28/08/2009 (Deforestration Watch) - Gabe Mirkin MD writing in Dr Mirkin.com in tracing the history of the anti-palm oil lobbies writes: “In the 1980s, the American soybean industry was worried that foreign tropical oils would replace their oils and take money from the American farmer.”

“So a public relations firm working for the American soybean industry was concerned that "tropical" oil sales were going to surpass soybean oil as the number one fat. So many foods appeared with the label "contains no tropical oils." Later the U.S. Federal Trade Commission made that label illegal because there was an implied health claim that tropical oils are harmful and there is no evidence to back it up." I

In fact, the total amount of tropical oils in the U.S. diet was about 2%; substituting the most unsaturated fat would have a negligible effect on serum cholesterol. The whole issue was a trade war and not about health effects,” he said.

Dr Mirkin continues: “Palm oil is used in foods for functional reasons. It is excellent for shortening because it does not get rancid easily, it produces flaky pastry and good color on fried foods, and it does not give a greasy feel to crackers. It is difficult to substitute most other vegetable oils for palm oil because their polyunsaturated fats have a short shelf life. To prolong the shelf life, manufacturers convert soybean oil in your food to partially hydrogenated which is harmful to your health because it may increase your risk for a heart attack and certain cancers.”

Olive oil has long been considered the alternative oil of choice for those concerned with watching their cholesterol. Its healthful reputation has been based, in part, on studies that show Mediterranean populations, who consume olive oil as their main dietary fat, have lower incidences of heart disease.

However in recent years, Americans, including some major players in the food industry, are discovering red palm olein, a liquid derivative of palm oil, as a more nutritious, healthful and versatile alternative.
When Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced that from January 1 2010, all 88,000 restaurants in the state of California will be prohibited from using oil, margarine and shortening containing trans fats, palm oil imports and consumption in the United States have been steadily climbing. Retail baked goods have an additional 1-year grace period until January 1 2011. Packaged food, however, are exempted.

In New York, all bakeries and restaurants in the city have since July 1 been ordered to stop using hydrogenated oils in crackers, candies, cookies, snack foods and deep-fried desserts. Philadelphia and Seattle are two other cities to have done the same.

The rising palm oil consumption in the US is helped, in part, by the US government's move to mandate declaration of saturated fat and trans fat levels separately on nutritional labels from January 1 2006.

According to the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC), consumers in the States have increasingly accepted the benefits of switching to palm oil.  The oil in its natural form does not contain any trans fat and thus, is a healthy alternative fat for making bakery shortenings, confectionery fats and margarine that go into baked and processed foods like chocolates and cookies.

Says MPOC deputy chief executive officer Dr Kalyana Sundram: “Palm oil nutrition awareness is gaining momentum there”.

Dr. Sundram along with Brandeis University biomedical scientist Dr KC Hayes and the Malaysian Palm oil Board patented a fat blend that uses up to 50 per cent palm oil which
is licensed to NASDAQ listed Smart Balance Inc.  Last year alone, Smart Balance posted US$160 million (RM521.60 million) in margarine sales alone. While it is not the No.1 margarine brand in the US, Smart Balance is fast eating into its rivals' market share because the patented blend is scientifically proven to help improve cholesterol ratios.

Dr Sundram estimates that the Americans increasing appetitite could account for one million tons next year compared to the current consumption of 45,000 tons. He says, “A million tonnes is not much because it is less than three per cent of the total edible oils consumption there. There is still tremendous growth potential.”

In the view of Deforestation Watch, the latest strategy used by the anti-palm oil lobbies in recruiting “environmental organizations” like the Palm Oil Action Group, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth (FOE) and the Rainforest Action Network (RAN) to paint the palm oil industry in Malaysia and Indonesia as responsible for massive deforestation and the impending extinction of the orang utan is just phase 2 of the continuing trade war against palm oil.  Just as Phase 1 (accusing palm oil of being hazardous to heart health) failed, this latest gambit Phase 2 will also fail for the simple reason that it is not grounded on the truth.  As always, the truth will prevail!