16/07/2008 (Flexsnews) - Dutch retailer Royal Ahold N.V. plans to use sustainable palm oil for all own label products sold at its Dutch Albert Heijn supermarkets and Etos health and beauty care stores by 2015.

Around 40% of Etos' and Albert Heijn's own label products currently list palm oil as one of their ingredients, according to the group.

One of the largest food retailers in the world, Ahold is a member of the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil. The company acknowledged the importance of sourcing palm oil that is “produced and used in a sustainable manner based on economic, social and environmental viability” in its 2007 Corporate Social Responsibility report.

In May, food and beverage giant Unilever announced its own plan to have all the palm oil it uses in Europe fully traceable by 2012, following protest by environmental activists at a number of the group's plants, as reported on FLEXNEWS.