Palm Oil: the ubiquitous you didn’t know you were avoiding

Palm oil isn’t bad for your health, it is however bad for the environment due to it’s unsustainable farming practices. Palm oil has equal parts saturated and unsaturated fats which is not a health concern for most of us.

Sometimes, when I’m out at the supermarket, I’d wander around the chips section, looking for something to snack on late at night. “Oh, these look good—sour cream and onion! But there’s palm oil in them, so, meh.”

Every time.

But why this disregard for an ingredient? Mainly because I was told that palm oil is high in saturated fats, which can increase cholesterol levels and contribute to heart diseases.

But is that all there is to palm oil?

It wasn’t until recently that I really thought about why we instinctively put an item back on the shelf when we see palm oil listed as an ingredient.

First off, WHY IS PALM OIL EVERYWHERE?

Palm oil is an extremely versatile oil.

It is semi-solid at room temperature so can keep spreads spreadable; it is resistant to oxidation so can give products a longer shelf-life; it’s stable at high temperatures so helps to give fried products a crispy and crunchy texture; and it’s also odourless and colourless so doesn’t alter the look or smell of food products.

In some part so Asian and African countries, palm oil is used as a cooking oil, just like we might use sunflower or olive oil.

So, is it bad for health?

So, here’s the thing, palm oil is not bad for you, it does contain saturated fats, but also contains unsaturated fats (funny enough, 50-50), and it’s rich in beta-carotene, which the body can convert into vitamin A; palm oil’s also a good source of vitamin E.

While palm oil has these nutritional benefits, the implications of consuming palm oil largely depend on the balance of your overall diet. The saturated fats in palm oil can contribute to increased LDL levels if consumed excessively, particularly in diets already high in saturated fats; however, like with anything, moderation is key—so those occasional chips made with palm oil will not harm you :)

But, I’ve heard that the US banned palm oil, if it’s not bad then why’d they do that?

Actually, the U.S. did not ban palm oil; the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) banned imports of palm oil from a specific Malaysian producer due to forced labour concerns. This points to a significant issue with palm oil—while the oil itself isn’t inherently bad, its production is often marred by unethical and unsustainable practices.

The real problem with Palm Oil

Oil palm is mostly grown in areas that get lots of rain, especially in countries like Indonesia, Malaysia and Cameroon, where governments cleared forests for plantation, the plant has triggered massive deforestation, destroying habitats of endangered species like orangutans and reducing planetary resilience to climate change.

In 2010, the Consumer Goods Forum passed a resolution that its members would reduce deforestation to net zero by 2020. They planned to do this through sustainable production of several commodities, including palm oil. As of 2023 that goal has not been met.

What can we do about it?

Choose Certified Sustainable Palm Oil: Encourage readers to look for products that contain Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) from the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).

Support Brands Committed to Sustainability: Highlight that some companies are more transparent about their supply chains and are committed to reducing their environmental impact.

Reduce Consumption: Suggest reducing the overall consumption of products with palm oil or opting for alternatives like sunflower or olive oil.

Raise Awareness: Encourage readers to educate others about the issue and advocate for stronger regulations and corporate accountability.

Until next time!

Stay healthful! See you on another Good Food blog.