Short answer: Camelina oil is the cold-pressed seed oil from Camelina sativa (false flax, gold-of-pleasure), a Brassicaceae oilseed crop closely related to canola, mustard, and broccoli. Per Zubr 1997 (Ind Crops Prod) camelina composition work, the oil contains approximately 35–40 percent alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3 omega-3), 15–20 percent linoleic acid (LA, 18:2 omega-6), 12–18 percent oleic acid (18:1 omega-9), 12–18 percent gondoic acid (20:1), and 2–4 percent erucic acid (22:1). The ALA content is comparable to flaxseed oil (~50–55 percent ALA) and substantially exceeds canola oil (~10 percent ALA), making camelina a high-ALA plant oil. Camelina oil contains natural gamma-tocopherol at unusually high concentrations (~700–800 mg/kg) per Eidhin 2003 (J Food Sci) oxidative stability work, conferring superior shelf stability to other high-ALA plant oils despite the high polyunsaturated fatty acid content. Per Berti 2016 (Ind Crops Prod) camelina agronomy review, camelina is a drought-tolerant low-input crop growing in cool semi-arid climates marginal for canola or soy, supporting sustainability marketing positioning. Plant ALA-to-EPA conversion in dogs is approximately 5–15 percent per Bauer 2008 (JAVMA) omega-3 review, similar to other plant ALA sources. The KibbleIQ rubric treats camelina oil as a positive plant omega-3 signal.

Source crop and oil extraction

Per Berti 2016 (Ind Crops Prod) camelina agronomy review and Putnam 1993 (Janick New Crops) camelina overview, Camelina sativa is a Brassicaceae oilseed crop native to Europe and central Asia, cultivated since the Bronze Age. The crop is characterized by short growing season (85–100 days), drought tolerance, low fertilizer and herbicide input requirements, and ability to grow on marginal soils unsuitable for canola or soy. Camelina is increasingly positioned as a sustainable rotation crop in cool semi-arid agricultural regions of North America (Montana, Saskatchewan), northern Europe, and northern Asia where short growing seasons constrain alternatives.

Industrial camelina oil extraction uses cold-press mechanical expression followed by optional solvent extraction of the resulting press cake to recover residual oil. Cold-pressed oil retains higher tocopherol content than solvent-extracted refined oil and is the form typically used in pet food formulations. Per AAFCO 2024 ingredient definition (camelina meal and camelina oil are both listed since 2017 following industry petition), pet-food-grade camelina oil meets standard fatty acid composition specifications. The Brassicaceae family relation puts camelina alongside our canola oil explainer as the two principal Brassicaceae plant oils in commercial pet food.

Fatty acid profile and ALA omega-3 content

Per Zubr 1997 (Ind Crops Prod) camelina composition work and Hrastar 2009 (Eur J Lipid Sci Technol) cultivar comparison, the camelina oil fatty acid profile breaks down approximately as: alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3 omega-3) at 35–40 percent, linoleic acid (LA, 18:2 omega-6) at 15–20 percent, oleic acid (18:1 omega-9) at 12–18 percent, gondoic acid (20:1) at 12–18 percent, erucic acid (22:1) at 2–4 percent, eicosadienoic acid (20:2) at 2–4 percent, palmitic acid (16:0) at 5–7 percent, and stearic acid (18:0) at 2–3 percent. The omega-6:omega-3 ratio is approximately 0.5:1 (favorable plant-oil ratio).

The ALA content positions camelina oil as the second-highest plant ALA source after flaxseed oil (which is ~50–55 percent ALA per USDA FoodData Central). Per Bauer 2008 (JAVMA) canine omega-3 review and Bauer 2011 (JAVMA) follow-up, plant ALA undergoes approximately 5–15 percent conversion to EPA via the elongase + delta-6 desaturase pathway in dogs, with smaller conversion to DHA. The conversion efficiency is lower than the bioavailability of pre-formed marine EPA + DHA from fish oil. Camelina oil is therefore complementary to but does not replace marine fish oil sources for dogs requiring substantial EPA + DHA support. The plant ALA framework overlaps with our flaxseed oil explainer, perilla oil explainer, and chia oil explainer.

Gamma-tocopherol and oxidative stability

Per Eidhin 2003 (J Food Sci) camelina oxidative stability work and Abramovic 2007 (J Am Oil Chem Soc) camelina shelf-life study, camelina oil contains natural gamma-tocopherol at unusually high concentrations of approximately 700–800 mg/kg, plus modest alpha-tocopherol at 30–50 mg/kg. The gamma-tocopherol predominance is a distinctive feature of Brassicaceae seed oils and contrasts with sunflower oil and olive oil where alpha-tocopherol predominates. Gamma-tocopherol is a more potent peroxyl radical scavenger than alpha-tocopherol per Christen 1997 (Proc Natl Acad Sci) tocopherol antioxidant comparison and confers superior shelf-life stability to camelina oil despite its high polyunsaturated fatty acid content.

Comparative oxidative stability studies per Eidhin 2003 found camelina oil shelf life of 8–12 months at room temperature in light-protected storage, exceeding flaxseed oil (~3–6 months) despite comparable PUFA content. The natural gamma-tocopherol stability simplifies pet food formulation by reducing dependence on added antioxidant systems. Cold-pressed camelina oil retains substantially higher tocopherol content than solvent-extracted refined oil; pet-food-grade ingredient procurement should specify cold-pressed for stability advantage. The tocopherol antioxidant framework overlaps with our mixed tocopherols explainer and vitamin E forms explainer.

Sustainability and erucic acid context

Per Berti 2016 (Ind Crops Prod) camelina sustainability review and FAO 2023 sustainable oilseed crops report, camelina production has substantially lower environmental footprint than dominant pet-food plant oils (canola, soy, sunflower) on input intensity, irrigation requirement, and arable land class. The crop grows on marginal lands unsuitable for higher-input alternatives, fits short rotation windows in cool semi-arid agriculture, and requires minimal pesticide application owing to broad pest resistance. Life cycle assessment per Krohn 2012 (Bioresour Technol) found camelina cultivation greenhouse gas footprint approximately 50–70 percent lower than canola per kg oil produced, supporting sustainability-positioning marketing claims in premium pet food.

The erucic acid (22:1 omega-9) content at 2–4 percent is moderately higher than canola oil (less than 2 percent following 1970s low-erucic acid breeding) but substantially lower than historical wild rapeseed (40–50 percent). Per EU 2017 erucic acid food regulation and EFSA 2022 reassessment, the human food erucic acid limit is 50 mg per kg body weight per day, supporting safety at typical dietary intake. Pet food camelina oil at typical inclusion (1–3 percent) supplies erucic acid at low absolute amounts well below the EFSA tolerable upper intake. The sustainability framework overlaps with our canola oil explainer on related Brassicaceae sustainability questions.

How KibbleIQ scores camelina oil

The KibbleIQ Dry Kibble Rubric treats camelina oil as a positive plant omega-3 signal. Camelina oil in the first 8 ingredients alongside marine fish oil sources (salmon oil, sardine oil, krill oil) receives a positive rubric signal indicating an intentional polyunsaturated-fat-supplementation strategy. Camelina oil as the sole omega-3 source (without paired marine fish oil) receives a partial positive signal that does not fully substitute for the bioavailable EPA + DHA contribution of marine sources. The natural gamma-tocopherol stability advantage is not separately scored but reduces the formulation’s dependence on synthetic antioxidants (BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin), supporting the natural-preservative-system positive signal indirectly.

To check whether your dog’s food contains camelina oil or peer plant omega-3 sources, paste the ingredient list into the KibbleIQ analyzer. For peer plant oil context, see our flaxseed oil explainer, perilla oil explainer, chia oil explainer, and canola oil explainer. For marine omega-3 context, see our salmon oil explainer and omega-3 fatty acids explainer. For methodology context, see our published methodology.