What products contain palm oil?
Today palm oil is used in 80% of the products sold in supermarkets. It is the second most widely produced edible oil. Each year, Australia imports 130,000 tons of palm oil. Palm oil is used in the food industry either as a vegetable oil or embedded in other ingredients. It can be found in most processed foods including ice cream, chocolate, chips, cereals, frozen foods,margarine, baked goods and fruit juice. It also has a longer shelf life thanother vegetable oils making it more appealing for food production andadvertisement. Palm oil also occurs widely in personal care, cosmetics and house hold products including soap, toothpaste, shampoo, laundry powders and detergents. It may appear on labels as vegetable oil or be even less visible as a component of other ingredients
There are only 3 vegetable oils that must be labeled in food products in Australia and New Zealand. Those are peanut oil, sesame oil and soy bean oil. The reason for this is that a percentage of the population suffers allergies to these oils. As a result of this palm oil is rarely labeled on products and is hidden well. Palm oil has approximately 200 different names.
There is no law saying that palm oil has to be identified on every product it is used in, there fore most consumers buy palm oil products with out even realizing.
There is no law saying that palm oil has to be identified on every product it is used in, there fore most consumers buy palm oil products with out even realizing.
In addition, if palm oil is used in cosmetics it must be labeled. However, it is usually not labeled as Palm oil. It is labeled as Elaeis guineensis.
In recent years palm oil based biodiesel has entered the European market. While biofuel has been promoted as an effective means of reducing emissions, establishing palm oil plantations increases greenhouse emissions. Although Australia does not currently offer palm oil based biodiesel,
if crude oil prices continue to rise the demand for biofuels may increase.
In recent years palm oil based biodiesel has entered the European market. While biofuel has been promoted as an effective means of reducing emissions, establishing palm oil plantations increases greenhouse emissions. Although Australia does not currently offer palm oil based biodiesel,
if crude oil prices continue to rise the demand for biofuels may increase.