What is Palm Oil?
Palm Oil comes from the Elaeis Guineensis plant which originated in West Africa and grows abundantly in hot, wet climates. It is the most widely produced oil in the world (eclipsing soybean oil) with around 90% of all palm oil, coming from Indonesia and Malaysia. Palm Oil is a high yielding crop which takes between 3-4 years to mature and produce fruit. The palm fruit itself, develops in bunches which can grow in excess of 10 kilograms, and contain hundreds of individual fruits about the size of a small plum or apricot. When the fruit is harvested, palm oil is extracted from the flesh of the fruit and palm kernel oil is produced by squeezing the oil from the internal seed. It’s an incredibly versatile oil which is used in roughly 50% of items found on supermarket shelves including cleaning products, shampoos, soaps, candles, food items, vegetable oils, toothpaste and even bio-fuels.
What is the RSPO?
The RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) was established in 2004 to promote the production and use of sustainable palm oil for people, planet and prosperity. The RSPO website states there are 8 principles for growers to be RSPO certified.
- commitment to transparency
- compliance with applicable laws and regulations
- commitment to long term economic and financial viability
- use of appropriate best practices by growers and millers
- environmental responsibility and conservation of natural resources and biodiversity
- responsible consideration of employees and of individuals and communities affected by growers and mills
- responsible development of new plantings
- commitments to continuous improvement in key areas of activity
But a manufacturer can claim to be a member of the RSPO without actually sourcing certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO), so consumers need to be aware that just because RSPO is mentioned in brand statements, it doesn’t mean that brand is always using certified sustainable oil. Currently there are only 4-5 palm oil companies (out of about 90 RSPO companies) whose palm oil can legitimately be traced back to a sustainable plantation with 100% certainty. Some of the biggest palm oil companies in the world are RSPO members including Grail, Sonar Mas, Willmar, and Unilever but investigations on the ground suggest some companies are NOT adhering to their promised commitments, and are continuing to pull down virgin rainforest. Under RSPO guidelines, a palm oil company must not develop new plantations on forested areas that have been cleared after 2005 and are not to use burning to clear forested areas. Both are still happening. Rainforests continue to be cleared at a staggering rate of 300 football fields an hour. Look it’s true that the RSPO has brought much needed publicity to the issue, but until all companies start producing certified sustainable palm oil, which is 100% traceable, it’s difficult to have trust in any of the RSPO companies. Also we have to understand that consumer pressure for companies to demand certified sustainable palm oil is a powerful force. The RSPO is definitely a step in the right direction but consumers need to dig deeper into company history and ask the right questions, to get a true indication of the company’s commitment to certified sustainable palm oil. For example companies may say…
“We use minimal palm oil ingredients in our products”
Most companies state their minimal use but if you combine all these companies together, you begin to see a more accurate picture.
Ask the company what they consider to be minimal use. Many will give a percentage of worldwide usage. This way it looks like a tiny amount, For example, one company stated, “only a small amount (less than 0.05%) of the total 40 million metric tonnes of palm oil produced annually.” However, we calculated this to be around 20 thousand metric ton, so ask how many tons they use per annum.
“We don’t use Palm Oil, we only use derivatives”
It’s astounding how many companies and brands claim they don’t use Palm Oil when the ingredients are clearly derivatives of Palm Oil. We have come across company statements that deny any use of Palm Oil in their products, however, when we question them further them then state they do use the derivatives but not the oil. This is extremely confusing for the consumer.
It must be understood that a derivative of Palm Oil IS Palm Oil usage. It’s the same thing. You can dress it up with all manner of disguises but palm oil and palm oil derivatives are PALM OIL.
Sometimes companies will say…
“The company supports the production of sustainable palm oil and is a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)”
Remember even though a company is a member of the RSPO it does not necessarily mean that they are purchasing certified sustainable palm oil.
It means they have made a commitment to EVENTUALLY purchase sustainable palm oil, in most cases that commitment is to be in place by 2015.
What’s wrong with Palm Oil?
There are a multitude of issues here. Firstly palm oil itself is full of saturated fat and widely believed by most health experts to be bad for your health. But from an environmental point of view, the way in which palm oil is farmed and manufactured, leads to the destruction of the orangutan’s rainforest habitat. Because this mono culture is at odds with existing Malaysian and Indonesian rainforest ecosystems, it is also destroying the biodiversity of the region. The establishment of palm oil plantations on top of existing peat soils, which were until recently covered by peat swamp forests, leads to the release of massive amounts of greenhouse gas emissions. Due to increasing demand for palm oil, virgin rainforests are being decimated at a staggering rate, leaving orangutans nowhere to live. Displaced and confused, and having lost their source of food, the orangutans inevitably wander into the plantations, only to be killed by plantation workers, who often view them as pests. There are cases where orangutans have been run over by excavation equipment, doused in petrol and burnt alive, captured, tortured and shot. There are also bounties placed on orangutans because the mothers and babies are valuable on the illegal pet trade.
We should point out here, that much of the rainforest destruction is happening in forests which are already protected habitat. How can that happen you ask? Well some of the logging is illegal and some of it is condoned by authorities. Either way, it is a diabolical situation, with more than 300 football fields of rainforest destroyed every hour in south East Asia to make way for more palm oil plantations.
World Wildlife Fund estimates there are already 20 million hectares of abandoned land in Indonesia that could be used for palm oil plantations, but many palm oil companies “double dip”, but squeezing extra profits from the virgin rainforest timber.
Be a Palm Detective
In Australia and New Zealand, there are only 3 vegetable oils which must, by law, be labelled due to the increasing incidence of food allergies. They are peanut oil, sesame oil and soybean oil.
All other vegetable oils can be labelled as vegetable oil. However, the label must declare the amount of saturated fat in the product.
To simplify, oils fall into 3 main categories:
- Polyunsaturated e.g. sunflower
- Monounsaturated e.g. canola, olive
- Saturated e.g. palm, coconut
Typically, if the label declares “vegetable oil” and is high in saturated fat, then there is a very high likelihood that the oil base is palm oil, with the exception of coconut oil.
PALM SUGAR is NOT Palm Oil. Palm Sugar is manufactured and harvested in a completely different way, so palm sugar is completely safe.
Vegetable Gum is also NOT Palm Oil, so it is also safe.
Isn’t E471 palm oil?
Not always. An E number gives no indication as to the source of the ingredient it came from. E471 is an emulsifier, used to bind our oils & water together so a product does not separate. E471 can come from palm oil, coconut oil, soybean oil, cottonseed oil or canola oil.
Below is a comprehensive list of alternative names for Palm Oil. Unfortunately the list is HUGE, but it is in alphabetical order for easier reference. As it is not always easy to carry around and refer to such a long list, for convenience, you may like to download our Palm Oil Wallet Card containing the more common alternate names for palm oil, as a reference for when you are shopping.
Palm Oil Card
Download our Palm Oil Wallet Card here: Download Front, Download Back
IF YOU WOULD LIKE US TO POST YOU A PALM OIL CARD, PLEASE SEND A STAMPED SELF ADDRESSED ENVELOPE TO –
Palm Oil Card
OFI Australia
PO Box 8940, Gold Coast MC
Bundall Qld 9726
Alternative names for Palm Oil
Acetic and fatty acid esters of glycerol (472a/E472a)
Acetylated Monoglycerides
Alkylamidopropyl betaine
Alkyl alcohol
Alkyl betaine
Alkyl ether sulfate
Alkyl Polyglucoside
Aluminum Myristates/Palmitates
Aluminium stearate
Aluminium, calcium, sodium, magnesium salts of fatty acids (470/E470a; E470b)
Amidopropyl betaine
Ammonium laureth sulphate
Ammonium lauryl sulphate
Amphoteric surfactant
Anionic surfactant
APG
Arachamide mea
Ascorbyl palmitate (304)
Ascorbyl stearate
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate (vitamin C)
Azelaic acid
Beta Carotene
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
BTMS
Butyl Myristate
Butyl stearate
Calcium lactylate
Calcium Myristate
Calcium oleyl lactylate
Calcium stearate
Calcium stearoyl lactylate
CAPB
Capric triglyceride
Caprylic acid
Caprylic / Capric Glycerides
Caprylic triglyceride
Caprylic/capric triglyceride
Caprylic/capric/stearic triglyceride
Capryloyl glycine
Caprylyl glycol
Carboxylic acid soap
Carotene (Sometimes made from palm)
Castile soap (often from palm)
Castor Isostearate Beeswax Succinate
Ceteareth (2-100)
Ceteareth mbsfl laurethulanate
Ceteareth mbhe laurethulanate
Cetearyl alcohol
Cetearyl ethylhexanote
Cetearyl glucoside
Cetearyl isononanoate
Cetearyl and Sorbitan Olivate
Ceteth-20
Ceteth-24
Cetostearyl Alcohol
Cetrimonium Bromide
Cetremonium Chloride
Cetyl acetate
Cetyl alcohol
Cetyl chloride
Cetyl ethylhexanoate
Cetyl hydroxyethylcellulose
Cetyl lactate
Cetyl Myristate
Cetyl octanoate
Cetyl palmitate
Cetylpyridinium chloride
Cetyl ricinoleate
Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide
Cetyltrimethylammonium chloride
Citric and fatty acid esters of glycerol
Cocoa butter equivalent (CBE)
Cocoa butter substitute (CBS)
Cocamide DEA
Cocamide MEA
Cocamidopropyl betaine
Coco-Caprylate
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Coco Polyglucose
Cocoyl Sarcosine
Conditioning emulsifier
Decyl Glucoside
Decyl Myristate
Decyl oleate
Diacetyltartaric acid esters of monoglycerides
Diacetyltartaric and fatty acid esters of glycerol
Dicaprylyl ether
Dicocoylethyl Hydroxyethylmonium Methosulfate
Dihydroxystearic acid
Diisostearyl Malate
Dilinoleic acid
Dipalmitoylethyl hydroxyethylmonium methosulfate
Di-ppg-2 myreth-10 adipate?
Disodium laureth sulfosuccinate
Disodium lauryl sulfosuccinate
Distilled Monoglyceride Palm
Dodecanol
Elaeis guineensis
Emulsifiers: E304, E422, E430, E431, E432, E433, E434, E435, E436, E470, E470a, E470b, E471, E472, E472a, E472b, E472c, E472e, E472f, E473, E474, E475, E476, E477, E478, E479, E480, E481, E482, E483, E493, E494, E495
Emulsifying wax
Epoxidized palm oil (uv cured coatings)
Esterquats
Esters of Myristic Acid
Ethoxylated Lauryl Alcohol
Ethoxylated Monoglycerides
Ethoxylated SMS
Ethoxylated SMO
Ethoxylated STS
Ethyl lauroyl arginate (243)
Ethyl myristate
Ethyl palmitate
Ethylene glycol diesters
Ethylene glycol monoesters
Ethylene glycol monostearate
Ethyl hexyl Esters-2
Ethylhexylglycerin
Ethylhexyl hydroxystearate
Ethylhexyl Isononanoate
Ethylhexyl Myristate
Ethylhexyl Palminate
Ethylhexyl palmitate
Ethylhexyl stearate
Ethylhexylglycerin
Etyl Palmitate
Fatty acids
Fatty acid methyl esters (FAME)
Fatty alcohol alkoxylate
Fatty alcohol sulphates
Fatty amines
Fatty isethionate
FP(K)O – Fractionated Palm Oil
Fractionated Palm Oil
Glycerin
Glycerin or glycerol (442)
Glycerol esters
Glyceryl cocoate
Glyceryl dioleate
Glyceryl Dimyristate
Glyceryl distearate
Glyceryl laurate
Glyceryl Linoleate
Glyceryl monostearate
Glyceryl myristate
Glyceryl oleate
Glyceryl polymethacrylate
Glyceryl Rosinate
Glyceryl stearate
Glyceryl stearate SE
Glycol distearate
Glycol stearate
Guineesis (palm)
Hexadecanoic acid
Hexadecylic
Hexyl laurate
Hexyldecanol
Humectant 422
Humectant glycerol
Hydrated palm glycerides
Hydrogenated palm glycerides
Hydroxy Stearic Linolenic
Isoamyl Laurate
Isobutyl Myristate
Isocetyl alcohol
Isocetyl Myristate
Isocetyl stearate
Isodecyl Myristate
Isodecyl oleate
Isononyl Isononanoate
Isopropyl esters
Isopropyl isostearate
Isopropyl Myristate
Isopropyl palmitate
Isopropyl titanium triisostearate
Isostearamide DEA
Isostearate DEA
Isostearic acid
Isostearyl alcohol
Isostearyl Hydroxystearate
Isostearyl isostearate
Isostearyl Myristate
Isostearyl neopentanoate
Isotridecyl Myristate
Lactic and fatty acid easters of glycerol
Lactylated Monoglycerides
Lauramide DEA
Lauramide MEA
Lauramine oxide
Laureth (Laureth-1, Laureth-2, Laureth-3, Laureth-5, Laureth-6, Laureth-7, Laureth-8, Laureth-9, Laureth-10, Laureth-11, Laureth-12, Laureth-13, Laureth-14, Laureth-15, Laureth-16, Laureth-20, Laureth-21, Laureth-25, Laureth-30, Laureth-38, Laureth-40, Laureth-50)
Lauric acid
Lauroyl Lactylate
Lauroyl Lysine
Lauroyl sarcosine
Lauryl Alcohol
Lauryl Alcohol Ethoxylates
Lauryl betaine
Lauryl dimonium hydrolysed collagen
Lauryl lactate
Lauryl glucoside (from palm)
Lauryl Myristate
Lauryl pyrrolidone
Lauryl Sarcosine
Lecithin
Lecithin Isopropyl Palm Oil
Levulinic Acid
Linoleic acid
Magnesium myristate
Magnesium stearate
Metallic salts of lactylic esters of fatty acids
Methyl Myristate
Mixed tartaric, acetic and fatty acid esters of glycerol
Mono and di-glycerides of fatty acids
Mono glycerides of fatty acids
Monoglyceride citrate
Monopalmitate
Myreth 3 Myrisrate
Myristate
Myristic acid
Myristic Cetrimonium Chloride Acid
Myristoyl
Myristyl myristate
Myristoyl Sarcosine
Myristoyl Sarcosinate
Myristyl alcohol
Myristyl myristate
N-Butyl Esters
Nonionic surfactant
Octadecanoic acid
Octyl palmitate
Octyl stearate
Octyldodecanol
Octyldodecyl myristate
Octydodecyl stearate
Octyldodecyl stearoyl stearate
Oleamide MIPA
Oleic acid
Oleyl betaine
Oleyl Myristate
Oleoyl Sarcosine
Olivem 1000
Oliv-emulse
Oliv-wax LQC
OPKO – Organic Palm Kernel Oil
Palmester
Palm fruit oil
Palmitoleic acid
Palm kernel amidopropyl amine oixde
Palm kernel amidopropyl betaine?
Palm kernel cake
Palm Kernel Diethanolamide
Palm kernel oil
Palm Kernel Olein
Palm Kernel Stearin
Palm oil
Palm olein oil
Palm stearine
Palmate
Palmitate
Palmitamidopropyl betaine
Palmitamidopropyltrimonium chloride
Palmitic acid
Palmitoyl acid
Palmitoyl alcohol
Palmitoyl myristyl serinate
Palm oleic acid
Palmitoyl oligopeptide
Palmitoyl oxostearamide
Palmitoyl tetrapeptide
Palmitoleic acid
Palm Methyl Ester
PBS Base
Palmolein
Palmfonate
Palmosalt
Partially hydrogenated Palm Oil
PEG-150 Distearate
Pentaerythritol tetra caprai caprylate
Pentaerythrityl tetracaprylate/tetracaprate
Pentaerythrityl tetraisostearate
Peptide complex
PG dicaprylate/caprate
PHPKO – Partially hydrogenated Palm Oil
PKO – Palm Kernel Oil
PKO fractionations: Palm Kernel Stearin (PKs); Palm Kernel Olein
PK oleic acid
Planta cleanse
Polyaminopropyl biguanide stearate
Polyethylene (40) stearate (431)
Polyglycerate-60
Polyglycerol esters of fatty acids
Polyglycerol esters of interesterified ricinoleic acid
Polyglycerol-2 oleyl ether
Polyglyceryl-3 dilisostearate
Polyglyceryl-3 Palmitate?
Polyglyceryl-4 isostearate
Polyglyceryl-4 laurate
Polyglyceryl-4 oleyl ether
Polyglyceryl-10 heptahydroxystearate
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Polysorbate 60 or polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monostearate
Polysorbate 65 or polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan tristearate
Polysorbate 80 or polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monoolate
Polysorbate-20
Polysorbate-40
Polysorbate-60
Polysorbate-65
Polysorbate-80
Polysorbate-85
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
Potassium Myristate
Potassium stearate
Propanediol dicaprylate
Propylene Glycol Alginate
Propylene glycol esters of fatty acids
Propylene glycol laurate
Propylene glycol monoester
Propylene Glycol Myristate
Propylene glycol stearate
Retinyl palmitate
Saponified elaeis guineensis
Saturated Fatty acid
Sleareth
SLES
SLS
sodium alkyl sulfate
Sodium cetearyl sulphate
Sodium cocoyl glutamate
sodium cocoyl glycinate
Sodium cocoyl isethionate
Sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate
Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate (SDS or NaDS)
Sodium Isostearoyl Lactylaye
Sodium lactylate; sodium oleyl lactylate; sodium stearoyl lactylate
Sodium laurate
Sodium laurel
Sodium laureth sulfate
Sodium laureth sulphate
Sodium laureth – 1 sulphate
Sodium laureth – 2 sulphate
Sodium laureth – 3 sulphate
Sodium laureth-13 carboxylate
Sodium lauroamphoacetate
Sodium lauroyl lactylate
Sodium lauryl
Sodium lauryl ether sulphate
Sodium lauryl glucose carboxylate
Sodium Lauryl Lactylate/Sulphate
Sodium lauryl sulfate
Sodium lauryl sulfoacetate
Sodium lauryl sulphate
Sodium lauroyl sarcosinate
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Sodium Myristate
Sodium palm kernelate
Sodium palm kerneloyl isethionate
Sodium palmate
Sodium palmitate
Sodium polyarylsulfonate
Sodium stearate
Sodium stearoyl Fumarate
Sodium stearoyl glutamate
Sodium stearoyl lactylate
Sodium Trideceth sulphate
Solubiliser PS20
Sorbitan Caprylate
Sorbitan Cocoate
Sorbitan Diisostearate
Sorbitan Distearate
Sorbitan ester
Sorbitan isotearate
Sorbitan laurate
Sorbitan monoglyceride
Sorbitan monolaurate
Sorbitan monopalmitate
Sorbitan monostearate (491)
Sorbitan oleate
Sorbitan olivate
Sorbitan palmitate
Sorbitan sesquioleate
Sorbitan trioleate
Sorbitan tristearate
Sorbitan tristearate (492)
Sorbitan triglyceride
Stearalkonium bentonite
Stearalkonium chloride
Stearalkonium hectorite
Stearamide MEA
Stearamidopropyl dimethylamine
Steareth-2
Steareth-7
Steareth-10
Steareth-20
Steareth-21
Stearic acid
Stearic acid or fatty acid (570)
Stearoyl sarcosine
Stearyl alcohol
Stearyl dimethicone
Stearyl heptanoate
Stearyl Stearoyl Stearate
Stearyl tartarate
Stearyltrimethylammonium Chloride
Stearoyl lactic acid
Stearoyl Sarcosine
Steartrimonium chloride
Succinylated monoglycerides
Sucrose esters of fatty acids
Sucrose stearate
Sucroseesters of fatty acids
Sulphonated Methyl Esters
Surfactant CCG
Taxanomic
TEA-lauryl sulphate
TEA-stearate
Tetradecyloctadecyl Myristate
TMP esters
Tocotrienols (Vitamin E)
Tocopherols (Vitamin E)
Tocopheryl linoleate
Triacetin
Triacetin (1518)
Tribehenin
Tricaprylin
Tricaprylyl Citrate
Tridecyl Myristate
Trifluoroacetyl Tripeptide-2
Triisostearoyl polyglyceryl-3 dimer dilinoleate
Tristearin
Veg-emulse
Vegetable emulsifier
Vegetable glycerin
Vegetable Oil
Vitamin A palmitate
Vitamin C Ester
Yeast with 491
Zinc Myristate
Zinc stearate