Palm oil, everything you need to know

In recent months there has been much talk about Palm oil and not for the better, why is it? Is palm oil production an environmental problem? What peculiarities does this oil have that is interesting for the food industry? What nutritional characteristics does it have? What effects does it have on health? Is there a toxicological risk associated with its consumption? How should the presence of palm oil be indicated on the labeling? We will try to answer these questions.

• It consists mainly of palmitic acid, a saturated fatty acid which is among the types of fat on which it is considered necessary to limit its intake.
• It is necessary to differentiate between crude and refined oil, since the problem occurs when it is refined, since polluting substances are generated, which could be carcinogenic, although there is not enough scientific evidence.
• The main drawback is that here we always consume it through ultra-processed products that are already elements to avoid in, with or without palm oil.

What is the bad reputation of palm oil?

From time to time news about food appear that can both be aimed at extolling a product and its properties to infinity and aimed at demonizing a food or ingredient. In all cases we must be very cautious and look for reliable sources to inform us about the subject in question. In the case of Palm oil, has been on everyone's lips for a while and has become a highly criticized product. But the truth is that nutritionists have warned about the habitual presence of this oil in certain types of products for even longer, until not so long ago, in a somewhat hidden way. The negative attributions to this oil are both nutritionally and environmentally.

Is palm oil production an environmental problem?

Palm oil It is extracted from the fruits of the palm, a plant native to Africa that is grown in different areas of the world, including America and Asia (Malaysia and Indonesia are the areas with the highest production). The production of palm oil is very high and controversial as large farms have caused the destruction of important areas of peatlands and tropical forests, and have generated a considerable environmental impact. Some non-governmental organizations have been denouncing this situation for years and several large food and cosmetic companies have excluded from their supply chains companies that had violated forest laws and regulations in order to obtain palm oil. In contrast, there are some initiatives in order to produce Palm oil sustainable.

What peculiarities does it have to make it interesting for the food industry?

Refined palm oil is commonly used in processed products where it provides strength, as it is solid at room temperature, and this makes it not necessary to hydrogenate it. For this reason, many times it has replaced the trans or hydrogenated fats, which have been on the black list of ingredients to avoid for longer. Another point in favor of palm oil to be valued by the industry is that its melting point is close to body temperature, achieving the pleasant effect of melting in the mouth, as occurs in the chocolates in which it is used. It is an oil that does not add flavor, it is very neutral and therefore can be used in a wide variety of products. Being made up mainly of saturated fatty acids, mainly palmitic acid, it is an ingredient that does not oxidize or go rancid easily. In addition to all this, due to its massive production and the existence of farms with terrible working conditions for workers, its price is very low, something that just rounded off the suitability of the product.

What nutritional characteristics does it have?

As we have indicated, palm oil is mainly made up of palmitic acid, a saturated fatty acid that is among the types of fat on which it is considered necessary to limit its intake, this is because it is a chain fatty acid relatively short and even carbon numbers, which are chemical characteristics that have been associated with different metabolic diseases. In general terms, it is considered that saturated fat should be limited to less than 10% of the total calories in the daily diet, favoring the consumption of unsaturated fats, mainly monounsaturated, such as those of At the European level, EFSA (which is the European authority on food safety) is working on the revision of the maximum limits for pollutants generated in the palm oil refining process. We are talking about 3-MCPD (monochloropanediol), glycidol and their esters, they are products that are generated in the refining of oils as process pollutants and have been classified as possible carcinogens, there is not enough scientific evidence and it is required to carry out new studies. On the other hand, we must also mention that there are studies that conclude indicating that there is no evidence to consider that palm oil is a carcinogenic product and that it induces claiming that palm oil also contains monounsaturated fatty acids, fat-soluble vitamins and antioxidant compounds that could have compensatory effects. In this sense, it is important to differentiate whether we are talking about crude or refined palm oil, in which process deterioration occurs. And we must emphasize that the main problem is that in our society the consumption of palm oil is usually always through ultra-processed products that are already elements to avoid in our diet, with or without palm oil.

What effects does it have on health?

This type of fat, according to the AECOSAN (Spanish Agency for Consumption, Food Safety and Nutrition, an organism that is part of the Ministry of Health), “is not recommended in the context of a healthy diet, since it raises cholesterol and can promote arteriosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. However, nowadays there are no food safety reasons that justify a ban ”. Although for the moment its elimination is not considered necessary, the need to limit certain polluting products that are generated when processing this oil is recognized.

How should the presence of palm oil be indicated on the labeling?

When palm oil is used in the manufacture of a food, it must appear in the list of ingredients explicitly, not hidden under the name of vegetable oils, as was the case a few years ago. Currently, since 2014, after the application of Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011, on food information provided to consumers, it is mandatory to include the designation "vegetable oils" or "vegetable fats", immediately followed by indications of origin plant specific. Therefore, if the products contain palm oil, we must be able to identify it on the labeling.