What is Palm oil?
It comes from the palm species E.Guineenisis. The oil comes from the flesh of the fruit. This oil is bright orange - red. This is because of the carotene in the oil and at room temperature it is like butter. 
This makes it good to be used for biscuits, shortenings and bakery fats. Palm oil is also good to use in margarine. It can be heated to high temperatures, so it is good as a frying oil. Chips fried in palm oil have a longer shelf life (last longer on the supermarket shelf).
There are many different names for palm oil and different ways it can be produced:
Palm Olein
In a warm climate the oil is a liquid. It is used as a cooking oil and it can be blended with other oils. This oil is used to fry potato chips.
Palm Stearin
This is used in margarine, shortenings and pastry.
Palm Kernel Oil
This comes from the kernel of the palm oil (see above picture).
Palm Kernel Olein
This is the liquid part of palm kernel oil.
Palm Kernel Stearin
This can be used to replace expensive cocoa butter (used in chocolate).
Palm kernel oil, palm kernel olein and palm kernel stearin get used in things like, margarine, lollies, coating fats and biscuit creams.
Palm oil can also be called other names, like Hexadecyclic or Palmitic acid. For other names palm oil can be called see the last page of the pdf 'Orang utan Friendly Shopping list' complied by Conservation Officer Peter Fraser, from Auckland Zoo.
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