When it comes to packaged food, Mumbai-based Raaginee Razdan is quite conscious about the product that she picks from the local supermarket store. Taking note of the nutritional information labelled on cereals, breads, pickles and other everyday items, she also looks at the ingredients like oil, sugar, salt or chillies commonly found in most processed food products like snacks and confectionery.
“After getting diagnosed with high cholesterol levels last year, I have been on a strict diet, as advised by my nutritionist. So, I use moderate amounts of different oils in cooking, but I have cut down on my intake of packaged foods, which contain a certain kind of vegetable oil that is not really healthy,” says the 40-year-old homemaker.
The vegetable oil that Razdan is referring to is the edible palm oil widely used as an ingredient in many recipes—in approximately 70% of packaged food products — from biscuits to breads, chocolates to cookies, cakes, peanut butter, chips and more.
For instance, look at the packaging of bread brand Harvest Gold or other products like Maggie noodles, Haldiram’s snacks, Parle-G biscuits, Vadilal and Cream Bell ice cream and frozen desserts, Godiva milk chocolate pearls, or even the baked cakes and frozen desserts from local confectioners, among many others, and you will find the use of edible vegetable or palm oil in all of them. The multipurpose and high-performance properties of palm oil like cooking or baking at high temperatures with a melting point of 95°F (35°C), which is significantly higher than the melting point of coconut oil (76°F/ 24°C), besides creamy texture and absence of smell, makes it a perfect and affordable ingredient for recipes. The food items that use palm oil can also be stored and processed for long-term use.
In fact, the consumption of processed snacks and bakery items from local vendors, bakers and food manufacturers that use low-grade-and-priced butter, creams, fats and oils extracted from vegetable fats and palm oil, has been very affordable for industrial use. And this constant consumption of palm oil in some processed and packaged food items in the long run has been associated with health hazards. Since it is made of 50% saturated fat, mainly palmitic acid, a saturated fatty acid, which is the principal constituent of refined palm oil, it increases blood LDL or ‘bad’ cholesterol levels, increasing cardiovascular disease risk. It is also packed with calories—close to 135 calories per tablespoon. Mustard oil, in comparison, has 50.
When asked about the use of palm oil, its alternatives and some considerations regarding its consumption and production, experts say moderation is key.
Dr Ankur Gupta, consultant, internal medicine, Fortis Escorts, Okhla, Delhi, says, “Moderation is key to all oils, but palm oil is calorie-dense, so excessive consumption can contribute to weight gain if not balanced with physical activity and other aspects of a healthy diet. It is higher in saturated fat than many other vegetable oils. High intake of saturated fats can increase levels of LDL cholesterol, which is associated with an increased risk of heart disease. Palm oil is commonly used in processed foods, where it may be found in high amounts along with other unhealthy ingredients like added sugars and refined carbohydrates. Thus, consuming excessive amounts of processed foods containing palm oil can contribute to poor diet quality and associated health issues like obesity and chronic diseases.”
Gupta says avoiding palm oil entirely can be challenging since it is prevalent in many processed foods and consumer products. “The best is to reduce the intake by checking labels. Opt for whole, minimally processed foods, whenever possible. Fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts and seeds generally do not contain palm oil. Cooking from scratch allows you to have better control over the ingredients you use. So, choose products from companies that are committed to using sustainably sourced palm oil or offer transparent information about their sourcing practices. Look for certification labels such as RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) to ensure that the palm oil used meets certain environmental and social standards,” adds Gupta.
While there is no specific minimal quantity of palm oil for consumption, Pratiksha Kadam, consultant, dietitian, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Navi Mumbai, recommends consuming fats/ oils in moderation as part of a balanced diet. This typically ranges from 20-35% of total daily calories with emphasis on unsaturated fats. For most people, this translates to about 2-3 tablespoons (30-45 ml) of healthy fats/oils per day, spread throughout meals. “Studies have found that some processing methods for palm oil led to the formation of contaminants, such as 3-MCPD (a contaminant first identified in acid-hydrolysed vegetable proteins and soy sauce), which have potential health risks. At the same time, moderate consumption of palm oil as part of a balanced diet may not pose significant health risks for most individuals,” says Kadam.
For those with health conditions like heart disease or high cholesterol, Kadam says they should be more cautious and may limit or avoid palm oil. “It’s important to balance palm oil intake with other healthier fats and maintain an overall healthy nutritious diet. Consulting a nutritionist or doctor for professional advice is recommended,” says Kadam.
Cultivating a disaster
Palm oil has a greater yield at a lower cost of production than other vegetable oils, and the global production and demand for palm oil is also increasing. Oil plantations have spread across tropical areas of Asia, Africa and Latin America which are important habitats for endangered species. So, does palm oil have an environment-friendly production and sourcing?
Palm oil has been leading to unsustainable production and has been directly linked to the destruction of precious habitat. With high demand for palm oil, the impact has been alarming on wildlife.
Palm oil logging and mining, slash and burn technique, drainage of peat swamps—all of these have affected the habitat of orangutans of Borneo and Sumatra and the tiger habitat in Malaysia.
As oil palm is mostly grown in areas that get lots of rain, especially in countries like Indonesia, Malaysia and Cameroon, where governments cleared forests for plantation, the plant has triggered massive deforestation, destroying habitats of endangered species like orangutans and reducing planetary resilience to climate change.
Oil palm, a tropical, perennial crop mainly cultivated for its vegetable oil, is extracted from the mesocarp (reddish pulp) of the fruit. The oil palm tree produces high-quality oil used primarily for cooking in developing countries, besides its usage in food products, detergents, cosmetics and, to a small extent, biofuel.
Even as many brands like Nestle, General Mills and Cargill are committed to responsible sourcing of palm oil, there is a global partnership called The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) that was established in 2004 to promote the growth and use of sustainable palm oil products through global standards and multi-stakeholder governance.
On the other hand, India is both the world’s largest consumer as well as the biggest importer of palm oil. Under the National Mission for Edible Oil—Oil Palm launched in 2021, the Centre is aiming to raise the domestic production, proposed to cover an additional area of 6.5 lakh hectare (ha) for oil palm till 2025-26 and thereby reaching the target of 10 lakh hectare ultimately. The production of Crude Palm Oil (CPO) is expected to go up to 11.20 lakh tonne by 2025-26 and up to 28 lakh tonne by 2029-30. A report published in FE quoted an agriculture ministry official on the plan to increase total area under palm by several companies including Godrej Agrovet, Patanjali Food and 3F Oil Palm Agrotech to 0.65 MH in the next 5-6 years from the current level of 0.3 MH.
According to the Solvent Extractors’ Association of India, the country’s import of palm, soybean and sunflower oils rose 17% to a record 16.47 MT (valued at `1.38 trillion) in the 2022-23 oil year (November-October) on year, owing to a fall in global prices and low import duty. Palm oil imports, mostly from Indonesia and Malaysia, constitute around 59% of the total edible oil imports. In domestic output, mustard has a share of 40%, soybean 24%, and groundnut 7%.
Be oil wise
Read labels
In many countries, food labelling regulations require manufacturers to list the ingredients used in their products. Look for palm oil specifically listed in the ingredient list. It may be listed under alternative names such as palm kernel oil, palm fruit oil, or vegetable oil. If a product claims to be free from palm oil, check the label carefully to confirm
Look for certification
Sustainable palm oil certification schemes, such as the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certification, aim to promote the production and use of palm oil that meets certain environmental and social standards. Look for products labelled with RSPO certification or other credible sustainability certifications to ensure that the palm oil used has been sourced responsibly
Research the brand
If unsure about the palm oil used in a particular product, consider researching the brand or manufacturer to learn more about their sourcing practices and commitment to sustainability
— Dr Ankur Gupta, consultant, internal medicine, Fortis Escorts, New Delhi
