Rapeseed oil is just another name for Canola oil, from the Canola or Rapeseed crop. It derives its name from a Latin word for turnip. It is also related to cabbage and mustard. Canola oil is actually oil from two specific varieties of this plant.
This new oil was first developed in Canada, and the name Canola actually comes from the term, Canadian oil, low acid. In nature, there is actually no such thing as a “Canola plant” that produces “Canola oil.” Canola oil is simply a trade name for low-erucic acid rapeseed oil.
The oil from canola is used for cooking and baking at home, restaurants and in food processing plants. Canola oil also has non-food uses - for example biodiesel and bio-plastics. Canola meal, the part left over after the seeds are crushed and the oil extracted, is used for animal feed, pet food and fertilizer.