Well let’s do a quick Google search on Malaysian Palm oil. This is something that I did before attending the event organised by the Malaysian Palm Oil Corporation last month.
Well the results you ask me? Do a quick search and you’ll suddenly become aware of the string on negative comments and media around the humble palm. MPOC organised a bloggers event to build awareness about the widespread use of palm oil and they also spoke about the misconceptions associated with it.
Now take a quick look around your house and you realize that pretty much everything contains this golden oil in some form or the other.
It is commonly used in the following products that are a quintessential part of our everyday activities:
- Margarine
- Vanaspati
- Shortening
- Soap
- Personal Care Products ( creams, lotion )
- Chocolate
- Ice cream, the list is endless…
About Palm Oil
Palm oil is known to be the world’s first certified sustainable vegetable oil and about 35% of the world’s palm oil is from Malaysia. There are other countries around the world that produce palm oil and due to negligence on their part, the image of palm oil has been tattered over the years. People tend to sieve through the fact that palm oil in Malaysia is produced in compliance with Good Agricultural Practices and Internationally recognized sustainability standards. They have ensured that they are doing their part to conserve and preserve the wildlife species in the area.
Forms of Palm Oil
- Red Palm Oil (abundant in carotenoids) is commonly used as a cooking oil.
- Palm Oil used in food formulations. It can be fractioned into Palm Olein and Palm Stearin.
- Palm Olein(abundant in monounsaturated oleic acid) is the primary cooking oil used in many regions of the world
- Palm Stearin (trans-free) is used in bakery and pastry items
Benefits
- Great for frying due to its high heat stability an resistance to oxidation
- Nutritionally balanced oil
- Produces less volatile components
- Resistant to spoilage, Longer shelf life
- Contains Vitamin E tocotrienols
- Stable at high temperature
- Retains the flavour of food
- Less oil absorption in food
- Free of trans-fay
- Non GMO
The bloggers meet saw close to 30 bloggers from different interests area (food, fashion ,lifestyle) all gathered on a Sunday morning to learn more about palm oil.
We started off with a short but detailed presentation by Bhavna, Country Representative for MPOC, India and Sri Lanka who touched upon the various trends and misconceptions associated with the palm oil industry in Malaysia. This was followed by a short Q&A session and culminated in a presentation by renowned nutritionist Dr.Meera Mehta, Vice President of India Dietetic Association who emphasized on the uses of Palm oil and the health benefits associated with usage of oil in cooking.
MPOC is looking at conservation of biodiversity and wildlife through various forums like wildlife conservation projects, special protection for endangered animals, spreading awareness among the oil palm manager and creating special wildlife corridors.
The event was extremely well organised and it was wonderful interacting with Bhavna and the Six Sigma team.
Website: http://www.mpoc.org.in/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Malaysian-Palm-Oil-Council-MPOC-India-170257993152026/?fref=ts
