|
The cultivation of oil palm rapidly
increased beginning in the sixties under the government's
agricultural diversification programme which was aimed
at reducing the country's economic dependence on rubber
and tin. In the 1960s, the government introduced land
settlement schemes for planting oil palm as a means
to eradicate poverty for the landless farmers and smallholders.
The oil palm plantations in Malaysia are largely based
on these estate management systems and smallholders
schemes.
Today, 4.05 million hectares of land in Malaysia is
under oil palm cultivation and in 2005 almost 15 million
tonnes of crude palm oil was produced. Malaysia is the
largest producer and exporter of palm oil in the world,
accounting for approximately 30 per cent of the world's
traded edible oils and fats supply. The industry provides
employment to more than half a million people and livelihood
to an estimated one million people.
The oil palm is the most efficient and highest yielding
oil crop. An average yield per hectare of land planted
with oil palm is 3.66 tonnes annually compared to 0.36,
0.46 and 0.60 for soybean, sunflower and rapeseed respectively.
With only 0.4 per cent of the world's population, Malaysia
produces 11per cent of the global vegetable oils and
supplies 29 per cent of export trade in oils and fats.
This is carried out on <2per cent (4 million hectares)
of the total area (216 million hectares) under global
oilseeds cultivation.
The oil palm produces two types of oils; palm oil from
the fibrous mesocarp and palm kernel oil from the kernels.
Although both oils originate from the same fruit, palm
oil is chemically and nutritionally different from palm
kernel oil. It is one of the only two mesocarp
oils available commercially, the other being olive oil.
The Oil
Palm oil, being a vegetable oil,
is cholesterol-free. It is a rich source of vitamin
E which confers natural stability against oxidative
deterioration.
Palm oil has a balanced ratio of unsaturated and saturated
fatty acids. It contains 40 per cent oleic acid
(monounsaturated fatty acid), 10 per cent linoleic acid
(polyunsaturated fatty acid), 45 per cent palmitic acid
and 5 per cent stearic acid (saturated fatty acid).
This composition results in an edible oil that is suitable
for use in a variety of food applications.
Food Applications
Palm oil is a naturally balanced oil that is versatile
and well suited for use in numerous food applications.
Palm oil and its fractions are readily consumed worldwide
as cooking oil either directly or in blended form. It
is widely used in the manufacture of shortenings, margarines,
vegetable ghee and specialty fats in addition to its
use in household and as industrial deep frying oil.
Products made from palm oil do not require hydrogenation,
and are thus free from harmful trans fatty acids.
Non-Food Applications
Oleochemicals: Palm-based oleochemical is a good starting
material for the manufacture of non-edible products
such as soaps, detergents, and other surfactants.
It is natural and renewable. Products made from palm-based
oleochemicals are more readily biodegradable, use less
energy and cause less emissions, hence do not pose a
threat to environment.
Biodiesel: Palm-based bio-diesel can be produced through
a process called transesterification. The process chemically
breaks the fat molecules into two products which are
methyl esters (the chemical name for bio-diesel) and
glycerin. Palm-based bio-diesel has been tested
extensively as diesel substitute in a wide range of
diesel engines including passenger cars, buses and trucks.
|
|
OLIVE OIL has long been touted as the
gold standard among edible oils. Its reputation is largely
based on the lower incidence of heart disease among
the Mediterranean population who have traditionally
consumed olive oil as their main dietary fat.
Another important monounsaturated dietary oil is palm
olein - the liquid fraction of palm oil. Palm olein
is the mainstay of the dietary oil consumed in many
parts of Asia. Palm olein which is available globally,
contains 47 to 53 per cent oleic acid, which is also
found in olive oil and other monounsaturated oils.
Several studies have shown that oleic acid has cholesterol-lowering
properties equal to, or better than, those of polyunsaturates.1,2,3,4
Frying food with
palm olein
Palm olein , by virtue of its fatty acid composition
and high content of vitamin E, is stable even at high
temperatures. When frying food, nothing surpasses palm
olein. It has a proven track record of stability during
frying and hardly imparts any flavors of its own as
it is a bland oil. Thus it is little wonder that food
manufacturers around the world use palm olein as the
preferred frying fat medium for food. Moreover, foods
prepared in palm olein are more stable against rancidity
than olive oil.
Red Palm Olein
and Virgin Olive Oil: A Surprising Comparison
Not many people know that both olive and palm are the
only two commercial, edible oils derived from the flesh
(mesocarp) of the fruit. Thus, it is not surprising
that there are many similarities in the methods of oil
extraction as well as in their composition.
The olive, when processed under specific conditions,
yields both virgin and extra virgin olive oils. Health
food connoisseurs rate these oils highly, listing not
only the health benefits of the fatty acid composition
of these varieties, but also their high content of natural
antioxidants, including polyphenols. It is increasingly
being acknowledged that the benefits of olive oil, especially
of the “virgin” varieties, may be due to
the combination of all these factors.
The palm fruit has refused to play second fiddle to
the olive. The outcome of an innovative processing technology
was the “red palm olein”, a direct competitor
to the green variations of virgin olive oil.
Red palm olein takes maximum advantage of nature's generosity
— the highest source of natural carotenoids in
an edible oil, high content of vitamin E, including
the special vitamin E tocotrienols, coenzyme Q and a
phytosterol complex. A wealth of nutritional information
has been generated demonstrating the superior benefits
of red palm olein against cholesterol, coronary heart
disease and atherosclerosis as well as the possible
anti-cancer effects of carotenoids.
For malnourished populations, red palm olein is a source
of pro-vitamin A carotenoids which are proven to overcome
vitamin A deficiency and the onset of night blindness
in malnourished children.
Make your choice
As a consumer, the abovementioned facts must be considered
and weighed before you make a choice. To summarise,
palm olein has been found to be comparable to olive
oil in terms of nutritional properties and is a surprisingly
well-acclaimed product.
For many consumers, product affordability is an important
determinant. At current market prices, olive oil commonly
retails at five times that of palm olein. This being
the case, why not make the more affordable choice -
without compromising the health of your loved ones!
|
