Asian Palm Oil Alliance
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
You may have some questions about palm oil. We have tried to gather as many as possible, and are constantly adding more. We strive to provide fact-based answers to your questions, and link to qualified sources of information. If you have any other questions that are currently not being answered, please contact us.
General palm oil questions
What is APOA’s position on no-palm oil labelling?
APOA believes that sustainable oil has a place in a balanced diet, which should be reflected in product communication to the consumer. A ‘No palm oil’ label is confusing for consumers, because it creates conflicting messages around sustainable palm oil for all stakeholders in the palm oil supply chain, including consumers who would like to make a responsible decision and protect rainforests.
We consider ‘No palm oil’ communication detrimental to environmental campaigns that focus on solutions for serious issues such as deforestation and biodiversity loss. In this opinion we are supported by many social and environmental NGOs (like WWF, IUCN, Greenpeace, Solidaridad, OxfamNovib).
Boycotting palm oil will not lead to less deforestation. By advertising for palm-free products and ignoring the possibility to create a global move towards sustainable palm oil, While all stakeholders are increasing their efforts, companies that are boycotting all palm oil, including sustainable palm oil, are heading in the wrong direction.
Several organizations have done in-depth research to dispute a boycott. A report by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, concluded that boycotting palm oil would displace – not halt – biodiversity loss. That is because palm oil, the most productive oil crop, would have to be replaced with other vegetable oils. This EU Commission’s report states palm oil currently occupies the least land out of all oil crops, and that if we replace palm oil with other oils, we’ll need 5 – 8 times larger areas of land.
Palm Oil and Health & Nutrition?
What is the impact of palm oil consumption on health?
It’s important to note that there are no recommendations from European health authorities not to use palm oil in food products. In fact, the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office of the World Health Organization recommends avoiding industrially produced trans-fats, and palm oil is an ingredient that has helped to reduce the number of transfats in many products in the West.
We should consider our whole diet and lifestyle, and not just focus on single ingredients. Concerns about increasing obesity and rising cardiovascular issues are shared by all involved in the food chain. However, replacing palm oil with alternative fats is not the answer and can have significant unintended consequences on quality of products, environmental impact or health of consumers.
What is the relation between palm oil and trans-fat?
The successful reduction of trans fatty acids in margarine for example, has been predominantly the result of using specific combinations of palm oil and liquid oils. No other vegetable fat with a semi-solid texture at room temperature and providing the same features exists in sufficient quantity.
What exactly are the recommendations for palm oil intake?
To achieve a healthy diet, the WHO (World Health Organization) advises that a minimum of 15% and a maximum of 35% of the daily energy intake (en%) should consist of fat and SAFA consumption should not exceed 10-12 en%. There might be other recommendations on a national level. To find these, check out the website of your national health organization.
But most importantly, and to answer the question more accurately, palm oil can be part of a healthy lifestyle. It is all about creating the right balance. Read more about a healthy lifestyle and palm oil here.
Can palm oil be replaced with other sources of (saturated) fat?
Saturated fatty acids occur naturally in many foods such as meat and dairy and come from different animal and vegetable sources. It is indeed often possible to replace one source of saturated fat with another. At the same time there are limitations with respect to availability and sustainability aspects as well as technical challenges. Simply replacing one source of saturated fat with another will have an impact on the quality of the product, but also on supply and demand, price etc.
From a health perspective, replacing palm oil by other fats can have both unfavourable and favourable effects. When people are concerned about saturated fatty acids because of their impact on cholesterol and the risk of cardiovascular diseases, it is important to realise that the relationship between nutrition and health must be considered in relation to the whole diet and not in terms of single food items. The combination of all dietary factors has a greater impact on cholesterol level than a moderate SAFA intake.
Research is increasingly showing that without paying attention to what SAFA is replaced with, SAFA reduction may not reduce health risks. The scientific studies also indicate that the macronutrients used to replace SAFA play an important role. However, replacing SAFA for polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) does have a proven positive effect.
The widespread use of palm oil is due to the versatile and functional role it performs in food products, such as its stability and good preservative properties, neutral taste and smell, smooth and creamy texture. It is generally used in a mix with other vegetable oils. The selection of oils and fats is made according to the product requirements, as well as the environmental or nutrient profile.
Compared to butter, palm oil has lower content of SAFA. The levels of SAFA in butter are 70%, while palm oil contains equal amounts of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. Butter also contains trans fatty acids, which are considered unhealthy. Like most natural seed oils, palm oil only contains very little amounts of trans fats (<1 percent).
Frequently Asked Questions
You may have some questions about palm oil. We have tried to gather as many as possible, and are constantly adding more. We strive to provide fact-based answers to your questions, and link to qualified sources of information. If you have any other questions that are currently not being answered, please contact us.
General palm oil questions
What is APOA’s position on no-palm oil labelling?
APOA believes that sustainable oil has a place in a balanced diet, which should be reflected in product communication to the consumer. A ‘No palm oil’ label is confusing for consumers, because it creates conflicting messages around sustainable palm oil for all stakeholders in the palm oil supply chain, including consumers who would like to make a responsible decision and protect rainforests.
We consider ‘No palm oil’ communication detrimental to environmental campaigns that focus on solutions for serious issues such as deforestation and biodiversity loss. In this opinion we are supported by many social and environmental NGOs (like WWF, IUCN, Greenpeace, Solidaridad, OxfamNovib).
Boycotting palm oil will not lead to less deforestation. By advertising for palm-free products and ignoring the possibility to create a global move towards sustainable palm oil, While all stakeholders are increasing their efforts, companies that are boycotting all palm oil, including sustainable palm oil, are heading in the wrong direction.
Several organizations have done in-depth research to dispute a boycott. A report by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, concluded that boycotting palm oil would displace – not halt – biodiversity loss. That is because palm oil, the most productive oil crop, would have to be replaced with other vegetable oils. This EU Commission’s report states palm oil currently occupies the least land out of all oil crops, and that if we replace palm oil with other oils, we’ll need 5 – 8 times larger areas of land.
Palm Oil and Health & Nutrition?
What is the impact of palm oil consumption on health?
It’s important to note that there are no recommendations from European health authorities not to use palm oil in food products. In fact, the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office of the World Health Organization recommends avoiding industrially produced trans-fats, and palm oil is an ingredient that has helped to reduce the number of transfats in many products in the West.
We should consider our whole diet and lifestyle, and not just focus on single ingredients. Concerns about increasing obesity and rising cardiovascular issues are shared by all involved in the food chain. However, replacing palm oil with alternative fats is not the answer and can have significant unintended consequences on quality of products, environmental impact or health of consumers.
What is the relation between palm oil and trans-fat?
The successful reduction of trans fatty acids in margarine for example, has been predominantly the result of using specific combinations of palm oil and liquid oils. No other vegetable fat with a semi-solid texture at room temperature and providing the same features exists in sufficient quantity.
What exactly are the recommendations for palm oil intake?
To achieve a healthy diet, the WHO (World Health Organization) advises that a minimum of 15% and a maximum of 35% of the daily energy intake (en%) should consist of fat and SAFA consumption should not exceed 10-12 en%. There might be other recommendations on a national level. To find these, check out the website of your national health organization.
But most importantly, and to answer the question more accurately, palm oil can be part of a healthy lifestyle. It is all about creating the right balance. Read more about a healthy lifestyle and palm oil here.
Can palm oil be replaced with other sources of (saturated) fat?
Saturated fatty acids occur naturally in many foods such as meat and dairy and come from different animal and vegetable sources. It is indeed often possible to replace one source of saturated fat with another. At the same time there are limitations with respect to availability and sustainability aspects as well as technical challenges. Simply replacing one source of saturated fat with another will have an impact on the quality of the product, but also on supply and demand, price etc.
From a health perspective, replacing palm oil by other fats can have both unfavourable and favourable effects. When people are concerned about saturated fatty acids because of their impact on cholesterol and the risk of cardiovascular diseases, it is important to realise that the relationship between nutrition and health must be considered in relation to the whole diet and not in terms of single food items. The combination of all dietary factors has a greater impact on cholesterol level than a moderate SAFA intake.
Research is increasingly showing that without paying attention to what SAFA is replaced with, SAFA reduction may not reduce health risks. The scientific studies also indicate that the macronutrients used to replace SAFA play an important role. However, replacing SAFA for polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) does have a proven positive effect.
The widespread use of palm oil is due to the versatile and functional role it performs in food products, such as its stability and good preservative properties, neutral taste and smell, smooth and creamy texture. It is generally used in a mix with other vegetable oils. The selection of oils and fats is made according to the product requirements, as well as the environmental or nutrient profile.
Compared to butter, palm oil has lower content of SAFA. The levels of SAFA in butter are 70%, while palm oil contains equal amounts of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. Butter also contains trans fatty acids, which are considered unhealthy. Like most natural seed oils, palm oil only contains very little amounts of trans fats (<1 percent).
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