More facts about Sustainable Palm Oil

Sustainable Palm Oil

Palm oil, Palm oil, Versatile oil
How do I wonder what’s your use?
Not only with plenty of health benefits
But in the best of biscuits, cakes, and chips we choose.

This was the exactly same jingle that made me so proud to be one of the winners at ‘Rendezvous with the Honorable Minister TERESA KOK SUH SIM – Bloggers Meet at Taj Lands End earlier this year. Receiving this bright Golden Shield from the Honorable Minister herself was my most memorable moment of 2019. The Meet’s main objective was to bring forth the benefits or the most versatile oil – Palm Oil. (Courtesy-Malaysian Palm Oil Council)

 My childhood Memories with Sustainable Palm Oil

However, this was not my first introduction with Palm oil. It was first introduced to me by my Grandmother. On vacations, I often spent the weekend with my grandma at her house. She would pamper me with fried goodies. I can still recall the big yellow Parmolein Oil Tin that came out from the kitchen cabinet. The aroma of fried puris filled the room while tempting me to devour that puri piping hot. Those fluffy golden circles of love tasted so heavenly.

How can I forget those beautiful childhood memories linked with Palm Oil?  This Palmolein oil (Palm Oil) was available through ration shops back then and was widely used by all families. It was preferred oil for frying back then. It contains mostly saturated and monounsaturated fats, that makes it a great choice for deep frying. Besides being used for cooking Palm oil has plenty of other uses.

Uses of Palm Oil

Palm oil gets in semi-solid state at room temperature, hence it is vert useful in the production of soaps, detergents, cosmetics, beauty products, etc. It is also preferred for mass production of consumable goods like baked goods, confectionery, chocolates, ice creams, margarine, and packed bhujias etc.

As I have already mentioned in my previous Blogpost about the Health and Nutrition Benefits of Palm Oil, I won’t get into that aspect today.  Today I would like to shed more light on Food Security and more interesting facts on Palm oil.

What is food security?

As indicated by the World Food and Agriculture Organization, food security is achieved when all individuals, consistently, have physical and monetary access to adequate, protected and nutritious nourishment.  Food security is said to be optimum when they meet their dietary needs and nourishment for a functioning and normal life. Palm oil contributes to the major bulk of the world’s production of oils and fats. It contributed to almost 34% share alone. Now that is commendable, isn’t it?

More about Sustainable Palm Oil the King of All Oils

1. The oil Palm belongs to the tropical Palm tree family. Each tree bears bunches of fruit, which weighs from 10 to 25 kgs with over 1000 fruitlets in each bunch.

2. Palm Oil is the most efficient oil; It requires only 0.25 hectares for a production of 1 tonne of oil compared to sunflower and soybean that require over 1 hectare of land. In fact palm oil is giving the highest yield of oil per hectare compared to any other crop. The land used in palm oil cultivation is less and that is why many criticize palm oil.

3. Oil palms are cultivated for their fruits that grow in a bunch which weighs up to 40 to 50 kg. When harvested the fleshy fruit, pericarp and seeds are all used in various productions. Pericarp oil is mainly used to make cooking oil.

4. The increase of Palm Oil production In Malaysia has made the country self-reliant as they are the largest exporters to the world. They are also providing ample job opportunities and steady income to landless farmers and smallholders.

5. MPOC ensures that good control and best harvesting techniques are used to ensure standard quality and production of high-level oil.

6. Palm oil is the world’s most largely used vegetable oil. Palm oil is used by food and consumer industries in the production of snacks to cosmetics. Worldwide production of oil has increased from 15 million tonnes in 1995 to 66 million tonnes in 2017. The rapid expansion in use is attributed to yields nearly four times other vegetable oil crops. It is because of its benefits it is targeted.  

Palm Oil has come a long way

Palm oil has come a long way!! From Traditional cultivations in the 19^th Century to advancements in Farming with the best technology and knowhow. Kudos Malaysia and MPOC for being World Leaders in production and export. To top it all, facilitate the transformation of the palm oil industry to be a sustainable one.