I'm guessing the nonsense is somehow connected to anti-GM and Monsanto and GM rapeseed. It's not a popular crop in England. People say it's bad for hay fever sufferers.
Olive oil does have much better word-of-mouth marketing.
I wouldn't say that exactly. There's been a small surge in its popularity. You can find bottles of cold-pressed rapeseed oil in most supermarkets (at fairly premium prices). Many of these cold-pressed varieties have come from small-scale producers. Also, a lot of oil in supermarkets simply labelled as vegatable oil is in fact rapeseed oil.
Australia's KFC recently switched to Canola Oil [1], I think because it's cheaper to use the local oil than to import. Maybe other companies will follow?
From the press release:
>High-oleic canola oil contains more oleic acid (a monounsaturated fat) and less polyunsaturated fats (namely alpha-linolenic acid and linoleic acid), allowing for greater heat tolerance and longer shelf life than regular canola oil.
>A healthier, home-grown alternative to palm oil, high-oleic canola oil also has an extended fry life and is thus more cost efficient than regular canola oil.
Olive oil does have much better word-of-mouth marketing.