Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from the mesocarp (reddish pulp) of the fruit of the oil palms, primarily the African oil palm Elaeis guineensis. The oil palm trees are indigenous to west Africa and now flourish in equatorial regions of Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and others. Palm oil must not be confused with Palm Kernel Oil that is derived from the kernel of the fruit.

Palm oil, like all fats, is composed of fatty acids, esterified with glycerol. Palm oil has an especially high concentration of saturated fat, specifically the 16-carbon saturated fatty acid, palmitic acid, to which it gives its name. Monounsaturated oleic acid is also a major constituent of palm oil. Unrefined palm oil is a significant source of tocotrienol, part of the vitamin E family. Fractionated palm oil produced and marketed as shortening has wide usage in baking industries. Shortenings are produced as RBD Palm oils (Refined, Bleached and deodorized).

Although RBD Palm Oil has been the subject of some controversy due to its high degree of saturation, it must be noted that fractionated palm oil shortening is naturally solid in room temperature and does not need hydrogenation which will introduce trans isomerization in production of solid vegetable based fats from soya, canola and etc….

This solid form is essential in the dough preparation and fatty acids with trans isomers have been suspect as cause for cancers for many years. It seems reasonable to agree that when soft oils such as soya, sunflower, corn, etc… may be less harmful to health in their original liquid form, by hydrogenating them to acquire a solid fat we are not only saturating them to the degree of Palm oil but also creating trans isomers that many believe are much more of risk in the cellular level.

Shortenings are available in a wide range of melting points from low thirty °C degrees to mid-forties which makes them ideal for many applications and climates. Their high saturation property also renders them the high stability needed in frying and high heat applications.

There are some valid concerns about the deforestation that has been caused by palm oil plantations and it must be noted that although this is a serious and valid problem, it has been curbed in recent years by committees overseeing the production of sustainable palm oil and it would stand to reason that the vast deforestation of the Amazon for agriculture of soya beans should also be placed in the cross hairs of environmental protection councils.