Palm oil: what is it and in what products?

Palm oil is a common vegetable oil used in many countries for cooking. In addition, now this product is used in various industrial sectors. This oil appeared on the shelves in Russia back in the 90s of the XX century, and since then it has been actively used by many manufacturers, adding the product to confectionery and to milk.

Palm oil is one of the most common substitutes for more expensive supplements. Get it from the softest part of the fruit of the palm Elaeis guineensis, which has a reddish tint. Therefore, it looks like an ordinary oil that has either orange-red or very red color. In its pure form, such a product contains a large amount of both vitamins and fatty acids.

However, most people are wary of looking at palm oil in the composition, believing that it contains too many carcinogens. But such a judgment is completely wrong. To deal with this issue, you need to know into which groups it is divided, because some types of this product can even harm the body.

And it is also very important to know the density and temperature of its melting, so as not to turn even a completely high-quality product into something that is harmful to health. Although, in general, the melting point is not exact, therefore it is often called sliding. It depends entirely on the chemical components of the heated product. Therefore, buying oil, you must look at the description on the package. Another feature that should not be forgotten is that palm oil even exceeds fish oil in carotenoid content.

From palm fruits you can get 2 types of oil. One is made from their pulp, and it is called palm oil. The second is obtained from the kernel of the fetus and called this type of oil palm kernel. These fluids have a different composition, so they are not mixed. For example, palm kernel oil contains more than 75 percent of fatty acids, which are quite bad for the human body if they are ingested in large quantities. Red palm oil contains less acids, only about 40 percent, such fat can be eaten without fear.

There are several different factions that are worth considering in more detail.

• Liquid. It is often called olein. The melting point for this oil ranges from +18 to +25 degrees. If it is higher, the oil will acquire the consistency of the cream; if below - it thickens like ordinary butter. If this oil is stored in the refrigerator, then it simply hardens. This type of palm oil is often used to prepare various sauces, including mayonnaise. And also it is often used for frying, because it burns out rather slowly.

• Solid fraction. In other words, it is stearin. For this type of oil, the melting point is much higher than that of the previous oil - from +45 to +55 degrees. Therefore, it is often used to make margarine or butter.

• Red palm oil. This oil is considered the most natural. Unlike the previous ones, it does not exactly bring harm to the body. To prepare it, apply the most gentle technology, with almost all the beneficial substances remain. In addition, it has a large amount of carotene, precisely because of this, the oil turns red. It has a sweetish taste and pleasant smell. Many scientists believe that such a product can be equated to olive oil in terms of benefits.

• Hydrogenated. This palm oil is quite highly valued in industrial production, because it is a very inexpensive product that is convenient to use when cooking.Many manufacturers try to slightly extend its life by removing most of the fatty acids. This is done by means of a hydrogenation process, and to improve its nutritional characteristics, bleaching is also carried out, as well as deodorization. After such procedures, the oil becomes quite light and has almost no odor. If you treat the oil in this way, trans fats can accumulate in it, and they are known to be very poorly perceived by the body. In addition, they can significantly increase the risk of cancer, so they try to use butter less often - mainly for the production of margarines.
• Modified. Since the pace of palm oil production is growing, many breeders are trying to bring new varieties of this plant. This is done not only to increase the yield, but also to improve its chemical composition. As with any other genetically modified products, it is not yet possible to say how harmful or useful the oil thus treated is.

• Refined. Like refined and deodorized oil - a product that differs from the classical in composition and appearance. This oil has no smell or color. It is made for use in the food sector, so the quality requirements are always very high.
• Technical. This type of oil is much cheaper than any other. However, the human body, it does not bring benefits, so it is usually used for the manufacture of soap, shower gels and other chemicals. However, due to its cheapness, some manufacturers use this product for making cookies or ice cream. Therefore, you need to look at the composition to make sure that in the process of cooking the product was not used low-quality replacement of useful ingredients.

Palm oil is produced in large quantities, especially in countries such as China, India and Malaysia, where there are a lot of palm trees, so there are no problems with raw materials. One of the main buyers of this product are such famous corporations as Unilever and Nestle. In addition to these famous companies, palm oil manufacturers buy cosmetics. Even biofuels are made of it. As the scope of application of palm oil increases, the quantity of products going for import also increases. Accordingly, in the shops appeared a large number of products that contain it.

Palm oil can now be found even where it should not be. It is added to milk, biscuits and cottage cheese. Even when creating such children's treats, like ice cream or candy, manufacturers use this cheap supplement. The list of products to which it is added is quite large, so there is no point in talking about all of them in detail.

And also it is necessary to pay attention to the fact that in all dairy products it should be no more than 50 percent. But there are manufacturers who, to increase profits, change the numbers in their favor. And also in Russia, this oil is used to make fat substitutes. After which they can be used to prepare the following products:

• cocoa oil;
• melted butter;
• margarine;
• spreads;
• various sauces, as well as mayonnaise;
• mixes for soups;
• various confectionery, including candy;
• milk products;
• fats for deep-frying.

Use high-quality palm oil can be used for cooking, and any industrial worker or scientist will agree. However, it is very important that this product is properly stored and transported. Thus, during transport, it must be packed in hermetically sealed containers. If this is not done, the product may oxidize, which is bad for the human body. Indeed, as a result of oxidation, toxins are secreted, which have a carcinogenic effect.

Reviews of this oil varied. Some people think that it is possible to replace many components with cheap palm oil, while others, on the contrary, are categorically against it. After all, once in the human body, palm fat is not processed, but remains there and gradually accumulates in the vessels, which significantly increases the accumulation of cholesterol in the blood, and also leads to the formation of slags. As a result, a person quickly gains weight, and may also face cardiovascular diseases. In addition, the immune system of someone who uses too many products with palm oil in the composition, decreases sharply, which leads to different allergies.

About what else is dangerous palm oil, see the following video.

Even if the composition states that there is no vegetable fat in the product, many people manage to add it all the same. In order not to be deceived, it is necessary to learn how to determine whether there is vegetable fat in the raw material. At home, check for the presence of this masked supplement is difficult, but possible. It is worth paying attention to several frequently used products.

• In the cheese. If such a product contains such fat, it will be too brittle and difficult to cut. However, such a sign is not a guarantee that the product is really “bad.” For more confidence, it is necessary to cut off a piece of cheese and leave it on the table for several hours. If there is at least some fat in the product, then at first it will be compacted, after it drops will come out, and it will crack, while the natural cheese will simply dry. And you can also just knead the cheese in your hand - if it feels like plasticine, then this is the main sign of the presence of palm oil in the composition.

• In butter. To determine the presence of palm fat in oil is quite simple. It is necessary to put a piece on the palm and wait until it melts. If it melts gradually and a white film appears on its surface, this may mean that the oil is natural. The oil, which added vegetable fat, does not change its appearance, and also does not completely melt.
• In cottage cheese and sour cream. In the presence of palm fat in these products after eating the milk there is a feeling of having a layer of film in the mouth. In addition, sour cream without any additives quickly thickens in the refrigerator, and when exposed to high temperature, whey will disappear from it. The product with palm oil behaves differently. In natural cottage cheese, if you leave it in a warm place, the color will not change. In addition, he simply sour. Cottage cheese with the addition of palm oil will change color, but its taste will not change at all.
• In ice cream. To determine their quality, you need to take a small piece of ice cream and grind it in your hands. The presence of the film will indicate one thing - there is palm oil in this product. The natural product will not melt very quickly, except that it will be soft and airy. Ice cream with vegetable fat, on the contrary, melts quickly, and after parting liquid forms.
• In condensed milk. This product should consist of only two ingredients - it is granulated sugar and milk. If you add palm oil, it will immediately become bitter. To avoid this, different flavors are added to condensed milk. Palm fats are used most often in boiled condensed milk.

In European countries, bans on the use of this additive in food are introduced.Scientists were able to convince all members of the commission at the expense of this product. It was proved that it contains a large number of substances that are dangerous to the human body. Thus, it was determined the presence of toxins in the oil composition such as 2-MCPD and 3-MCPD, which appear when it is heated. The second of them causes a strong urinary system disease.

In addition to the scientifically confirmed facts, there are unconfirmed speculation.

• There is a version that palm oil is made from the bark of the tree, so it is not suitable for human consumption. As you know, this is not the case. It is made from fruits. If it is properly processed, it will not harm the body.
• Often you can hear that this oil is not digested by the body at all, because its melting point is too high. According to this version, inside it turns into a substance similar to clay. However, this is not true, because the human body digests the products that get into it by pancreatic enzymes, as well as bile, regardless of what the temperature inside.
• The third myth is that all developed countries have abandoned this product. However, this is not quite true. EU countries have refused only products that accurately contain toxic substances.
• It is often said that there are no vitamins in palm fat. In addition, such a product is specially added to quality products in order to slightly dilute it. However, many experts believe that this product contains a large amount of vitamin E, which allows you to deal with age-related skin changes. Many people use this product to combat wrinkles, especially useful red oil. It, among other things, greatly improves the functioning of the heart. In addition, it is allowed to use those people who suffer from diabetes. It works well on blood vessels, and also strengthens the immune system.

• The fifth and final myth is that palm oil contains an unacceptably large number of trans fats. If we compare butter and palm oil, then the leader in trans fats will be the first. In addition, it was determined that the composition of palm oil does not include cholesterol. Therefore, margarine made on its basis is much healthier than butter and spreads, which are made on the basis of other vegetable fats.

Quality palm oil is a healthy product. It is actively used for the preparation of many foods. However, most often it is delivered to the country either in the wrong conditions or without proper processing. Therefore, many experts and raises questions about the quality of this supplement. Each person must determine whether it is worth buying such products, and if the answer is positive, then learn how to choose the safest and most beneficial for the body.