled (Myrosinase fermented) 'type II mustard oil' contains almost only (92%) Allyl-IsoThioCyanine, where 'normal' mustard oil almost contains none & therefore isn't used to get A-ITC by destilling. The normal mustard oil is for a very high percentage glycerol connected to fatty-acids, where 'type II ferment destilled mustard oil' practically contains NO fatty acids nor glycerol. BUT: This normal mustard oil does contain Erucic acid, where the destilled ferment does not.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erucic_acid
After reading all that info carefully, nothing indicates that erucic acid could be harmfull, except possibly high amounts only for lactating woman and babies. Smoke is death-cause-risk-factor nr.1 in many countries; ofcourse they found out that all burned oil is carcinogenic! On the contrary; if it contains sufficient Allyl-ITC vapors, it does kill lung cancer cells, as long as it doesn't produce smoke.
I leave it up to a better writer/editor to incorporate parts of my review in the wiki! MM --84.81.213.44 (talk) 05:58, 9 December 2007 (UTC)

Are you certain about mustard regulations being seen as a way to promote western canola because much of the oreiental mustard consumed comes from southern Saskatchewa, eastern Montana, and North Dakota. The growing season of canola vareis based on avaliable energay, and as such grows faster durring the longer summer days of central Saskatchewan but has a fewer varieties can be grown at higher risk in more southerly areas where it takes longer to grow. Mustard however takes 120 days to grow regardless of the amount of sunlight and is best suited to the longer growing season further south.