1. Palm Oil

Which Everyday Products Contain Palm Oil?

You might not cook with it, but you almost certainly eat or use palm oil.

Palm oil is the most widely consumed vegetable oil on the planet, found in many packaged products sold in the supermarket. While palm oil is the most efficient source of vegetable oil, its rapid expansion threatens some of the planet’s most important and sensitive habitats.

Palm oil grows in tropical rainforests, and the uncontrolled clearing of these forests for conventional palm oil plantations has led to widespread loss of these irreplaceable and biodiverse-rich forests. Plantations have also been connected to the destruction of habitat of endangered species, including orangutans, tigers, elephants, and rhinos.

But you don't have to give up products containing palm oil! Avoiding palm oil could have worse effects because it might take support away from companies that are trying hard to improve the situation. This could encourage companies to use other products that may have even more impact on the environment. Palm oil is by far the most efficient vegetable oil to grow as it takes less land to produce than other vegetable oils. Palm oil can be produced in a responsible manner that respects the environment and the communities where it is commonly grown.

It's Time to Peel Back the Label

Peel back the label and learn more about which products contain palm oil and why.

  • Lipstick

    Lipstick

    Why?
    Why?

    Palm oil is used in lipstick as it holds color well, doesn’t melt at high temperatures, and has a smooth application and virtually no taste.

  • Pizza Dough

    Pizza Dough

    Why?
    Why?

    Palm oil is added to both frozen and fresh pizza dough to stop it from sticking together and to enhance texture.

  • Instant Noodles

    Instant Noodles

    Why?
    Why?

    Palm oil is up to 20% of the weight of a pack of instant noodles. It's used to pre-cook the noodles so that all you have to do is add hot water.

  • Shampoo

    Shampoo

    Why?
    Why?

    Palm oil is used as a conditioning agent that helps restore the natural oils of the hair that are stripped away by most shampoos.

  • Ice Cream

    Ice Cream

    Why?
    Why?

    Palm oil makes ice cream smooth and creamy.

  • Detergent

    Detergent

    Why?
    Why?

    Palm oil is refined to create soaps, washing powder and other cleaning products.

  • Margarine

    Margarine

    Why?
    Why?

    Palm oil is used in margarine because it is solid at room temperature and is free of trans fats.

  • Chocolate

    Chocolate

    Why?
    Why?

    Palm oil helps create a smooth and shiny appearance in some chocolate and keeps it from melting.

  • Cookies

    Cookies

    Why?
    Why?

    Semi-solid at room temperature, palm oil is used to give baked goods a creamy taste and texture.

  • Biodiesel

    Biodiesel

    Why?
    Why?

    Palm oil can be used to produce biodiesel and biofuel.

  • Soap

    Soap

    Why?
    Why?

    Palm oil is used for its ability to remove oil and dirt from hair and skin as well to moisturize.

  • Bread

    Packaged Bread

    Why?
    Why?

    Palm oil is now widely used to make bread because it is solid at room temperature, easy to bake with and inexpensive.

Ingredients List

Many products that use palm oil aren't clearly labeled. Palm oil and its derivatives can appear under many names, including:

INGREDIENTS: Vegetable Oil, Vegetable Fat, Palm Kernel, Palm Kernel Oil, Palm Fruit Oil, Palmate, Palmitate, Palmolein, Glyceryl, Stearate, Stearic Acid, Elaeis Guineensis, Palmitic Acid, Palm Stearine, Palmitoyl Oxostearamide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-3, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Kernelate, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Sodium Lauryl Lactylate/Sulphate, Hyrated Palm Glycerides, Etyl Palmitate, Octyl Palmitate, Palmityl Alcohol

CONTAINS: Palm oil

How You Can Help

 

RSPO LogoLook for the RSPO label to ensure you purchase products made with certified sustainable palm oil. This label gives you the confidence that the palm oil was produced in a socially and environmentally responsible way.

 

Most packaged products are labeled with their companies’ contact information. Call or write the company and urge them to use certified sustainable palm oil and take other actions to support a more responsible palm oil industry, such as helping small-scale farmers improve their sustainability practices.

Learn more about the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil and how certification works.

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