Commodity ( Oil Palm) - Palm Oil Uses

Crude palm oil is extracted through the process of cooking, mashing and pressing the oil palm’s fleshy fruit. During this process, seeds are separated from the fruit and upon cracking the seed’s shell the kernel inside is separated. In addition, the kernel can be further processed to produce palm kernel oil.
Unlike many other oil-yielding crops which are grown for their meal, oil palm is grown primarily for its oil, which contains antioxidants such as carotene and a relatively high content of vitamins A and E. Crude palm oil is a versatile vegetable oil with a variety of edible and industrial applications. Over the past decade, the edible uses of crude palm oil have increased as a result of promotion and research in its applications. Crude palm oil is often further processed to produce “refined bleached and deodorized palm oil”, a major ingredient in margarines and shortenings. Crude palm oil can also be fractionated to produce palm olein and palm stearin. Palm olein, the liquid fraction, can be used as cooking oil to fry processed foods like potato chips, instant noodles and other snack foods. Palm stearin, the solid fraction, can be further processed to make soaps and detergents.

During the past 10 years, about 80% of crude palm oil is processed for consumption in edible products and about 20% is used for inedible applications. In contrast, approximately 25% of palm kernel oil derivatives are used for edible products while the other 75% are used for industrial purposes. Palm kernel meal, a by-product from palm kernel processing, is
generally used for animal feed.

Other Uses of Palm Oil

• Soaps and detergents
• Candles
• Cosmetics
• Lubricating greases for machinery used in the production of edible foods
• Grease for bread molds and bread making equipment
• Grease used to protect tanks, pipelines and similar instruments which remain uncovered and in the open air
• Drilling mud for the petroleum industry
• Epoxidated palm oil used to plastify and sterilize products in the plastics industry, in particular during the production of PVC
• Glue
• Printing inks
• Biodiesel
• Metallic soaps for the manufacture of lubricating grease and metallic dryers
• Steel cold rolling proceses
• Tinplate rolling
• Acids to lubricate fibers in the textile industry