Popular Products That Contain Palm Oil
What do your detergent, lunch, and toothpaste all have in common? Find out about some of the most popular products that contain palm oil.
Studies show that the average human consumes around 17 pounds of palm oil yearly. It’s a number that is consistently rising as the demand for the oil increases.
For an ingredient so widely used, shouldn’t you know where it is coming from? That’s why we’ve put together a list of products that contain palm oil.
What products contain palm oil?
Over 73 million metric tons of this oil are produced yearly around the globe. Chances are, you’ve already interacted with products containing palm oil today. Here are a few major products you’ll need to look out for.
● Packaged Bread
● Soap
● Biodiesel
● Chocolate
● Biscuits
● Soap
● Ice Cream
● Detergent
● Margarine
● Shampoo
● Pizza dough
What is Palm Oil?
Palm oil is an edible cooking oil made from the beautiful red-orange fruit of oil palms (Elaeis guineensis). It is an incredibly productive crop, offering a far greater yield than other vegetable oils.
Two types of palm oil can be produced from the fruit: palm kernel oil and crude oil. Palm kernel oil is harvested by crushing the kernel in the center of the fruit. The crude oil is harvested by squeezing the fruit.
Found in everything from beauty products to biofuel, Palm oil is one of the most versatile ingredients in the entire world. But at what cost?
Why is Palm Oil bad for the environment?
The reason palm oil is so bad for the environment is not specifically for its ingredients or health implications but rather the destructive harvesting required to obtain it. Even though it is more productive than other crops per square kilometer, palm oil production is one of the major causes of deforestation worldwide.
Oil palms are only grown in the tropics. Think about how surrounding ecosystems are affected by these oil palm plantations. Malaysia and Indonesia are the biggest palm oil producers.
They are also the only remaining home to critically endangered Orangutans. It is estimated that 1,000 to 5,000 Orangutans are killed every year through palm oil deforestation and concessions.
Why not just substitute palm oil for different vegetable oil?
Substituting other vegetable oils for palm oil is not the solution. Since Palm oil is one of the most productive vegetable oil crops, it would be hard to replace it entirely with a less abundant crop.
Since the less abundant crops require more land to make up for the production gap, any substitution would be counterproductive to the current environmental issue. The solution is to produce sustainable palm oil that neither interferes with the ecosystems of endangered animals nor supports unethical supply chains.
Before you go…
In 2004, Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) was formed to establish more ethical practices for palm oil harvesting. This group set a global standard for Palm oil to help ensure oil palm growers protect the environment. Rest assured, any products you buy with RSPOs certification come from ethically sourced plantations and sustainable alternatives.
