22/12/05 (soyatech.com)  -  A 'roundtable' panel concluded that palm oil, coconut oil and interesterified oils could provide a reasonable alternative to hydrogenated oils containing trans fats, after examining the oils' functionality in food products and their possible impact on consumer health.

Trans fats have been linked to raised blood cholesterol levels and heart disease, so many manufacturers have been replacing the hydrogenated fats (which contain trans fatty acids) in their products with oils such as palm oil. In the US manufacturers are hoping to replace trans fats before new labelling laws come into effect on 1st January 2006, which require an indication of the trans fat content on the label.

Palm oil is a naturally occurring saturated fat, and saturated fats (including palm oil) have previously been associated with negative health effects. However the scientific data regarding the health effects of palm oil have been inconsistent. The Malaysian-owned palm oil supplier 'Loders Croklaan', was so convinced that palm oil was not as detrimental to health as its reputation suggested, it funded a multi-disciplinary 'roundtable' panel of experts to investigate the issue. This panel was headed by Dennis Bier of the Baylor College of Medicine. Personnel from Loders Croklaan were blocked from taking part in the 'roundtable'.

The panel concluded that mono- and polyunsaturated fats were superior to saturated fats. They also concluded that palm oil and coconut oil may be reasonable natural replacements for oils containing trans fats, as were fats and oils modified by interesterification. The panel was unable to recommend either palm oil or interesterified oils as being better than the other.

Currently over 26 million tons of palm oil is produced worldwide, with Malaysia being the largest supplier and Indonesia the second largest. Palm oil is an appealing alternative to trans fats as it has a long shelf life without the need for chemical processing (eg. hydrogenation) and its price is competitive. (From Nutra Ingredients Europe)

Environmental group Friends of the Earth (FoE) is calling on manufacturers to ensure that they obtain their palm oil from sustainable sources. FoE reports that palm oil production is often associated with rainforest destruction and human rights abuses in south-east Asia. Of particular concern to the group is the fact that palm oil production is wiping out the habitat of the orang-utan in Indonesia and Malaysia, threatening the species with extinction.

RSSL's Lipids Laboratory can determine the fatty acid profile of all dietary fats and oils including trans fats. For more information please contact Customer Services on Freefone 0800 243482 or e-mail enquiries@rssl.com

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