Palm Oil Facts and Sustainability

Palm oil is one of the most versatile and sustainable oils used in food and non-food applications as well. Palm oil is extracted from the pulp of the fruit whereas palm kernel oil is extracted from the kernel of the fruit. Both oils are fractionated by physical means to produce olein, stearin, and mid fractions. The versatility of physical properties provided by palm oil and its fractions increase the use of palm oil in bakery, confectionery, snacks, horeca, cheese and cream analogs, etc. Sustainability and health-related concerns also developed as a result of the high demand for palm oil and its fractions. Malaysia is one of the two major worldwide exporters of palm oil and palm oil-based products. Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) supports business and project development related to palm oil whereas the Malaysian Palm Oil Certification Council (MPOCC) is the certification body responsible for the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil Standard (MSPO) [1-3]. The major aim of this paper is to explore palm oil facts on:production; food use, trans fatty acids elimination mitigation strategies, palm-based additives, and clarify sustainability standards for Malaysian palm oil.