Canola meal is produced from the rapeseed plant, a relative of broccoli and mustard. Rapeseed which has been hybridized to be low in both unpalatable glucosinolates and toxic erucic acid is called canola in Canada and the United States and 00-rapeseed in Europe. Oil can be removed from canola or 00-rapeseeds in two ways. Solvent extraction results in the production of canola meal or 00-rapeseed meal, while mechanical expelling results in the production of canola expellers or 00-rapeseed expellers. The meals and expellers have high concentrations of crude protein and amino acids, and can be used as protein sources in swine diets. An experiment was conductedto compare crude protein and amino digestibility between North American canola meal and European 00-rapeseed meal, and between 00-rapeseed meal and 00-rapeseed expellers.

Seven sources of canola meal were obtained from crushing plants in Canada and the United States, ten sources of 00-rapeseed meal were obtained from crushing plants in Europe, and five sources of 00-rapeseed expellers were obtained from expelling facilities in Europe. Twenty three growing barrows with an average initial body weight of 28.8 kgwere used in the experiment.Twenty three diets were prepared. Seven diets contained each of the seven samples of canola meal, ten diets contained each of the ten samples of 00-rapeseed meal, and five diets contained  each of the five samples of 00-rapeseed expellers. Canola meal, 00-rapeseed meal, or 00-rapeseed expellers were the only sources of crude protein and amino acids in these diets. The final diet was a N-free diet that was used to estimate the basal ileal endogenous losses of amino acids.

Ileal digesta were collected and analyzed to determine the apparent ileal digestibility of crude protein and amino acids.Standardized ileal digestibility values were calculated by correcting apparent ileal digestibility values for basal endogenous losses.

The concentrations of crude protein and all amino acids were greater in canola meal from North America than in 00-rapeseed meal from Europe, and greater in 00-rapeseed meal than in 00-rapeseed expellers (Table 1).

Digestibility values for crude protein and most amino acids were not different between canola meal and 00-rapeseed meal (Table 2). The exceptions were valine, cysteine, and glutamic acid, for which digestibility values were greater (P < 0.05) in canola meal than in 00-rapeseed meal.

The digestibility of crude protein and most amino acids was greater (P < 0.05) in 00-rapeseed expellers than in 00-rapeseed meal. Digestibility values for threonine, tryptophan, and glycine did not differ between the two.

• Canola meal contains greater concentrations of crude protein and amino acids than 00-rapeseed meal, which in turn contains more protein and amino acids than 00-rapeseed expellers.
• The standardized ileal digestibility of crude protein and most amino acids does not differ between canola meal from North America and 00-rapeseed meal from Europe.
• The digestibility of crude protein and most amino acids is greater in 00-rapeseed expellers than in 00-rapeseed meal.

Table 1. Concentrations of amino acids in canola meal, 00-rapeseed meal, and 00-rapeseed expellers, as-fed basis

Table 2. Standardized ileal digestibility of amino acids in canola meal, 00-rapeseed meal, and 00-rapeseed expellers by growing pigs

¹Contrast 1 between canola meal and 00-rapeseed meal.
²Contrast 2 between 00-rapeseed meal and 00-rapeseed expellers.

This report is based on unpublished data by T. Maison and H.H. Stein.