One highly functional and versatile oil is palm oil.
5 ways it can be useful:
Butter replacement: It’s the only vegetable oil with almost 50-50 composition of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. So, it acts similar to butter and is suitable for confectionery manufacturing without the need for hydrogenation.
Bread formulas: 4% palm oil can improve loaf volume and oven spring. Plus, it decreases bread density and crumb porosity.
Melting point: its 36 °C, due to its high saturated fats content. It’s very stable at high cooking temperatures.
Whipping cream: when palm oil is used, it has superior stability and adequate stand-up properties.
General awesomeness: It contains no trans fat, and has micronutrients such as carotenoids, tocopherols, tocotrienols that have nutritional and health benefits. This also helps give it a long shelf life.
Sustainable palm oil
To minimize the destruction of the environment from enlarging oil palm plantations due to increasing demand, the Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) have third parties to certify sustainable palm oil and trace the supply chain.So in order to be RSPO-certified, growers must adhere to eight principles:
- Commitment to transparency
- Compliance with applicable laws and regulations
- Commitment to long-term economic and financial viability
- Use of appropriate best practices by growers and millers
- Environmental responsibility and conservation of natural resources and biodiversity
- Responsible consideration of employees, and of individuals and communities affected by growers and mills
- Responsible development of new plantings
- Commitment to continuous improvement in key areas of activity
