Label Decoder: Palm Oil
You may have spied “palm oil” on an ingredient label or stumbled across the name in a food news story. Here’s the scoop on this new oil that’s replacing the trans fats in your packaged junk foods.
Palm vs. Palm Kernel
These days, you’ll find these oils in commercial baked goods (e.g. cakes and cookies), snack foods and some brands of peanut butter. As companies have jumped on the anti-trans fat bandwagon, they’ve started replacing their products’ trans fat (i.e. the partially hydrogenated oils) with different types of palm oil.
Both palm and palm kernel oil come from palm plants (often called “oil palms”) and are categorized as “tropical oils” along with coconut oil. These tropical oils are unique because they have a high percentage of saturated fat, which is unusual for oils that come from plants. More common sources of saturated fat are butter, meat, whole milk and cheese and cream. Too much saturated fat in your diet can increase cholesterol, clog arteries and increase your risk of heart disease.
These two types of oils come from different parts of the palm plant. Palm oil, which is sometimes called “palm fruit oil,” comes from the fruit; palm kernel oil comes from the seed (a.k.a. the kernel).
Is It Better For You?
Palm oil (from the fruit) contains 50% saturated fat and palm kernel oil is 82% — this means plain palm oil is the better choice (of the two). Some believe palm oil has the added benefit of the antioxidants (mostly beta-carotene) that are extracted from the fruit. Researchers are currently trying to determine if the saturated fats in tropical oils affect our cholesterol levels differently. Until we have conclusive findings, you’re better off sticking to heart-healthy mono- and poly-unsaturated fats such as the ones found in olive oil and nuts. These unsaturated fats actually help lower cholesterol.
The American Heart Association recommends limiting saturated fat intake to 7% or less of total daily calories – if you follow a 2,000 calorie diet, that works out to about 15.5 grams per day. So no matter what kind of saturated fat you choose, your intake should be limited. I don’t know about you but I’d rather eat some cheese and take advantage of the protein and calcium instead of getting an equal amount of saturated from from palm oil in cheesy snack crackers (no protein or calcium there)!
Bottom Line: We should consume all sources of saturated fat in moderation for optimum heart health. These days, most of the foods that contain palm oil (that is, those cakes and snacks) don’t rank very high in the nutrient department. Check ingredient lists on your favorite foods so you know where the saturated fat is coming from.
Quick question — I recently bought a No Frills "Deluxe Treat Mix" — essentially, a Trail Mix box…however, when I came home and saw the ingredients, they included "Hydrogentaed Palm and/or Canola and/or Sunflower Oil" — the nutrition label indicated no Trans Fats…however, I am very concerned on the presence of Hydrogenated Oils in what is supposed to be a Trail Mix product……as a consumer, am I being misled by both the company and our govt labeling? I would appreciate anyone's inputs.
Around 90% of the global supply of palm oil now comes from Indonesia and Malaysia, and this has come at a tremendous cost. In order to grow more oil palms, the forests of Borneo and Sumatra are being razed to the ground– releasing so much carbon into the atmosphere that Indonesia now ranks only behind China and US in carbon emissions– and it is barely industrialized. The UNEP estimates that the forests of Indonesia are being cleared at a rate of 6 football fields per minute every minute of every day.
The palm oil industry is guilty of the most heinous ecological atrocities imaginable, including the systematic genocide of orangutans. The forests of Borneo and Sumatra are the only place where these gentle, intelligent creatures live, and the cultivation of palm oil has directly led to the brutal deaths of thousands of individuals as the industry has expanded into previously undisturbed areas of rainforest.
When the forest is cleared, adult orangutans are typically shot on sight. These peaceful, sentient beings are beaten, burned, mutilated, tortured and often eaten. Babies are torn off their dying mothers so they can be sold on the black market as illegal pets to wealthy families who see them as status symbols of their own power and prestige. This has been documented time and again.
Visit the Orangutan Outreach website to learn more: http://www.redapes.org
@Josh.. yes, pretty much you’re being mislead.. legally if any packaged food contains less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving, it can be labeled 0 grams trans fat, and can carry the heading “zero trans fat”, usually followed by a small “per serving” footnote.. but if that foods ingredient list includes hydrogenated oil, then it contains trans fat.. if you end up eating multiple servings of that food in a day, you may be consuming multiple grams of trans fat and not even know it
I think the whole discussion shows how manufacturers are not living up to the intent of the labeling regulations. They are much more knowledgeable than the average consumer about these oils and are quick to take advantage of using the cheapest ingredient they can and take advantage of every loophole they can. We consumers need to encouage the FDA to put teeth in the labeling laws. If it contains 0.1 grams of trans fat it should not be allowed to say 0 trans fat. Our politicians are taking money from industries in campaign contributions, and it shows.
Hi Josh – Yes, those labels do make it extra difficult to understand! Basically if the ingredients include "partially hydrogenated" oils then it always means trans fats are present. "Hydrogentated" oils almost always indicate the presence of trans fats as well. On the other hand, "fully hydrogenated" oils are not the same – it's a slightly different process that doesn't create trans fats. No matter what, it's best to limit the amounts of any of these oils in your diet.
It is quite paradoxical that the 50% saturated fat from palm oil serves as antioxidants. I am not preempting the outcome of the research findings on the cholesterol potential of palm oil, but if found adverse, it will be quite amazing because its a fruit. Your warning about labels is well founded. Consumers have to pay attention so you are not misled.
Hello
Its really nice information on palm oil.Thank you for saying that what is better for us.I did not have any idea about this.Thank you very much for sharing this information with us.
Do check out this article "The Truth about Palm Oil" at:
http://www.palmoiltruthfoundation.com/index.php?o...
Contrary to popular misconception, tons of scientific studies have been done and reported in peer reviewed journals. Most of the studies show that a diet rich in palm oil results in lowered serum cholesterol levels.
To learn more go to: http://www.palmoiltruthfoundation.com
Serene Remedios
Secretary General
The Palm Oil Truth Foundation
Palm oil is good for our health. The article has shown the difference between the Palm Oil and Palm kernel.