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CAS NO:8002-75-3
EC NO:232-316-1
Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from the mesocarp (reddish pulp) of the fruit of the oil palms.
Palm oil is used in food manufacturing, in beauty products, and as biofuel.
Palm oil accounted for about 33% of global oils produced from oil crops in 2014.
Uses
In food
The highly saturated nature of palm oil renders it solid at room temperature in temperate regions, making it a cheap substitute for butter or hydrogenated vegetable oils in uses where solid fat is desirable, such as the making of pastry dough and baked goods. The health concerns related to trans fats in hydrogenated vegetable oils may have contributed to the increasing use of palm oil in the food industry.
Palm oil is sometimes used as a minor ingredient in calf milk replacer.
Non-food consumer products
Palm oil is pervasively used in personal care and cleaning products, and it provides the foaming agent in nearly every soap, shampoo, or detergent. Around 70% of personal care products including soap, shampoo, makeup, and lotion, contain ingredients derived from palm oil. However, there are more than 200 different names for these palm oil ingredients and only 10% of them include the word “palm".
Biomass and biofuels
Palm oil is used to produce both methyl ester and hydrodeoxygenated biodiesel. Palm oil methyl ester is created through a process called transesterification. Palm oil biodiesel is often blended with other fuels to create palm oil biodiesel blends.
Palm oil biodiesel meets the European EN 14214 standard for biodiesels.Hydrodeoxygenated biodiesel is produced by direct hydrogenolysis of the fat into alkanes and propane. The world's largest palm oil biodiesel plant is the €550 million Finnish-operated Neste Oil biodiesel plant in Singapore, which opened in 2011 with a capacity of 800,000 tons per year and produces hydrodeoxygenated NEXBTL biodiesel from palm oil imported from Malaysia and Indonesia.
Significant amounts of palm oil exports to Europe are converted to biodiesel (as of early 2018: Indonesia: 40%, Malaysia 30%).In 2014, almost half of all the palm oil in Europe was burned as car and truck fuel.As of 2018, one-half of Europe's palm oil imports were used for biodiesel.
Use of palm oil as biodiesel generates three times the carbon emissions as using fossil fuel, and, for example, "biodiesel made from Indonesian palm oil makes the global carbon problem worse, not better."
There are pressures for increased oil palm production from Indonesian palm-based biodiesel programs. The biodiesel currently contains a 30:70 palm oil to conventional diesel ratio (known as B30) at the gas pumps. The Indonesian government is aiming to produce 100% palm oil biodiesel (or B100) to transition out of using conventional diesel. The Indonesian government has estimated it would need to establish approximately 15 million hectares of oil palm plantations to meet these future demands.
The organic waste matter that is produced when processing oil palm, including oil palm shells and oil palm fruit bunches, can also be used to produce energy. This waste material can be converted into pellets that can be used as a biofuel.Additionally, palm oil that has been used to fry foods can be converted into methyl esters for biodiesel. The used cooking oil is chemically treated to create a biodiesel similar to petroleum diesel.
In wound care
Although palm oil is applied to wounds for its supposed antimicrobial effects, research does not confirm its effectiveness.
Palm oil, like all fats, is composed of fatty acids, esterified with glycerol. Palm oil has an especially high concentration of saturated fat, specifically the 16-carbon saturated fatty acid, palmitic acid, to which it gives its name. Monounsaturated oleic acid is also a major constituent of palm oil. Unrefined palm oil is a significant source of tocotrienol, part of the vitamin E family.
Palm oil’s an edible vegetable oil that comes from the fruit of oil palm trees, the scientific name is Elaeis guineensis. Two types of oil can be produced; crude palm oil comes from squeezing the fleshy fruit, and palm kernel oil which comes from crushing the kernel, or the stone in the middle of the fruit.
Oil palm trees are native to Africa but were brought to South-East Asia just over 100 years ago as an ornamental tree crop. Now, Indonesia and Malaysia make up over 85% of global supply but there are 42 other countries that also produce palm oil.
Palm oil is in nearly everything – it’s in close to 50% of the packaged products we find in supermarkets, everything from pizza, doughnuts and chocolate, to deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste and lipstick.
Palm oil’s also used in animal feed and as a biofuel in many parts of the world.
Palm oil is an extremely versatile oil that has many different properties and functions that makes it so useful and so widely used.
Palm oil is semi-solid at room temperature so can keep spreads spreadable; it is resistant to oxidation so can give products a longer shelf-life;
Palm oil’s stable at high temperatures so helps to give fried products a crispy and crunchy texture;
and Palm oil’s also odourless and colourless so doesn’t alter the look or smell of food products.
Palm oil is a very productive crop.
Palm oil offers a far greater yield at a lower cost of production than other vegetable oils. Global production of and demand for palm oil is increasing rapidly. Plantations are spreading across Asia, Africa and Latin America. But such expansion comes at the expense of tropical forests—which form critical habitats for many endangered species and a lifeline for some human communities.
Palm oil is everywhere today: in food, soap, lipstick, even newspaper ink.
Palm oil’s been called the world’s most hated crop because of its association with deforestation in Southeast Asia. But despite boycott campaigns, the world uses more palm oil than any other vegetable oil – over 73 million tons in 2020.
That’s because palm oil is cheap. The plant that makes it, the African oil palm, can produce up to 10 times more oil per hectare than soybeans.
Palm oil has long been a staple food in a region stretching from Senegal to Angola along Africa’s western coast.
Palm oil entered the global economy in the 1500s aboard ships engaged in the transatlantic slave trade.
Palm oil is the most widely-used vegetable oil in the world.
Palm oil is squeezed from the fruits of the oil palm tree (Elaeis Guineensis).
Oil palm trees grow in regions around the equator.
Palm oil is a tropical tree with leaves about 5 meters long. When the oil palm trees are three to four years old, they develop palm fruit in bunches. The fruit bunches are harvested throughout the year. Each bunch contains hundreds of palm fruits.
Palm fruits are about the size of large olives. The fruit has a single seed or kernel, which is used to produce palm kernel oil. Each palm fruit contains about 30-35 per cent oil. One palm tree produces 40 kilogrammes of oil every year. According to according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Palm oil is important for global food security and economic development.
The oil palm is an extremely efficient crop, which makes the oil widely available and relatively cheap.
Palm oil and palm kernel oil together represent 40 per cent of the global vegetable oil production.
Palm oil has the highest yield compared to other oil crops per hectare of land. One hectare of oil palm trees produce on average 3.8 tons of oil each year.
Oil palm accounts for 7.4 per cent of all the cultivated land for vegetable oils globally, but has the highest output, producing 39.6 per cent of all oils and fats. About 73 million tons of palm oil is produced annually. To obtain the same amount of alternative oils, such as soybean or coconut oil, between four and 10 times more land would be required, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
Palm oil is widely used by food and non-food manufacturers because of its functional benefits, versatility and widespread availability.
Palm oil has diverse functional properties.
Palm oil provides a semi-solid consistency and long-term stability.
Palm oil also performs well at high cooking temperatures.
Palm oils smooth and creamy texture and absence of smell make it a perfect and affordable ingredient in many recipes, supporting flavour and texture.
Palm oil can be used both as a crude oil as well as in the refined form. In its crude form, palm oil has a rich orange color, since it is pressed from the orange pulp of the fruit of the oil palm tree. Only one quarter of the palm oil and palm kernel oil worldwide is used as a crude oil. In Southeast Asia, Africa and parts of Brazil, crude palm oil is widely used for domestic cooking. Here, the oil is liquid at room temperature. In Europe and the United States palm oil is mostly used in its refined form, which is odourless and pale yellow, making it a valuable ingredient in an enormous amount of products, such as margarine, spreads, sauces, cakes and pastries.
Palm oil is also widely used in non-food products such as soap, candles, and cosmetics.
Palm oil is the world's most produced, consumed and traded vegetable oil.
Palm oil is widely used in the manufacturing of many products, from margarine to lipstick, biscuits to candles, and chocolate to laundry detergent.
Palm oil is also extensively used as a biofuel and as animal feed.
Palm oil is a very efficient crop and contributes to rural poverty alleviation and rural development in many regions. But its irresponsible production of palm oil has caused widespread rainforest destruction and wildlife loss, exacerbated climate change, and impacted the rights of local communities. And increasing global demand threatens more of the same.
Chemical Properties
liquid
Uses
Palm oil (hydrogenated) is a consistency regulator and a formula stabilizer for creams, lotions, makeup, and decorative cosmetics.
Uses
Palm Oil is the oil obtained from the fruit of the palm tree.
Palm oil has a narrower plastic range than lard and most shortenings which is a disadvantage in shortening applications.
Palm oil can be used in mixtures with only a moderately adverse effect on the plastic range.
Palm oil con- sists mainly of palmitic, oleic, and linoleic fatty acids.
Palm oil is used in margarine and shortenings.
General Description
Orange-red liquid or solid with a pleasant odor. Insoluble in water and less dense than water. Hence floats on water. Contains principally glycerides of palmitic, oleic, and linoleic acids.
Air & Water Reactions
Insoluble in water.
Reactivity Profile
Palm oil react with acids to liberate heat. Heat is also generated by interaction with caustic solutions. Strong oxidizing acids may cause a vigorous reaction that is sufficiently exothermic to ignite the reaction products. Flammable hydrogen is generated by mixing with alkali metals and hydrides. React slowly with oxygen in the air to become rancid.
Physical State :Low-Melting Solid
Storage :Store at room temperature
Melting Point :27-42.5° C
Physical and Chemical Properties:Relative to the density of 0.921~0.925(15/15 C). The melting point was 27-50 °c. Iodine value of 40~58. Saponification value of 195~205. Because of containing carotene and dark yellow, must be refined, decolorization, deodorization treatment to remove. Mainly glycerides of palmitic and oleic acids.
Use
Crude oil is used for soap making and hot tin plating. Refined oil is available for consumption.
Palm oil derives from the reddish pulp of the fruit of African oil palms. Due to its high beta-carotene content, palm oil is generally reddish in color and should not be confused with palm kernel oil, which comes from the kernel of the same fruit. Likewise, it is not the same as coconut oil derived from the kernel of the coconut palm. The primary application of palm oil is as a cooking ingredient along the tropical belt of Africa, Southeast Asia, and various parts of Brazil.
Palm oil also pervades the commercial food industry in other parts of the globe as well due to its lower cost and the higher saturation of refined palm oil when used for frying.
Palm oil is primarily composed of fatty acids that are esterified with glycerol. While it contains high amounts of saturated fats, unrefined palm oil is also an excellent source of vitamin E.
Palm oil is an edible oil that comes from the fruit of the oil palm tree (Elaeis guineensis). Crude palm oil, or "red palm oil," is high in beta-carotene.
Palm oil contains saturated and unsaturated fats. Some types of palm oil contain vitamin E and beta-carotene. These types of palm oil might have antioxidant effects. Refined palm oil is made by bleaching, deodorizing, and neutralizing crude palm oil.
People use palm oil for preventing and treating vitamin A deficiency.
Palm oil is also used for malaria, heart disease, cancer, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these other uses.
Palm oil is an edible oil derived from the fruits of the oil palm (Elaeis guineensis), belonging to Palmaceae family.
Palm oil is an important and versatile vegetable oil that is used as a raw material for both food and non-food industries. Most of the oil is used for food applications such as cooking, margarines, spreads, confectionary fats, ice cream, emulsifiers, and vanaspati. Being a vegetable oil, palm oil is cholesterol-free.
Palm oil has a unique fatty acid and triacylglycerol profile.
Palm oil is naturally semi-solid at room temperature and does not require hydrogenation for use as a food ingredient.
Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil that comes from the fruit of oil palm trees. Palm oil’s cheap and efficient making it the world’s most widely used vegetable oil – and global consumption is rising.
Palm oil is used in the production of foods such as cake, chocolate, biscuits, margarine and frying fats.
Palm oil is also found in cosmetics, soap, shampoo, cleaning products and can be used as a biofuel.
Palm oil is a very versatile oil and has different properties and functions for use in a variety of products (from soaps to chocolate).
Palm oil can be a liquid or a solid which gives it an advantage over other oils.
Palm oils smooth and creamy texture and absence of smell make it a desirable ingredient in many recipes, including baked goods (such as biscuits), and it can be semi-solid at room temperature which is a property needed to keep butter and margarine spreadable.
Palm oil has a natural preservative effect which extends the shelf life of food products.
Palm oil is used for frying in many countries especially in Asia. Although it has numerous health benefits, the side effects too are equal in number which cannot be ruled out. The oil palm tree is the supplier of Palm oil. The other names given to this particular oil is African Palm Oil and Crude Palm Oil Palm.
This oil, primarily constitutes of Beta-carotene, Vitamin E and saturated & unsaturated fats.
Palm oil contains as much saturated fat as butter. But this oil helps prevention of deficiencies like Vitamin A and also fights cancer and brain diseases due to aging.
Palm oil facilitates in treating malaria, high blood pressure, and controlling high cholesterol.
Palm oil is used for increasing the metabolic rate in human body and helps in weight loss too.
Palm oil is a common cooking ingredient in the tropical belt of Southeast Asia, Africa, and some parts of Brazil.
Palm oil is a common ingredient used in a range of products.
Palm oil is the most consumed vegetable oil on the planet.
The fruit of the oil palm tree grows in tropical climates and it is mainly found in Malaysia and Indonesia. 85% currently comes from here but new plantations are springing up in Africa and Latin America.
The food industry is responsible for 72% world wide usage of palm oil. Cosmetics and cleaning products are responsible for a further 18% usage whilst 10% globally is used for biofuels and animal feed.
In food, it's the fat ingredient in things like biscuits and margarine. In soap and cosmetics, it’s used as a fat to increase the thickness or viscosity of a product and it helps skin to retain moisture.
Palm oil and its derivatives is often masked under 200 different names in ingredients lists. More obviously it may be listed as palm kernel, palmitic acid or even simply as vegetable oil.
Palm oil is used because it’s economical to grow. The whole of the palm fruit is used, both the flesh and the stone, to make oil, so it’s about 10 times as productive as a soya bean or rapeseed. Plus, it is a super efficient crop which means it’s something like nine times more productive per hectare than the next most productive oil.
Also, it does not require as many fertilisers and pesticides.
Palm oil is also used because it is semi solid at room temperature. Other vegetable oils have to be partially hydrogenated to make them more solid but in food process creates trans fats or trans fatty acids, which raise cholesterol.
Since palm oil has a high melting point of 35oC, it is a semi-solid at room temperature.
Palm oil is considered to be healthier than other vegetable oils since it doesn’t contain Trans Fatty Acids (TFA). This is because it is semi solid at room temperature. Other vegetable oils have to be partially hydrogenated to make them more solid but in food process creates trans fats or trans fatty acids, which raise cholesterol.
Palm oil is resistant to oxidation therefore it gives a longer shelf life to bakery products. Oil oxidation is a chemical reaction involving oxygen that degrades the quality of oil. Oxidation produces rancidity in the oil, giving it an off flavour and smell.
Palm oil is smooth and creamy in texture making it the perfect ingredient for chocolates and spread
Unlike other vegetable oils, palm oil is odourless and colourless, making it the perfect ingredient for edible as well as non-edible products such as lipsticks
Palm oil has a natural preservative effect allowing the products to retain their flavours and structure for a longer period of time
Palm oil helps to increase the viscosity of a product which in turn helps the skin to retain moisture
Palm oil is stable at high temperature so it helps to give fried products a crispy and crunchy texture.
Palm oil in food:
Biscuits/Cookies -
Palm oil helps to ‘shorten’ the dough which results in a crumbly and melt-in-the-mouth texture.
Palm oil helps to produce cookies that are softer in texture and more compact. Cookies and biscuits made with palm oil are considered to be healthier than other cookies/biscuits produced with other vegetable oils because it is free from Trans Fatty Acids (TFA).
Bread -
Since palm oil is solid at room temperature and a cheap ingredient, it is commonly used for baking.
Palm oil improves the loaf volume and helps to keep the bread soft.
Breakfast bar -
Palm oil keeps breakfast bars from melting during transport and is a healthier alternative to hydrogenated oils.
Butter/Margarine -
Palm oil prevents butter and margarine from oxidation. Oil oxidation is a chemical reaction involving oxygen that degrades the quality of oil contributing to off flavour and smell.
Palm oil provides consistency, texture ad structure.
Palm oil is solid at room temperature and has no trans fats.
Cake -
Since palm oil has high oxidative stability it improves the shelf life of cake.
Palm oil also helps to improve the texture of the cake by making them softer and airier and increases the moistness and volume of the cake.
Cereal -
Palm oil helps to keep the cereal crunchy and fresh.
Chocolate/Chocolate spread -
Palm oil gives a smooth and shiny appearance to chocolate and chocolate spread. Also, it helps to stop it melting as easily in warmer temperatures.
Cracker -
Palm oil is used to give crackers a creamy texture and flavour.
Crisps -
Since palm oil is cheaper to produce compared to other vegetable oils, potato chips/crisps are fried in it and palm oil helps to make them more crispy.
Doughnut -
Palm oil is used to fry doughnuts.
Dried nuts -
Palm oil is used to roast nuts because it is the cheapest vegetable oil.
Dry/canned soup -
Palm oil functions as a natural preservative in processed meals.
Fast food -
Palm oil enhances the taste of processed food.
Palm oil is also used for frying because it has a high melting point.
Palm oil also leads to fast food being less greasy.
Frozen meal -
Palm oil is added to frozen meals to prevent them from sticking and it functions as a natural preservative in processed meals.
Frozen waffle and pancake -
Palm oil is used as it is cheaper than other vegetable oils.
Gravy granules -
Palm oil gives a thick consistency to the gravy when hot water is added to the granules.
Ice cream -
Palm oil increases the melting point for ice cream.
Palm oil also provides a suitable replacement for dairy fats as they help give ice cream a thicker consistency wile keeping it smooth and creamy.
Infant formula -
Palm oil is used in infant formula to replicate a fatty acid that is present in human breast milk.
Palm oil is the primary fat present in instant formula.
Palm oil is also used to make it creamy in texture.
Instant noodles -
The average pack of instant noodles contains 20% palm oil. The instant noodles are fried in palm oil.
Microwave popcorn -
Palm oil gives a buttery taste to microwave popcorn and helps the kernels to pop.
Non-dairy creamer -
Palm oil aids in giving non-dairy creamer, a creamy flavour and texture.
Peanut butter -
Palm oil keeps the nut oil from separating from the solid part of the nut. Adding the palm oil results in peanut butter that does not require to be stirred and spreads more evenly.
Palm oil is also used to top up the nut content of peanut butter.
Dog food/cat food -
Palm oil is used as fillers as it it both edible and heat resistant, giving it a longer shelf life. Since pet food is heavily processed, palm oil acts as a natural preservative to it.
Pizza base -
Palm oil prevents the dough from sticking and helps to enhance the texture.
Palm oil also adds a crispiness of the pizza base.
Salad dressing -
Palm oil is a very stable oil due to its high content of vitamin E, a natural anti-oxidant.
Stock cube -
Palm oil is added to stock cubes because of its health benefits due to nutrients like carotenoids and vitamin E.
Vegetable shortening -
Palm oil is used in producing vegetable shortening because it is solid at room temperature.
Palm oil also gives a thick texture that makes shortening good for cooking and baking.
Palm oil also allows shortening to be very shelf-stable.
Vitamins -
Superior nutrient profile which makes it useful in vitamins.
Whipping cream -
Palm oil is used in whipping cream because of its superior stability and it has adequate stand-up properties in summer weather.
Palm oil in benefits:
Biofuel -
Palm oil is used as a more sustainable alternative to coal.
Candle -
Palm wax burns cleaner which means that it does not give off lots of soot/smoke into the air. Palm wax has a very hard texture therefore candles can withstand summer heat without bending and melting. Palm wax takes colours easily and holds fragrance well.
Cleaning products -
Palm oil is refined to create soaps, washing powder and other cleaning products. Also, it is used to create synthetic ingredients.
Deodorant -
Palm oil makes deodorants more effective and helps the fragrance to last longer.
Detergent -
Palm oil provides the foaming agent for detergents.
Lipstick -
Palm oil makes the application smoother.
Palm oil does not melt at high temperatures and holds colour well.
Shampoo -
Palm oil provides the foaming agent in shampoo.
Palm oil is efficient in removing dirt and oil from hair.
Conditioner -
Palm oil helps to restore the natural oils stripped away from shampoo.
Skin moisturiser -
Due to its nutrient-dense profile, palm oil is beneficial for skin health.
Palm oil gives the moisturiser anti-aging properties as well as moisture for softer, more supple skin.
Shaving cream -
Palm oil helps to create a thick, stable lather that enfolds follicles and holds them upright.
Soap -
Palm oil helps to make soap more bubbly by providing the foaming agent. which helps to remove dirt and oil.
Sunscreens -
The vitamin E in palm oil protects against UV radiation. Other palm oil derivatives may also be used in sunscreens.
Toothpaste -
Palm oil serves as a wetting agent.
Palm oil derived ingredients are used as a sweetening and foaming agent.
IUPAC names
OILS, PALM
Oils, Palm
Oils, palm
oils, palm
Oils, palm (CTS) (MAN)Palm oil
Palm Oil
Palmöl
SYNONYMS:
oils,palm
palm
Palmacidulatedsoapstock
palmoil(fromfruit)
PALM OIL
PALM BUTTER
GOLDEN PALM OIL
Palm Oil (1 g)
PALM OIL, 1000MG, NEAT
Elaeisguineensisoil
Palmoilrefined
ELAEIS GUINEENSIS (PALM) OIL
Palm Oil (1 g) (AS)
PalM Oil (AS)
PALM(ELAEISGUINEENSIS)OIL
ELAEISGUINEENISOIL
PALMOIL(HARDENED)
INTERESTERIFIEDPALMOIL
REFINEDPALMOIL
PALMFAT
REDPALMOIL
CRUDEPALMOIL
Oele, Palm-
Palm fruit oil
Palm oil – RBD
elaeis oleifera kernel oil
