The Manitoba Canola Growers Association (MCGA) has awarded Dr. Carla Taylor with the 2017 Canola Award of Excellence for her contributions to the canola industry.

Taylor was given the award Wednesday during the CropConnect Conference evening banquet in Winnipeg.

Taylor was honoured with the recognition.

“I’m thrilled to be recognized along with some of the pioneers of the canola industry who have been acknowledged in the past,” she said. “It’s a privilege to do nutrition research which links agriculture and health and that can impact dietary strategies for preventing and managing chronic diseases.”

Taylor and her fellow colleagues at the Canadian Centre for Agri-Food Research in Health and Medicine at the St. Boniface Hospital Albrechtsen Research Centre have been researching the health benefits of canola oil for more than a decade.

Their research with canola oil looks at what can be done from a nutrition standpoint at the early stages of diseases and to help prevent cardiovascular disease or diabetes from developing further. They have been able to show diet can make a difference.

“Taylor and her team have been investigating how our foods are metabolized and where canola oil fits into our diets for a long time. Their recent work with canola oil shows that diet can make a difference,” said Charles Fossay, President of the MCGA. “The MCGA is pleased to recognize her role in promoting the health benefits of canola oil.”