What is palm oil used for?
Primarily soap but it is used as edible oil in some places. It is a rich source of beta-carotene. It can also be blended with other oils and made into margarine. Palm oil is also used to make vanaspati, or vegetable ghee, which is a 100% vegetable fat used as a substitute for butter, fat in many countries. The Oil palm originated in West Africa but has since been planted successfully in tropical regions within 20 degrees of the equator. The world’s largest producer and exporter of palm oil today is Malaysia, producing about 50% of the world’s supply of palm oil. Indonesia is the second largest world producer of palm oil producing approx 30% of world palm oil volume. Did you know that palm oil is found in many food products – including chocolate, margarine, biscuits, chips and muesli.
