06/02/2013 (Ingredients Network) - IOI Loders Croklaan, who supply sustainable palm oil, says that it is anticipating ongoing growth in the use of sustainable palm oil in Europe. Consumer demand for pure and natural products looks set to continue, according to the company,and food manufacturers can easily respond to this by using palm oil that has been produced in a sustainable way.

In order to prepare for the expected growth, IOI Loders Croklaan Europe has again set ambitious goals for itself in terms of sustainability. In 2013, the company plans to increase its volumes of certified sustainable palm oil to 30% of total sales. IOI Loders Croklaan’s sustainable oil is primarily produced by its parent company, IOI Group in Malaysia. The Group expects to have the last of its plantations certified according to the standards of the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) by the end of the year.

In 2010, IOI Loders Croklaan says that it became the first company to offer the European market RSPO-certified palm oil. As of 2012, all of the company’s palm oil products became available as new, alternative versions that are certified according to the ‘RSPO Mass Balance’ system. IOI Loders Croklaan Europe already offers some products that are certified according to the even stricter ‘RSPO Segregated’ system.

“As the largest importer of sustainable palm oil in Europe, we offer a wide range of RSPO certified palm oil products, for both food and non-food markets,” said Hidde van Kersen, IOI Loders Croklaan sustainability director. “With our supply chain stretching from the plantations to the refineries, we know the origin of our oils. This gives us the best position to help our customers implement their sustainable sourcing strategies.”

IOI Loders Croklaan Europe has set a number of other sustainability-related goals for the coming year, including reducing its operational energy consumption by an additional 2%.