14/08/2012 (The Star) - The attacks on palm oil have taken many forms over the years. The latest anti-palm oil challenge is from an industrious French Ph.D student in geochemistry Andrien Gontier who decided to try living “palm-oil-free” for a year.

Apparently, he managed to do so with some difficulty especially when palm oil derivatives can found in many food items and household products on the shelves of supermarkets across France and the rest of Europe.

Gontier, who planned to produce a thesis later, has written a guidebook with receipes on how to stay clear of palm oil products.

Apparently, his petition seems to be getting rave reviews by the French community.

According to industry consultant MR Chandran, it is ironic that the new generation of Europeans, in particular the French, Danish, Belgians and Dutch whose forefathers were pioneers in the 19th and 20th century in developing oil palm plantations on pristine forest lands in West Africa, Malaysia, Congo and Indonesia - are aggressively embarking on campaigns to boycott the product on the basis of manipulated perception such as deforestation, the “killing” of orang utans and misuse of science i.e. consumer health.

In France currently, it is believed that 44% of its population has a negative perception on palm oil.

For example, the attack on Nutella, a popular chocolate hazelnut spread by Ferrero Co, can also be considered pathetic - just because it contains palm oil and was the top selling brand of Ferrero in France!

Ferrero, was sued in a class action lawsuit and had to pay US$3mil (up to US$4 for each jar returned by customers) in a settlement which claimed that Nutella's promotion had led consumers to believe that it carries nutritional and health benefits.

According to the lawsuit's settlement in 2012, Ferrero must change Nutella's labeling and some marketing statements.

It must also remove television commercials and its website must clear any misleading nutritional and health claims.

This episode is definitely another wake up call for palm oil producers. Can Malaysia, as one of the world's largest palm oil producers and exporters, find an effective solution to remedy such negativity in Europe or France specifically?

Perhaps the best way will be to counter the allegations with scientific facts that are documented and researched.

This will also mean that Malaysia needs to be more media-savvy, engaging both traditional and social media to spread the message on the goodness of palm oil.

It is also important for Malaysia to look at the allegation constructively via self mitigation measures to correct or adjust certain issues in the past.

One thing for sure, the Malaysian Palm Oil Board CEO Tan Sri Dr Yusof Basiron has recently said the growing world population simply cannot live without palm oil given its sheer availibity and ability to supply with less land intensive source compared with other world vegetable oils. Malaysia currently supply about 60% of world export market.