01/04/2011 (India Infoline.com) - A leading exporter of palm oil-based products to Japan said the country's consumption of the cooking oil remains steady for now, despite the devastating earthquake and tsunami on March 11, but demand could potentially increase in the longer term. Japan consumes around 2.3 million-2.5 million tons of vegetable oils include soya oil, rapeseed oil and palm oil.

Palm oil, a key ingredient in consumer products ranging from instant noodles and cooking oils to margarine and ice cream, is an alternative to oils that have been treated to increase the shelf-life of food products, as it is naturally stable even at room temperatures. Palm oil is higher in the saturated fats believed to contribute to various health problems than many rival vegetable oils, but transfats have been found to pose far greater risks to consumers' health.

Now that regulators and consumer agencies have started to publicize the risks, palm oil is gaining an advantage over rival oils that have been partially hydrogenated to improve stability.