Sunday 12 July 2009

Free of palm oil


PALM OIL AND HOW YOU CAN

HELP TO HELP SAVE ORANGUTANS


People often ask me, quite understandably, if their is a list of products which do not contain palm oil or, palm oil associated with rainforest destruction and the killing of wildlife.

The short answer is. There are no such lists. One for the UK, alone, would run to thousands of products and be impossible to keep up to date.

Some people have had letters from suppliers/supermarkets stating in their defence they are members of the RSPO. Being a member is good, but this is all it is - membership. Membership itself does not mean the company concerned uses palm oil approved by the RSPO.based in Malaysia which seeks to set standards for palm oil suppliers to meet before their palm oil can be deemed 'sustainable'. The The RSPO (Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil) is an industry led and controlled organisationRSPO has its critics, but the fact remains, it is the only body capable of monitoring the industry. The majority of palm oil growers, suppliers, etc are not even members of the RSPO.

What can you do to avoid consuming/using palm oil tainted by the deaths of orangutans etc?
It is very difficult. Labelling on many everyday products is still unclear and 'vegetable oil' as an ingredient can mean so many things.

For the time being the best help you can be without you worrying every time you go shopping, is to write to the Chief Executive of the supermarket you regularly use and ask him/her -
sources from products on your shelves? You could always refer them to this Blog for information, photos, etc. By doing this you are reminding busy executives that you, the consumer, do want to only buy products with palm oil in them that does come from a fully sustainable and Please can you tell me what your company is doing to remove palm oil from unsustainableRSPO approved source.