It is derived from palm fruit, which grows on African oil palm trees. In principle, palm oil is vegan, but many vegans choose to avoid the oil, because they argue that extraction of palm oil exploits animals and causes them pain and suffering, something vegans avoid. Palm oil is damaging the environment.
In conclusion, palm oil is technically suitable for a vegan diet as it is derived from plants and is free from animal products. However, due to the devastating impact palm oil production has on the environment and animals, it's up to the individual whether or not they choose to avoid it.
In itself, palm oil is a vegetable product which does not need to involve the (ab)use of animals, and therefore is suitable for vegans.
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.
If you are at risk for heart disease, avoid eating reheated palm oil or foods containing reheated palm oil. Compared to other liquid oils, palm oil is relatively high in saturated fats. Palm oil is about 49% saturated fat, while olive oil is less than half of that.
What is the problem with palm oil? Palm oil has been and continues to be a major driver of deforestation of some of the world's most biodiverse forests, destroying the habitat of already endangered species like the Orangutan, pygmy elephant and Sumatran rhino.
Palm oil has been credited with providing protection against heart disease. Although some study results have been mixed, this oil generally appears to have beneficial effects on heart disease risk factors, including lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol and increasing HDL (good) cholesterol ( 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ).
Discover our palm oil in a nutshell
The palm oil we use in Nutella® is 100% sustainable palm oil, traceable back to the mills. It mainly originates from Malaysia (averaging around 80% of our volumes) followed by Indonesia.
Newly published findings, led by researchers at IRB Barcelona, Spain, reveal that one such fatty acid commonly found in palm oil, called palmitic acid, promotes metastasis in oral carcinomas and melanoma skin cancer in mice.
The simple answer to the question is that as olive oil does not contain animal products, yes olive oil is in theory vegan-friendly. Some vegans, however, avoid using it because of the impact olive oil production has on the environment. Just how much of a detrimental impact it has, is up for debate.
Nutella contains skim milk powder, an animal-derived ingredient. Therefore, it's not vegan. Still, many brands offer similar spreads that are free of animal-based ingredients. Be sure to choose a product that's labeled “vegan.”
To put it simply, palm oil can increase the proportion of saturated fat in milk, thus raising the melting point of butter.
Although all palm oil is high in saturated fat, oxidized palm oil presents even greater health risks. The oxidization occurs during processing for culinary use, generating toxins that adversely affect the heart, liver, kidneys and lungs.
While all coconut oil is vegan by definition, you might be surprised to know that some coconut oil farms use a controversial harvesting method: rather than humans hand-picking the coconuts, monkeys are trained to climb up the trees and harvest the fruit.
Saturated Fat vs.
3 Palm oil does not contain trans fat, but it is high in saturated fat, which means it can boost unhealthy cholesterol and triglycerides and raise the likelihood of heart disease. Still, it is less saturated—or healthier—than oils and shortenings high in trans fat and butter.
McDonald's mainly uses palm oil in its restaurant in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and in Latin America as frying oil and as a par-fry for pre-cooking products such as french fries, chicken patties, and Chicken McNuggets, according to its statement.
Colgate uses palm oil, palm kernel oil and derivatives in soap products, toothpaste, antiperspirants, deodorants and house cleaners.
You can be assured that the palm oil we use in Cadbury products is certified as sustainable. We do not buy crude palm oil and are committed to working with producers, the food industry and governments to develop a viable supply of sustainable palm oil.
Palm oil, the most widely used vegetable oil, is a key ingredient in Ferrero Rocher chocolates and Nutella spread, giving the iconic products their smooth texture and shelf life.
These companies produce palm oil free chocolate
Divine, Beyond Good, Chocolat Madagascar, Pacari, Moo Free, Booja-Booja, Seed and Bean, Montezuma, Tony's Chocolonely, Fairafric, Vego, Willies, Ombar, Mia.
Why the controversy? One of the key ingredients in Nutella is palm oil, a controversial commodity mainly produced in Malaysia and Indonesia that is celebrated for its crop efficiency and low cost of production but also criticized for its contribution to deforestation and pollution.
Palm oil has been scientifically shown to protect the heart and blood vessels from plaques and ischemic injuries. Palm oil consumed as a dietary fat as a part of a healthy balanced diet does not have incremental risk for cardiovascular disease.
Nutrition. The palm oil used in nut butters is in its oxidized (processed) form, which means that it not only provides zero useful nutrition or flavor, it also could have negative health effects.
More than 50% of packaged supermarket products contain palm oil, and it's in nearly everything including shampoo, lipstick, bread, chocolate, detergent and more. The reason for this is because it's a low-cost resource and an incredibly efficient crop.