Palm Oil: The New Fat Under Fire
17.02.2017
Feb. 9, 2017 — As artery-clogging trans fats continue to disappear from foods, one of the fats replacing it is coming under fire: palm oil.
Palm oil is found in many foods, including margarines and spreads like Nutella, peanut butter (Jif, Smart Balance and others), and baked goods, including Girl Scout Cookies and Dunkin’ Donuts.
A European safety agency has said that substances produced when palm oil is processed at high temperatures may cause cancer, based on animal studies. Experts already know palm oil is not the healthiest oil for your heart, and environmentalists have long warned that the rising demand for palm oil is jeopardizing the world’s rainforests and endangering some animals.
Nutella’s maker, Ferrero, is fighting back with an advertising campaign saying that its palm oil spread can be part of a healthy diet. Like other companies, it says it is using the oil in a safe way while working to minimize deforestation.
Palm oil comes from the palm tree fruit and is one of the few vegetable oils high in saturated fat, says Alice Lichtenstein, a senior scientist and director of the Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory at Tufts University’s Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center.
A 2015 FDA rule requires food manufacturers to eliminate trans fats in 3 years. As trans fats are being phased out of foods, the demand for palm oil has modestly increased, says Robert Collette, president of the Institute of Shortening and Edible Oils, an industry group. It gives texture and volume to baked goods and is also used in margarines and spreads, frostings, icings, and candies.
Palm Oil and Cancer Risk
In May, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) singled out palm oil as something that may cause cancer, based on studies in mice and rats, although it said the risk to humans “remains uncertain.”
The agency studied harmful substances that form during food processing when vegetable oils are heated to temperatures of 392 F or higher. The highest levels of these substances, known as glycidyl fatty acid esters, or GEs, are in palm oils and palm fat, followed by other oils and fats, according to the EFSA. Margarines, pastries, and cakes are the main exposure sources for anyone over age 3.
The agency’s panel concluded that average exposures are a concern for younger age groups, and high exposures are a concern for all age groups. The report does not include recommendations for “safe” levels. However, the panel concluded that an infant receiving only formula (which can contain palm oil) would be below the level of concern. The panel also said levels of the harmful substances in palm oils and fats fell by half between 2010 and 2015, due to voluntary measures by producers to improve processing techniques.
Ferrero has said it processes its palm oil at temperatures below 392 F and with low pressure to minimize the harmful substances.
Palm Oil and Heart Health
Palm oil is not the first choice for heart health, because it is high in saturated fat, Lichtenstein says. “For heart health, we recommend people use the fats higher in polyunsaturated and low in saturated — ones like soybean and corn. If someone is going to use [palm oil] to prepare a favorite dish, or eat a food prepared with palm oil, it should be limited to special occasions,” she says.
In one study, palm oil and partially hydrogenated soybean oil, compared with regular soybean and canola oil, drove up levels of LDL or “bad” cholesterol in those who already had slightly abnormal cholesterol levels.
In another analysis, researchers concluded that eating palm oil leads to higher LDL cholesterol than eating vegetable oils low in saturated fats. It recommended cutting palm oil use in favor of vegetable oils low in saturated and trans fats. But many food makers using palm oil cite moderation and a long history of its use.
Nutella’s website notes, “palm oil has been used in human nutrition for thousands of years.” The company says that it uses “mild heat treatments” to minimize harmful substances and that Nutella “is already in line with the new thresholds recommended by EFSA.”
Girl Scouts USA says on its site, “our licensed bakers are committed to using as little palm oil as possible in Girl Scout Cookies and have committed to continuing to research viable alternatives.”
Palm Oil and the Environment
Palm oil isn’t just a health issue; its production is also destroying global forests and pushing animals out of native habitats, says Sharon Smith, campaign manager of the Tropical Forest and Climate Initiative for the Union of Concerned Scientists.
“The main environmental concerns are tropical deforestation, primarily in Indonesia and Malaysia, where 85 to 95% of the world’s palm oil is produced,” she says. “We can’t tackle reducing the impact of global climate change if we don’t tackle deforestation.”
Industry Views
Members of the Institute of Shortening and Edible Oils take both health and environmental concerns seriously, Collette says. Those who supply palm oil have all publicly posted on their company websites their pledges about the oil and commitments on deforestation, he says.
Members that process palm oil have also joined the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, he says. The objective “is to promote the growth and use of sustainable oil palm products” through credible global standards and engaging all who have a stake in it. Girl Scouts USA says it’s also a member of the roundtable.
They are also trying to understand how to lessen the harmful substances made when processing palm oil.
Новини
NFFF meeting
A delegation from FlavOil paid a visit to the excellent facilities at the National Federation of Fish friers (NFFF) in Leeds, England this week. The delegation consisted of sales manager, Robin Tillmanns, marketing manager, Martin McHugh and in the role of photographer, our versatile office manager Tanya Bland. We were warmly welcomed by Helen and Craig and kindly let into the inner sanctum of the federation to watch a training session of young chefs learning the secrets of the trade from ...12.04.2017FLAVOIL ATTENDS IFE EXPO 2017
FlavOil were excited to be part of the huge IFE Expo in London’s ExCel Centre over 4 days this week. The show is the biggest Food and Drink Event in the UK and is held once every two years. Hundreds of premier league food manufacturers from all over the World attended the show and allowed visitors to taste their wares. Wonderful food and drink were on display at some amazing stands. We were also offering samples of FlavOil products such as New York Brownie Spread, Amaise egg-free mayo ...12.04.2017Egypt cannot get enough Sunflower Oil
Egypt has sealed deals to import 90,000 tons of edible oil in the near future, as part of a government effort to boost the supply of strategic commodities, Minister of Supply and Internal Trade Ali El-Moselhy said on Wednesday. Under the signed contracts, 60,000 tonnes of sunflower oil and 30,000 tonnes of soybean oil would be imported, El-Moselhy was quoted as saying in a statement by state news agency MENA. The move is part of the government’s plans to “increase stocks of ...12.04.2017So, what is in that Vegetable Oil?
Are they really getting oil from carrots and celery? The next time you’re in the supermarket, spend a little more time than usual in the oil section and take a look at what plants they come from. The vast majority are pretty obvious: coconut oil comes from coconuts, peanut oil from peanuts, etc. Only two are likely to be a little confusing: canola oil and vegetable oil. Canola oil actually comes from the rapeseed plant (“canola” stands for “Canadian oil, low acid”), but what ...12.04.2017Sunflower crop finds fit in Kansas farmer’s rotation
In what could have been devastating turn of events, Lindsborg, Kansas, farmer Karl Esping rose above. After suffering first a heart attack and then a crippling Easter freeze to his wheat crop, he found a crop to help him heal: sunflowers. “I was in the house for weeks,” Esping said of his heart attack. “I got to reading about sunflowers. Since we lost the wheat crop, we decided to try sunflowers no-tilled right into the wheat stubble. We haven’t looked back since.” That was ...12.04.2017Why Dermatologists Want You to Consider the Oil-Cleansing Method
At some point, you’ve probably heard about the oil-cleansing method, i.e., using an oil to remove dirt and, well, oil from your face. You’ve also probably been a little nervous about the idea, given that “oil” and “skin” seem like a bad combination. But cleansing oils are growing in popularity and regularly appear on drugstore shelves, even though they seem like a counterintuitive way to wash your face. Solange Knowles’s stylist Shiona Turini gets the apprehension. In a new ...12.04.2017
