Palm oil is commonly found in cheese substitutes (analogs) like mozzarella, cream cheese, and kashar, used to mimic dairy fat for texture and melt, but it can also appear in some real cheese products or fillings, often in processed snacks or baked goods, with brands like Roka or those using RSPO-certified ingredients potentially containing it.
In recent years, to alter sensory, nutritional profile and producing a cholesterol free cheese, vegetable oils are commonly used as milk fat replacers in cheese production. In this case, palm oil and its products are used as milk fat replacer in the production of palm-based cheese analogue.
Palm Oil in Food Products
Nestlé, Kellogg, Mars, Wrigley, Nabisco, PepsiCo, General Mills, and Hershey are a few companies that use palm oil in their food products. Some are committing to using only 100% certified sustainable palm oil.
Our Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate is Palm Oil free. For Cadbury chocolates containing fillings, caramel and wafers, for the moment we are unable to make these without the inclusion of small amounts of sustainable palm oil. You can be assured that the palm oil we use in Cadbury products is certified as sustainable.
All of ALDI's exclusively branded products containing palm (kernel) oil adhere to strict standards of responsible production as set by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). The aim of sustainable palm oil is to protect animals, the environment and the people who live and work in palm-oil producing countries.
Product Description: Golden-baked to a secret recipe since 1892, McVitie's original Digestives are loved for their classic crunch, distinctive, salty-sweet wheat flavour and true Britishness. Contains Palm Oil.
All Coles Own Brand food and drink products that contain palm oil, sold in Coles supermarkets, support the production of sustainable palm oil through the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certification.
From farm to finger, Australia's Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) restaurants, switched in 2012 from imported sustainable palm oil to 100 per cent Australian-grown high oleic canola oil, to cook their legendary 'finger licking' golden fried chicken and chips.
Criticisms and controversies
In March 2010, Kit Kat was targeted for a boycott by Greenpeace for using palm oil, which the environmental organisation claimed resulted in destruction of forest habitats for orangutans in Indonesia.
What common products contain palm oil? Apart from the majority of soaps, cleaners and shampoos on the market containing palm oil, many people are shocked to learn that Arnott's Tim Tams also contain palm oil. In fact, palm oil is so widely used in consumer products that it is increasingly difficult to avoid.
To avoid palm oil, choose products that contain clearly labeled oils, such as 100 percent sunflower oil, corn oil, olive oil, coconut oil, or canola oil.
Colgate uses palm oil, palm kernel oil and palm oil derivatives in some of our soap products, toothpastes, antiperspirants, deodorants, and household cleaners.
Jif® Natural Peanut Butter Spread contains palm oil, which is derived from the fruit of a palm tree. Palm oil is an alternative stabilizer. We recognize and share the concerns related to palm oil sourcing and the environment.
Any cheese with an ingredients list of only milk, salt, and enzymes/cultures (like cheddar, Swiss, mozzarella, gouda, feta, goat cheese, cottage cheese, etc.) is 100% real cheese, while "American Cheese" or "cheese products" often contain added emulsifiers and flavorings, making them processed rather than purely natural cheese. Always check the label: if it lists more than milk, salt, and enzymes (like sodium citrate, whey, artificial flavors), it's a cheese product.
The new Pinar Premium Cream Cheese has a unique formula that is 100% from Milk without any palm oil. It has a unique creamy texture and outstanding taste suitable for sandwiches and delicious recipes.
Top 10 healthy cheeses
Many of the best known chocolate bars and boxes contain palm oil – from Galaxy Caramel and Lindt to Nutella and Ferrero Rocher. In fact, the biggest chocolate bar and box brands all use palm oil, including Mars, Nestle, and Mondelez (owner of Cadbury's).
Does Lindt & Sprüngli use palm oil when producing chocolate? Yes, palm oil, palm kernel oil, and their fractions are used in limited amounts in certain fillings of our chocolate.
At Ferrero, we use palm oil to enhance the rich taste and creamy texture of our products, as well as to extend their shelf life and quality when consumers store our products at home. As it is an important ingredient, we have been working for a long time to source our palm oil responsibly.
We are committed to buy and use Certified Sustainable Palm Oil only in the processing of our In-Store Bakery goods. Our internal system gap analysis of In-Store Bakeries has also identified control points where additional RSPO requirements will be put in place to ensure traceability.
KFC's 7-Minute Policy, primarily in India, is an Express Pick-up service promising orders ready in 7 minutes or less for app/kiosk orders, with a free piece of chicken if they fail, ensuring speed and signature taste, but it's a limited-time offer or specific to certain locations/promotions. It's part of KFC's focus on quick, convenient service, backed by safety measures during its launch, and relies on customers showing the confirmation SMS to claim the offer.
McDonald's leads in palm oil use but not in commitments
Despite signing on to the non-binding New York Declaration on Forests in September reiterating the global importance of forests, McDonald's palm oil policies do not protect forests.
Aldi Foods Pty Ltd, is a foreign Austrian owned private company, engaged in the operation that derives its revenue from the provision of Aldi grocery stores, which provides retail general merchandise products as well as operating a online marketplace.
The scorecard reports that five local companies – Arnott's, Coles, Goodman Fielder, Metcash and Woolworths - are now using 100% Certified Sustainable Palm Oil.
Palm oil, palm kernel oil, and coconut oil — the so-called tropical oils — got a bad reputation because they're high in saturated fat, which has long been linked to heart disease. Saturated fat boosts "bad" LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, both of which are risk factors for heart disease.