Oilseeds Hold Key to Specialized Milk Output

REGINA - May 22/02 - SNS -- Including oilseeds such as flax and sunflower can allow dairy producers to produce specialized milks with fatty acid compositions that benefits the human heart and circulatory system.

Dr. David Christensen, a professor in the university's Department of Animal and Poultry Science, said, "Such milk is produced in some Asian countries at present, so another opportunity revealed by this project is the marketing of Canadian oil seeds and oil-seed products for use in North American and Asian dairy rations."

Christensen says the objective of this project was to determine the fatty acid composition of milk as affected by fatty acid sources and rumen conditions. He explains that some fatty acids found in milk and meat have been associated with "lower-gut" tumour formation and development of heart and circulatory disease. The researchers hoped to change this negative effect on the human body to a positive effect, and this goal was achieved.

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