Dear all,

I’m sad to read the below comment on palm oil:

Posted by Fortune Bull dated: 31/01/2019 17:46

Palm oil contributed a lot of health problem! I never touch food cook with palm oil! You can see the effect on Malaysians! So many are obese with huge waist line! Eventually many will seek medical help related to palm oil consumption! In contrast to soya bean which is mainland Chinese main ingredient in our cooking! You basically can't cook Chinese without soya! It's healthy and added nothing to our weight! That's why Chinese are so slim!

Please allow me to share some of the fact and figure on vegetable oils.

1. Oil for foods application:

What we term as vegetable oil, animal fat, milk fat, cocoa butter is chemically called triglyceride. Have the same molecular structure of three molecule of fatty acid combine with one molecule of glycerin. They are different only by the fatty acid chain length and the position of this fatty acid attracted to the molecule of glycerine.

R1, R2, R3 is the Alkyl group (Hydro Carbon chain of saturated CnH2n+1.  Unsaturated, CnH2n-1 , 1 double bond, CnH2n-3,2 double bond  and CnH2n-5, 3 double bond)

Different source of vegetable oil or animal fat (Triglyceride) has the same molecular structure but varies in the fatty acid molecules chain length (R1, R2, R3), position of fatty acid attached (Top, center or bottom) and  saturated or unsaturated fatty acid.

Because of different fatty acid and position of attached hence they have different physical properties (Melting point, Smoke and Cloud point) and chemical properties (IV, Oxidation and molecular size) thus have different food application and influence on human health.

Note: Oils are triglyceride with mixtures of different fatty acids. When you cool down oil those high solidification triglyceride molecules will crystal out (cloudy) and when you heat up oils those low boiling triglyceride molecules will vaporize (smoke) and those high boiling polyunsaturated triglyceride molecules start to breakdown/oxidize.

Fatty Acid molecules in oil are as below:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatty_acid

1. Saturated Fatty Acid

2. Unsaturated Fatty Acid:

In general the more the unsaturated fatty acid in oil the higher the IV, the lower the cloud point and more unstable due to oxidation of double bond thus unsuitable for deep frying.

Many health studies had show that trans fats raise your bad (LDL) cholesterol levels and lower your good (HDL) cholesterol levels. Eating trans fats increases your risk of developing heart disease and stroke. It’s also associated with a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Vegetable oil naturally contain only Oleic acid and Linoleic acid (Cis Fats), thro’ a chemical reaction call partially hydrogenation to harder (to solid or semi solid application) or stabilize (for deep frying application) highly unsaturated oil (High IV)  to saturated Oil (lower IV) the reaction result in by product trans fat of Elaidic, Vaccenic, and Linoelaidic fatty acid.

Note: The table omitted: Coconut oil C8 about 6% and PKO C8 about 4%

Palm oil are the most healthy, stable and versatile oil as the oil itself have a natural balance of saturated and mainly  Mono-unsaturated fatty acid and contain natural antioxidant hence refined palm olein (IV 56-63) is the best oil for industries/commercial/household deep frying because of it heat stability, high smoke point and competative pricing.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoke_point

Highlight: Oxidative stability is how resistant an oil is to reacting with oxygen, breaking down and potentially producing harmful compounds while exposed to continuous heat. Oxidative stability is the best predictor of how an oil behaves during cooking. The differing stabilities correlate with lower levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are more prone to oxidation.

PORAM ‘s specifications for various Palm products

http://www.palmoilworld.org/about_palmoil.html

http://www.mpoc.org.my/upload/PAPER_3-POTS%20Myanmar-Datuk-Choo-Yuen-May.pdf

By refining, crystallization, fully hydrogenation, inter-esterification, glycerolysis to mono or di-glycerides, aeration, water soluble, blending and etc; Many specialty/functional fats (Various cloud point and physical appearance semi-solid, solid, soft, hard, creamy, floppy and etc) thus can serve many functions as Margarine, Vegetable Ghee, Confectionary Fats, Non-Dairy creamer, Chocolate, Ice-Cream (replacing Milk Fat and Cocoa butter), Salad/Cake/Biscuit toppings/fillings, Chess analog, Health Supplements , Vitamins, Energy Foods/Drinks, Animal Feeds and etc .

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/mct-oil-benefits#section4

https://drjockers.com/5-reasons-use-mct-oil-ketosis/

The latest energy and health supplements: MCT Oil contains only C8 and C10 fatty acid from PKO or Coconut oil. Because of its small molecule size it digest differently and would not end up as fat but ketones that help to burn the fat.

https://mydrmct.com/

You can buy this MCT oil from above link in Singapore.

2. Oil for Non-food application: Palm oil and Palm Kernel oil is prefer raw material for downstream value-added Oleo chemical industries.
   

   Note: Nature had provided us with many oil seeds/fruits and animals that produces plenty of oil and fat (Triglyceride). Man had used triglyceride for cooking (frying) single function. With advance of knowledge man was able to reprocessing triglyceride, either by physical separation or molecular modification that changes the physical properties of triglyceride in order to serve in many different food applications.

   For industry or non-food applications man have use triglyceride as starting material and by molecular reaction where totally new molecules which have totally different physical and chemical properties are synthesized in order to serve many different functions and applications. The oleo-chemical industries: green, renewable, biodegradable chemicals derived from oil and fat as oppose to petro-chemical: chemicals derived from fossil fuels (crude oil, coal and natural gas)

Basic oleo-chemical derived from oil and fat are:

1. Fatty Acid
2. Co product glycerine
3. Fatty Alcohol
4. Fatty Acid methyl ester.

From these basic oleo-chemicals many more derivatives or finish products can be make to serve industries application or consumer applications: As Surfactants, Personal Care, Cosmetics, Agrochemical, Animal Feeds, Lubricant/Grease, Soap, Industrial Cleaning, Printing Ink, Polyols, Polyurethane, Biodiesel and etc.

So imagine a world without Palm Oil. What will be the consequence? Will you able to find any substitute that give so much health benefit at competitive pricing? I doubt so. What probably will happen is many people will go hungry and sick as many food items and personal care products were beyond many people reach/affordability.

To be continued Part II: Palm Tree.

Thank you

P/S: I am glad, I growth up to become an engineer and now working for PT MM, a fully integrated palm oil corporation that subscribed fully to the principles of RSPO and committed to the production and use of sustainable palm oil for People, Planet and Prosperity. We are in an industry that brings benefit and prosperity to all stakeholders.

Our plantation division planted million and millions of palm trees in a responsible and sustainable way so that our mother Earth can breathe a little bit easy. ((Note: Tree/plant through a process called photosynthesis utilizes the energy of sunlight and capture CO2 from the atmosphere and H2O from the ground water and convert it into Hydrocarbon building block (Basic HC building block that started and sustain all living creature on this World and releasing O2 back to the atmosphere.)). Our conservation and rehabilitation program on HCV areas will allow thousands if not millions of our next generation children to enjoy the beauty of flora and fauna at its pristine natural environment. Our social responsible program of building kindergarten, school and giving bursary to students will help thousands and thousands of local communities children to build a better tomorrow for themselves and their family through better education. Our small holder program of given financial assistance and managing small holder plantation for them had enable thousands of previously landless farmers to own land and uplift their living standard.

Our mid stream operation produce an affordable healthy cooking oil and specialty fat so that millions of peoples do not need to go hungry tonight and many more millions of overeat and fat peoples can still remained healthy.(Note: If not for palm oil, many food items will be unaffordable to millions of peoples)

Our downstream Oleo Chemical operation produce renewable, biodegradable and edible  environment friendly natural chemical at competitive pricing so that our customers can turn it into an affordable hygienic, cosmetic, health and consumable product that enable millions of peoples to be healthy, look good, smell good and feel good.

We believe we are “Enriching others at the same time enriching ourselves” a Must Do Principle. It is this believes that drive us to do more, to do our best, to be the best and passionate about our work. Together we do make a different to this world. That a life worth living for.