4/10/05 New York (FT.com) - Procter & Gamble is turning to palm oil andcoconut plantations in Asia as an alternative ingredient to make its Tidelaundry detergent and Head & Shoulders shampoos, as the world’s largestconsumer goods company makes a strategic bet on the future cost of crudeoil.

The company says it wants to shift by up to 20 per cent its reliance oncrude oil to make so-called surfactants - a key ingredient in detergents -within three to five years.