Palm oil, derived from the oil palm fruit, is primarily produced in Malaysia and Indonesia. It’s the world’s most popular vegetable oil, comprising about 35% of total oil production. This versatile oil also offers several benefits, including its use in various industries and as a source of vitamin E.
What is palm oil?
Natural palm oil has a dark red color and a specific smell. For use in the food industry, it is carefully filtered. In addition, as a result of chemical processes, the initially liquid oil becomes solid and wax-like in texture. The first food product made in this way was margarine.
Natural palm oil can be considered a healthy product (its fatty acid profile is close to coconut oil), but during the refining process, harmful carcinogens are formed in it. The role is also played by the fact that during industrial use, the oil is subjected to repeated reheating – which leads to the appearance of trans fats in the composition.
Products containing palm oil
Due to its high fertility, palm oil is one of the cheapest. After cleaning processes, it becomes colorless and tasteless, does not burn through, and does not oxidize during long-term storage. Thanks to these properties, palm oil is included in a huge number of products – from waffles, sweets, and pastries (in the form of margarine), to ice cream and dairy products.
Also, this oil is widely used in industrial cooking – both for frying french fries and for reducing the cost of semi-finished meat products (cutlets, sausages).
List of products:
- Margarine
- Cheeses with milk fat substitute
- Curd products
- Ice cream
- Sweet pastries, waffles, and candies
- Instant noodles
- Muesli, breakfast cereals
- Snacks (crackers, chips)
The benefits of palm oil
The benefits of natural palm oil lie in the high content of carotenoids – vegetable vitamin A. It is thanks to these antioxidant substances that natural oil has a dark red color. However, as mentioned above, the industrial purification process removes carotenoids from the formulation. Of the other significant micronutrients, the content of vitamin E can be noted.
The fatty acid profile of palm oil is similar to that of coconut oil. About half of the composition falls on saturated fatty acids – that is, on vegetable analogs of animal fats. In moderate doses, they are needed for metabolism, since hormones are synthesized from them. Such fats are of particular importance for vegetarians who do not consume animal products (and, therefore, fats).
Composition of palm oil, per 100g:
- Calorie content – 884 kcal
- Protein – 0g
- Carbohydrates – 0g
- Fat – 100g
- Of which saturated – 49.3%
- Monounsaturated – 37%
- Polyunsaturated – 9.3%
Why is palm oil so popular?
The widespread use of palm oil in various food products is not at all due to its benefits but to its cheapness and physical characteristics. Firstly, it easily withstands heating to high temperatures without changing the taste of the fried food. Secondly, the presence of saturated acids makes it taste similar to animal fats. Thirdly, it can be stored for a long time at room temperature.
However, these properties appear only after a number of chemical purification and stabilization procedures. Unfortunately, during the refining process, glycidyl esters are formed in palm oil – carcinogenic substances that can be harmful to health. In EU countries, the content of these substances in food is regulated by law – no more than 1 mg/kg.
Palm kernel oil in cosmetics
Palm kernel oil is commonly used in cosmetics due to its unique benefits. Unlike regular palm oil, it is derived from the seeds of the oil palm. Its main advantage lies in its high content of tocopherols, the active form of vitamin E. These tocopherols provide various health benefits, including protecting the body from neoplasms, strengthening the immune system, and slowing down the aging process.
The harm of palm oil
The main component of palm oil is palmitic acid, which is a saturated fat. Studies show that regular consumption of this acid in food significantly increases the level of “bad” cholesterol in the blood (compared to other vegetable oils). Note that palmitic acid is also found in large quantities in butter and animal fat.
However, the main danger of palm oil is the various carcinogenic substances that occur in it when reheated. First of all, we are talking about repeatedly frying food in the same oil (for example, cooking french fries in a restaurant). A certain proportion of trans fats can also be formed when margarine is heated during baking.
Why are trans fats dangerous?
Trans fats are modified molecules that appear in palm oil during repeated high-temperature processing. In small quantities, natural trans-fatty acids exist, but through frying and industrial processing, their presence in oil can increase to as much as 20-50%.
Many countries worldwide, including the US, Europe, and Latin America, mandate clear labeling of trans fat content on food packaging. Additionally, there is a recommended daily limit of approximately 3-4 grams for such fats. Exceeding this amount leads to a change in metabolism.
The Impact of palm oil on the Environment
Another factor in the harm of palm oil is the negative impact of extensive oil palm plantations on the environment. The production of large volumes of cheap vegetable fat necessitates deforestation and wildlife destruction. Environmentalists underscore the adversities faced by the nature and fauna of Indonesia and Malaysia due to the surge in global palm oil consumption. On the flip side, the benefits include meeting the global demand for affordable vegetable fat which may aid in economic sustainability for some regions.
Palm oil is the most used vegetable oil in the world. It is widely used in the production of ready-made food products (primarily semi-finished products, pastries, and sweets), as well as in the fast food industry. The main disadvantage of refined palm oil is the risk of carcinogens and trans fats appearing in the composition – they are formed during repeated high-temperature processing.