Palm oil is probably familiar to everyone and some of you will also know that Nutella and many other foods and cosmetics contain palm oil. The use and consumption of palm oil is often met with negative criticism. But why is that? We'll explain!
What is palm oil actually?
As already mentioned, palm oil can be found in many different foods and cosmetics. Palm oil is extracted from the oil palm, more precisely from the pulp of the oil palm fruit . The fruit is pressed and the raw palm oil obtained is then processed in a refinery. The plant is native to the tropical regions south and north of the equator . The oil palm is most commonly grown in Malaysia and Indonesia. In contrast to other vegetable oils such as rapeseed, soy or sunflower, the oil palm produces five times as much oil.
Which foods contain palm oil?
Palm oil is used in many different ways in the food industry. Its properties have many advantages: at room temperature it is spreadable and has a creamy consistency. It is heat-stable, has a long shelf life and is also tasteless . Palm oil is listed in the ingredients list of every second food product. The following products contain palm oil, for example: chocolate, pralines, margarine, butter, baby food, chocolate spreads, ready meals and packet soups.
Is palm oil bad for your health?
Palm oil itself, if it is natural, is not actually harmful to health . Untreated and cold-pressed palm oil is actually healthy , as it contains a high proportion of beta-carotene and other carotenoids. However, if the oil is processed industrially, the healthy palm oil becomes harmful to health in the long term. The valuable ingredients are lost during the refining process and the high heat even creates harmful fatty substances .
Why is palm oil also bad for the environment?
Palm oil is not only bad for your health, it is also bad for the environment. As already mentioned, the oil palm is mainly grown in Indonesia and Malaysia. In addition to the transport over such an enormous distance, it also creates an enormous CO2 footprint . Furthermore, huge amounts of rainforest have to be cleared, which creates greenhouse gases and oil palms can store less CO2. This also promotes global warming and climate change. Another negative side effect is that monoculture means that many animal species no longer have a habitat and are threatened by the clearing.
How do I recognize palm oil in my product?
Last but not least, small farmers are being pushed out by corporations and often indigenous peoples are being driven out as well. All in all, palm oil is not good for your health and is bad for the environment. Avoiding palm oil can therefore already contribute to climate change. Use fresh food instead or make sure that no palm oil is included when buying. Palm oil can also be on the ingredients list of cosmetics. You can recognize palm oil in cosmetics by the following terms: Sodium Palmitate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Palm Kernel Alcohol, Glyceryl Palmitate or Palm Stearin. If palm oil is essential, then look for organic palm oil, as this meets various requirements for the organic seal.
