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The Sweet Side of Saving Gibbons: the perils of palm oil

Indulge in the sweet side of saving gibbons this Easter by reading the labels of all the chocolate and candy products you buy to ensure they are palm-oil free.

Palm oil is pretty much everywhere, it’s one of the most widely used vegetable oils in the world, and a very popular choice amongst manufacturers due to its high yield and versatility. But there are alternatives if you look for them and it just takes a few extra seconds to scan the label of the products you buy to ensure they are palm oil free.


Why do we recommend avoiding palm oil completely?

Sadly palm oil development for global consumption is the main culprit fueling deforestation in South-East Asia. The top three regions where palm oil is produced are: Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, where more than 85% of the global supply of palm oil is grown. The industry is linked to major environmental and humanitarian issues driving deforestation, habitat degradation, climate change, animal cruelty and indigenous rights abuses in the countries where it is produced, as the land and forests must be cleared for the development of the oil palm plantations.

In December 2014, new European Union laws made it mandatory for palm oil to be included on product labeling and not hidden as generic vegetable oils. But that’s still not the case in other parts of the world, so here’s a handy list of palm oil ingredients to look for when reading labels to ensure the products you buy are palm-oil free.

Note: This list is not exhaustive of all the alternative names for palm oil and not exclusive to food products (e.g. sodium lauryl sulphate is a foaming agent found in soaps & detergents), but it's a good start and can be used when reading the labels of all the products you buy to ensure they are palm oil free. 

INGREDIENTS & DERIVATIVES CONTAINING PALM OIL:

·         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

Be sure to pick up one of our handy "Perils of Palm Oil" tips cards at one of our next events for the perforated wallet card version of this list that you can carry with you to the grocery store for every visit!

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