26/08/2005 (The Star) - THE Malaysian Palm Oil Promotion Council (MPOPC)is joining hands with South African scientists to initiate programmesaimed at developing further applications of red palm oil.

MPOPC chief executive officer Datuk Harun Siraj said the programme wasinitially targeted at improving vitamin A intake of schoolchildren throughthe supply of red palm oil-based cookies.

"We are looking at creating the sustainability of the product throughcommunity work. "

"The commercial aspect of it will be forthcoming," he said at pressconference in Subang Jaya yesterday.

He said the programme was aimed at enhancing the nutritional quality aswell as safety of red palm oil and finally, developing the market for itworldwide.

Also involved in the project are Malaysian supplier of red palm oilCarotino Sdn Bhd and South African food manufacturer Pioneer Foods.

Harun said a group of South African scientists, headed by Dr SpinnlerBernade of Cape Peninsula University of Technology, had developed abanana-flavoured spread fortified with red palm oil in a project to reduceVitamin A deficiency, particularly in rural areas of that country.

The product has been approved by South Africa's Department of Health andwas launched in April.

Harun said Dr Bernade would continue his research, focusing on thepotential benefits of red palm oil to the body's immune system.

Carotino executive director U.R Unnithan said the company startedcollaborating with the Medical Research Council of South Africa andMalaysian Palm Oil Board in 1996.

"Over the last seven years, Carotino has come up with innovative productsand tested them through extensive nutritional intervention studies inSouth Africa."

"Through the collaboration, the company has come up with biscuits, spreadand muffins under the brand Carotino," he said.

He said the Carotino spread had been commercialised by Pioneer Foods, oneof the largest food companies in South Africa, and being used as anutritional spread on bread for school children.

At present, Carotino is the only branded cooking oil from Malaysia that isavailable in countries like the US, Britain and Japan.

On crude palm oil prices, Harun said he expected the price to hover atRM1,400 per tonne over the next three months and pick up towards the endof the year.

"However, we doubt it will be higher than RM1,600 per tonne," he said.