Spain: The industry is once again interested in palm oil after years of demonization

Palm oil is one of the most consumed fats in the world, present in many processed products, from margarines to pizzas, chips, cookies, creams, chocolates and even ice cream, although in countries like Spain it is not sold bottled . However, it contains saturated fatty acids that are harmful to health, which, together with the deforestation problems it generates in the countries from which it comes, mainly in tropical Asia, has caused a movement against it that even led to the fact that in 2017 several supermarket chains asked manufacturers to remove it. Sunflower oil was one of the alternatives, but the Russian invasion has left Spain without the 500,000 tons of this fat that it imported from Ukraine (62% of total purchases). Faced with this situation, sauce, pastry and fried companies, among others, have become interested in palm oil again, the director of the National Association of Companies for the Promotion of Oilseeds and their Extraction (Afoex), Jorge of Saja. They look ...