The Edge Malaysia (05/11/2025) - PALM oil has sustained civilisations for millennia, with its earliest recorded use dating back to 4000 BCE (Before Common Era). 

In its unrefined crude form, palm oil is a nutritional powerhouse, naturally rich in beta-carotene — the vivid red-orange pigment that gives crude palm oil its signature hue. As a precursor to vitamin A, it plays a vital role in supporting healthy vision; (contains) vitamin E, including both tocopherols and tocotrienols — potent antioxidants that help protect cells from oxidative stress; and squalene and coenzyme Q10 — compounds linked to cellular health, energy metabolism, and skin vitality.

In West and Central Africa — where the oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) originates — crude red palm oil is still traditionally produced in artisan style. The fruits are cooked, pressed, and bottled for direct sale and home use. This traditional form retains its full spectrum of beta-carotene and vitamin E, and its continued use may contribute to lower rates of lifestyle-related diseases when (it becomes) part of a minimally processed, whole-food, plant-rich eating pattern.

Yet this traditional oil, with its bold flavour and deep colour, may not meet the sensory expectations of modern consumers. For contemporary kitchens, crude palm oil is typically refined, bleached, and deodorised (RBD), then fractionated to separate its liquid and solid components. The outcome is refined palm olein — a light-yellow liquid fraction that serves as the standard cooking oil in many parts of the world. While the vibrant red hue and some nutrients are lost in the process, roughly half of the vitamin E content remains.

The Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) patented a nutrient-preserving process for red palm olein in 1999, later commercialised by Carotino Sdn Bhd under the leadership of chemical engineer UR Unnithan. The process employs short path distillation — a technically advanced method that gently retains heat-sensitive nutrients such as carotenes and tocotrienols, maintaining their potency while minimising thermal degradation. This precision technique requires significant investment and operational expertise, contributing to the higher cost of red palm olein compared to conventional cooking oils.

Global rise of red palm oil

Carotino Red Palm Oil was launched in 2001, but local consumer uptake in Malaysia was initially slow. The oil’s premium price and bold red color — unfamiliar to many — posed sensory and psychological barriers. In contrast, European and North American markets showed greater curiosity, especially among health-conscious consumers and culinary enthusiasts.

Over time, more Malaysian companies began producing short path distillation red palm olein. This method, though costly to invest in and operate, yields a product with superior nutritional integrity.

The turning point came with the metabolic health revolution beginning around 2010, marked by growing public concern over obesity, diabetes, and chronic inflammation. This shift — fuelled by research, wellness movements, and the rise of health influencers — sparked renewed interest in functional foods. In regions where palm oil had long been viewed with skepticism, red palm oil emerged as a contender, praised for its antioxidant profile and compared favourably to olive oil and avocado oil.

Back home in Malaysia, consumer attitudes began to shift in parallel. Interest in red palm oil grew as awareness of its health benefits spread and global validation lent credibility.

Smart valorisation and supplement markets

In Malaysia, companies began extracting beta-carotene and tocotrienols from palm oil for use in nutraceuticals and supplements. Some biodiesel producers also tapped into this opportunity: during the processing of crude palm oil for fuel, they extracted carotene-rich fractions. This smart valorisation allowed the recovered nutrients — especially beta-carotene and vitamin E — to be used in fortifying RBD palm olein, creating a more affordable version of red palm oil.

However, this approach has limitations. There is no multiplier effect — each tonne of crude palm oil yields just enough carotene to fortify one tonne of RBD palm olein. While cost-effective, this method lacks the full spectrum of phytonutrients preserved in short path distillation oils.

Regulatory pressure and ultra-processed concerns

In response to European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) regulations, limits were imposed on two harmful contaminants: 3-MCPD (2.5 ppm) and glycidyl esters (GE, 1 ppm), effective Jan 1, 2021. These compounds are genotoxic, with 3-MCPD linked to male infertility and GE to carcinogenicity. The MPOB followed suit, but implementation has been repeatedly delayed — from 2021 to 2023, then 2025, and now 2026.

At present, many RBD palm olein products exceed these thresholds — 3MCPD levels are one–to-two times the limit, and GE levels are four-to-seven times higher. In contrast, short path distillation red palm oil shows far lower contamination: only 5% of the 3MCPD limit and 20% of the GE limit, making it a cleaner choice.

As MPOB’s director general recently stated in The Edge, “No blanket extension for 3-MCPDE licensing, only case-by-case leeway” (see: https://theedgemalaysia.com/node/769784) — suggesting that full compliance is expected by 2026.

Meanwhile, fortifying RBD palm olein with extracted carotene places the product within the realm of ultra-processed foods (UPF). In Europe and North America, concerns about UPF are mounting, with growing evidence linking them to metabolic disorders and poor health outcomes.

Standards and market clarity

At present, no formal standard exists for red palm oil under MPOB, PORAM, or Malaysian Standards. This regulatory vacuum creates confusion for consumers and opens the door to misleading product claims — such as soybean or canola oils fortified with palm carotene being marketed as “red soybean” or “red canola”. Without clear definitions, the integrity of red palm oil risks dilution.

In contrast, the original Natural Red Palm Olein, produced via short path distillation, offers a clean, refined, and nutritionally rich product. Though it commands a higher price, it earns its premium through superior quality and safety. Think of it as the business class of cooking oils: limited in availability, yet elevating the reputation of the entire category. Just as economy passengers may choose an airline known for its premium offering, the presence of this flagship product enhances the image and credibility of the palm oil sector.

Production remains limited and is likely to remain so, but its very existence sends a positive signal — that palm oil can meet the highest standards of health, safety, and refinement.

Malaysia’s red palm oil landscape

Today, only two short path distillation (SPD) plants remain operational in Malaysia: the pioneering facility by Carotino Sdn Bhd, and a second plant commissioned in 2019 by Profes Lipids Sdn Bhd, built by chemical engineer Wong Seong. The latter markets its SPD red palm oil under the Harvist brand.

Interestingly, Unitata Bhd — a subsidiary of United Plantations Bhd (KL:UTDPLT) — has been producing red palm oil since 1988, well before the adoption of SPD technology. Their product, Nutrolein Golden Palm Oil, is derived from a specially bred oil palm variety with fruitlets exceptionally rich in carotenoids (pro-vitamin A) and vitamin E compounds (tocopherols and tocotrienols). Through a gentle refining process, Unitata retains much of these nutrients, yielding a red palm oil with a quality profile comparable to SPD oils, though achieved via a different method.

While Nutrolein has traditionally been export-oriented, it is now beginning to appear in local Malaysian markets, offering consumers a premium, nutrient-rich alternative that reflects decades of agronomic and processing innovation.

Conclusion: Protecting the flagship

To safeguard the image and future of palm oil, it is vital to recognise Natural Red Palm Olein (SPD and its equivalent) as the sector’s flag carrier — a symbol of what palm oil can be at its best. Formal standards for red palm oil (RPO) are urgently needed to:

Define product categories;

Prevent misrepresentation;

Guide consumer trust; and

Support premium positioning.

By establishing clear benchmarks, Malaysia can lead not only in production but in quality assurance and global credibility. The time to act is now.

Malaysia has the science, the heritage, and the opportunity. Let red palm oil shine — clean, credible, and world-class.

Qua Kiat Seng is an adjunct senior lecturer at Monash University Malaysia, where he teaches in the short course on oils and fats processing.

Read more at https://theedgemalaysia.com/node/777584