New Canola Processing Plant Has Unique Features

The PacificCoast Canola's processing plant is now up and running in Warden Washington. Matt Upmeyer, PacificCoast Canola's Chief Operating Officer, says this facility has some unique features in comparison to other commercial canola oil processors in the United States as Upmeyer explains.

Upmeyer: "The first one is that we are an expeller press canola processing facility. So we actually use a mechanical method of extracting the oil out of the canola seed. The primary mechanism for getting the oil out of the seed is using solvent extraction. Many consumers would prefer to have an expeller-pressed product just because there is no contact to the chemical Hexane that is used primarily in the solvent extraction plant. We are one of two commercial facilities that use expeller press technology in North America and the largest in the U.S."

They have achieved "Non-GMO Project Verification" which allows them through a third-party verification process to sell to various end users that want to label their project as "Non-GMO Project Verification" and are the only facility in the United States to have that verification.

This facility can process both GMO and non-GMO canola seed varieties. He adds

Upmeyer: " We've seen that really non-GMO acres is the major driving forces is there are some varieties that yields very well. So the added bonus above and beyond the fact that the growers are growing a canola that actually grows well, we are wiling to pay a premium for the seed as well."