Your Health: High fat diets may be bad for your brain Jun 27, 2008
Saturated fats are also found in snack foods and fried foods prepared with coconut oil and palm kernel oil. According to the American Heart Association, intake of saturated fat should be limited to less than 7 percent of total daily calories. (Green Valley News & Sun, AZ)
* New York readies for big switch: No trans fats in foods Jun 22, 2008
Old-fashioned Crisco has been outlawed in the interest of reducing heart disease because of its so-called industrial fat content (though there is a new replacement on the market), but many of the ingredients your grandmother warned you about X including butter, palm oil and lard X are back in style and completely legal. New York City has officially embraced the mantra that natural is better, forcing restaurants and other commercial food purveyors to add baked goods to fried foods among those... (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Experts fuel green debate Jun 3, 2008
The vast majority burn palm oil because European vegetable oil is too expensive ... Peat expert Professor Siegert of Munich University has warned: "We were able to prove that the making of these plantations and the burning of the rainforests and peat areas emits many thousands of times as much CO2 as we then are able to prevent by using palm oil. And that is a disastrous balance for the climate." ... Unfortunately, switching to rapeseed oil, even if it was affordable, would not necessarily help... (CNN -- International)
Eat a diet that can protect your heart from disease May 27, 2008
It's generally found in beef, lamb, pork, poultry with skin, beef fat, lard, cream, butter, cheese, whole or reduced-fat dairy products, palm oil, palm kernel oil and coconut oil. - Trans fat: acts like a saturated fat in the body, increases bad cholesterol, may lower good cholesterol, and increases your risk for heart disease. (Florida Times-Union)
Know your enemy: 10 facts about fat May 20, 2008
Tropical oils such as coconut and palm oil; high-fat dairy products; fatty meats. Keep these to less than 20 grams per day. (KHOU.com, TX)
Presumed Extinct Javan Elephants Found? Apr 18, 2008
WWF satellite tracking has shown they prefer the same lowland habitat that is being increasingly cleared for timber rubber and palm oil plantations. Their possible origins in Java make them even more a conservation priority. (Science Daily)
Borneo's pygmy elephant last survivor: WWF Apr 18, 2008
The WWF said satellite tracking had shown the animals prefer the same lowland habitat that is being increasingly cleared for timber, rubber and palm oil plantations. "If they came from Java, this fascinating story demonstrates the value of efforts to save even small populations of certain species, often thought to be doomed," Christy Williams, coordinator of WWF's Asian elephant and rhino program, said. (Jakarta Post, Indonesia)
Online Ones RM8m plan for palm-based olein Apr 10, 2008
Online Ones unit Ace Edible Oil Industries Sdn Bhd on Thursday signed a technology transfer and licensing agreement with the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) to produce the palm-based olein suitable for cold climates ... However, MPOBs technology makes it possible to produce palm oil-based trans-free products to be marketed in such countries with cold climates. (The Star Online, Malaysia -- Business)
Eco-towns: sites on shortlist cynically target our voters, Tories ... Apr 4, 2008
Eco worrier answers your questions on palm oil and video cassettes and provides some top tips for being green. Environment. (Times Online)
A highway that binds China and its neighbors Mar 31, 2008
China is selling fruit and green vegetables that favor temperate climates to its southern neighbors and buying tropical fruit, rubber, sugar cane, palm oil and seafood. "You never used to see apples in the traditional markets," said Ruth Banomyong, an expert in logistics who teaches at Thammasat University in Bangkok. (International Herald Tribune)
Logging Road Threatens Rare Peat Dome, Tigers Mar 27, 2008
29, 2008) Turning just one Sumatran province's forests and peat swamps into pulpwood and palm oil plantations is generating more annual greenhouse gas emissions than the Netherlands and rapidly driving the. (Mar. (Science Daily)
Biofuels: a solution that became part of the problem Mar 25, 2008
Stephen Polasky from the University of Minnesota, one of the authors of the report, said: "Landowners are rewarded for producing palm oil and other products but not rewarded for carbon management. This creates incentives for excessive land-clearing and can result in large increases in carbon emissions.". Any retrenchment by government over biofuels will cause resentment within big business, which was opposed to the concept but has started to invest heavily. (Guardian)
Market looks for plenty of soybean acres Mar 15, 2008
Traders are mixed in their views of whether or not China's palm oil needs are met for now. Reports indicated that China was going to release vegetable oil reserves for consumption. (Minnesota Farm Guide, MN)
* INTERVIEW: Forests vanishing fast: WWF official Mar 15, 2008
Both countries earn much of their GDP from exports of palm oil, which is used in food, biofuels and cosmetic products ... The demand for palm oil places a heavy burden on the environment for two reasons, he said: When forests are converted to plantations, not only is biodiversity affected, driving some species into extinction, the tree count per hectare is also reduced to one-third of the original density, reducing a crucial resource in the fight against global warming ... "Australia may be... (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Malaysia vote loosens ruling grip Mar 9, 2008
Malaysia, being the world's palm oil exporter and a net oil exporter, should well be on par or exceed the economic performances of Taiwan or South Korea. Hamiraj Fahry Abdul Hamid, Shah Alam, Malaysia. (BBC News -- Asia-Pacific)
Take Cooking Light's nutrition quiz Mar 6, 2008
Saturated fat mostly comes from animal products, although some plant foods like coconut, cacao (cocoa), and palm oil contain it, too. It elevates levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, which increases heart disease risk. (CNN)
The best hospital is an empty one Mar 1, 2008
"McDonalds has already "chosen" to adopt a healthier menu, although they still use palm oil in all their foods that has links to heart and immune system problems because it is cheaper than the healthier alternative. It's a start, but it's not quite there yet.[20080228114306] Laki: "I think there should be information going round, like in TV ads, telling people how junk food can lead to obesity and death. "If we are to "prevent," then we shan't divulge ourselves as a society to expect everyone to... (ABC Online)
The elixir of love Feb 14, 2008
Stay away from chocolate that has palm kernel oil or vegetable fats on the ingredient list, because it will be difficult to work with, and the flavor won't be as intense, Hahn said. At home, you should store chocolate tightly wrapped in a cool dry place. (Boulder Colorado Daily, CO)
Love your heart| Feb 12, 2008
Reduce your intake of saturated fats (fatty meat, full-cream dairy products, butter, coconut oil and palm kernel oil) and trans fats (brick margarine, shortening, high fat baked products). Instead, opt for polyunsaturated fat (vegetable oils such as sunflower, soya and corn oil, soft margarines, fatty fish and legumes) and monounsaturated fats (olive, grape seed and canola oil or margarines, avocado pear, nuts and olives). (iAfrica.com)
Be My Green Valentine Feb 12, 2008
Lush soaps are made up of only 35 percent soap and zero animal fat, leaving more room for the good for your skin ingredients like coconut and palm kernel oil. Find out more at. (ABC News)
Bakers dozen: Marcel Desaulniers Feb 7, 2008
Check the ingredients to ascertain if the cocoa butter has been replaced or supplanted with palm kernel oil or coconut oil. I recommend walking away from chocolate that does not contain cocoa butter. (Arlington Advocate, MA)
Ban gas-guzzling cars, says ex-Shell boss Feb 6, 2008
By Stephen AdamsLast Updated: 8:01am GMT 03/02/2008. New 'gas guzzling' cars should be banned across the European Union, the former head of Shell has said. (Telegraph.co.uk)
Growing Up Green Jan 25, 2008
"They all have crazy valuations. Solar, biofuels and wind are played out. People talk about biodiesel like palm oil, but it isn't consistent and it doesn't scale. We haven't invested in any of it.". But for all the froth and posturing, the opportunity in alternative energy solutions is too huge to pass up. (Forbes)
Krispy Kreme drops trans fats Jan 8, 2008
But the original glazed doughnut is still a 200-calorie indulgence of white flour, sugar and fat, deep-fried in a blend of vegetable oil and palm oil that s higher in saturated fats than the previous formula. The bottom line: An original glazed doughnut still contains 200 calories and 12 grams of total fat. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
JUST THE FLAX, PLEASE Jan 3, 2008
" Some yogurts on the market also contain prebiotics, which are non-digestible carbohydrates or fibers that clean out your digestive tract and are good for your health. They make you regular, so to speak. Dietitian Hattner, who is writing a book on the topic, says you shouldn't take these cultures as supplements but instead go right to the food source. Ideally, a yogurt (with probiotics) a day helps keep the doctor away. We'll write more about these yogurts in an upcoming Food section. Good fat,... (San Francisco Chronicle)
Orangutan Plan To Curb Carbon Emissions Jan 3, 2008
Deforestation, for timber, pulp and palm oil plantations, have pushed Indonesia into the status of being a major carbon emitter, while threatening globally significant wildlife populations. "In the last 35 years about 50,000 orangutans are estimated to have been lost as their habitats shrank. If this continues, this majestic creature will likely face extinction by 2050," said Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the launch of the plan. (Science Daily)
A slippery debate Dec 14, 2007
Tropical oils such as palm kernel oil, palm oil, coconut oil and cocoa butter are also high in saturated fats. Risk for cancers Trans fats also raise cholesterol levels and they may pose a risk for certain cancers. (Marco Island Sun-Times, FL)
Indonesia Vows to Protect Endangered Orangutans Dec 11, 2007
Indonesia's forests are a massive natural store of carbon, but environmentalists say rampant cutting and burning of trees to feed the pulp, timber and palm oil sectors has made the country the world's third-largest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions. "If payments for avoided deforestation become an official mechanism in global climate agreements, then carbon buyers will likely compensate Indonesia for its forest protection," said The Nature Conservancy's Meijaard. (Planet Ark, United States)
Low faith in biofuels for climate Dec 11, 2007
In Indonesia and elsewhere, forests are being cleared for palm oil plantations, partly to produce biofuels. There is evidence that leaving forests intact results in greater climate benefits while protecting biodiversity. (BBC News -- Science)
Indonesia's shrinking forests Dec 6, 2007
In recent years, dozens of pulp and paper companies have descended on Riau, which is roughly the size of Switzerland, snatching up generous government concessions to log and establish palm oil plantations ... Responding to global demand for palm oil, which is used in cooking and cosmetics and, lately, in an increasingly popular biodiesel, companies have been claiming any land they can, often working not only in protected areas but on the villagers' collectively owned land as well ... "This is... (International Herald Tribune)
Neste To Build US$814 Mln Singapore Biofuel Plant Dec 3, 2007
Neste said the plant would have a design capacity of about 20,000 barrels per day, and use mostly palm oil as its raw material, though it can use also soy oil or animal fats ... Some environmentalists, however, dispute the greenhouse gas emissions benefits of biofuels and are alarmed by deforestation to increase palm oil output and the effect on food prices ... On Sunday environmental group Greenpeace tried to prevent a tanker bringing palm oil to Neste's first biodiesel plant, which is now... (Planet Ark, United States)
For peat's sake - stopping the rot in logging industry Nov 30, 2007
Palm oil will bring quick wealth, with promises of greater riches as 57,000 hectares are drained to enable villagers to burn and plant ... "They will get rid of the water; I can work there or do farming. In the other villages they have a better life with palm oil: they get money every month, every house has a motorbike." ... Indonesia is already the world's largest producer of palm oil and with demand and prices booming - partly because of its promotion as an environmentally-friendly "biofuel" -... (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Babcock & Brown to bail out its struggling biofuel fund Nov 14, 2007
At the heart of the problems are soaring palm oil prices, the feedstock for the biofuel the Darwin plant produces, which have increased from about $US425 a tonne to $US900 a tonne in the past 18 months. Similarly, the fund's ethanol production investments have been hit by a rise in the price of corn from $2 a bushel to above $4 a bushel over the same period. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Business)
GDP, poverty and gross national happiness Nov 12, 2007
Many of the rich apparently are enjoying top dollars by exporting palm oil products, while a peek at the grass root level can easily reveal how homelessness and near starvation are epidemic throughout Indonesia. Rural residents have been living below acceptable health and sanitary standards. (Jakarta Post, Indonesia -- Editorial)
DJ Cox 'shocked' by club shooting Nov 8, 2007
Palm oil warning for Indonesia. MOST READ. (BBC News)
Vitamin D 'may help slow ageing' Nov 8, 2007
----------------- ----------------- RELATED BBC SITES. Last Updated: Thursday, 8 November 2007, 05:10 GMT. (BBC News)
Save Riau forests, says Greenpeace Nov 5, 2007
Bustar said the group wanted to prevent bio-fuel market countries using fuel made of palm oil. As of last week, said Bustar, a company in Sweden had made a statement canceling its use of palm oil as their main fuel. (Jakarta Post, Indonesia)
Biofuel Industry Fights the Critics Oct 17, 2007
Produced from food crops like sugar cane, rapeseed and palm oil, they provide an alternative to conventional transport fuels like gasoline and diesel, seen important as oil supplies become ever more concentrated among fewer producing countries. Also, these food crops absorb the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide as they grow, releasing it again when the biofuel is burned, implying that biofuels should be kinder to the climate. (Planet Ark, United States)
UK considers banning trans-fat in food Oct 15, 2007
From correspondents in London. October 14, 2007 06:10pm. (NEWS.com.au)
Scientists are making Brazil's savannah bloom Oct 2, 2007
Embrapa scientists have identified some 30 plants that could be used in such programs and are focusing on palm oil. "Palm oil's composition is one of the best for production of biofuels," said Maria do Rosrio Lobato Rodrigues, the director of the Manaus laboratory, where the research is based. (International Herald Tribune -- Business)
The long, secret journey to a healthier donut Sep 16, 2007
Batches of doughnuts cooked with oils containing zero grams of trans fat turned into baking disasters: frosting slid off doughnuts, oils bled through the sugary treats, and the stench of palm oil replaced the sweet powdery scent that used to waft through the firm's test kitchen ... The 100 percent palm oil bled right through the pastry, leaving an oily mess on Dunkin's signature pink tray paper. (Boston Globe)
Eating breaks at workplace are a must Sep 10, 2007
Olive oil, regular palm oil and groundnut oil are relatively safer better. Avoid coconut oil, adds Dr Nayak. (India Times)
Get the messageIt's time to switch off reality TV and tune into the real world Aug 29, 2007
In talking of biofuels, I haven't heard anyone on TV say anything about the fact that if the EU press ahead with their quotas for biofuels - this will cause even more suffering for the orang-utans in the pursuit of palm oil and the devastation of their habitat ... to ask them to use only sustainable palm oil, etc. (BBC News -- Science)
Malaysia at 50: So far, so good Aug 29, 2007
It cannot count on another oil or palm oil boom, even less on the surge of foreign investment into electronics and other industries that have been so important for the past 20 years. With entrepreneurship and education both dulled by official policies, it may struggle to achieve the higher levels of expertise needed to sustain income gains. (International Herald Tribune -- Ed/Op)
Virtual haven Aug 21, 2007
Visitors to WWF's "Conservation Island" have the opportunity to meet Mr Tangee, an orang-utan who sells ice-cream and lectures on the evils of palm oil production, and an unnamed panda keen to pass on environmental news ... In 2003 the Indonesian Government announced its ambition to become the world's largest producer of palm oil, which is used in bio-diesel, and plans were made to replace about 64,400 square kilometres of jungle with plantations by 2010 ... "Global prices [for palm oil] are... (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
Eat Malaysia Aug 19, 2007
Ipoh white coffee is made from coffee beans specially roasted with palm oil margarine. Many locals believe that the aroma, taste and texture of the traditional "white" coffee blend is unique and superior to other locally produced coffee. (Suite101.com)
Bio-fuelling conflictTensions in Indonesia rise as land is taken for palm oil boom Aug 4, 2007
Losing land to palm oil in Kalimantan ... Gazing out over a vast expanse of freshly planted palm oil, he says: "This is our ancestors' land which we have had for years, and now we have lost it." ... It is a key region earmarked for palm oil expansion, as Indonesia hopes to reap the benefits of a growing demand for palm oil products in China, India and Europe. (BBC News -- Asia-Pacific)
Purge amid Chile transport chaos Aug 4, 2007
Losing land to palm oil in Kalimantan. MOST READ. (Yahoo News -- Chile)
In surreal Salvador beats the heart of Brazil Aug 3, 2007
During a six-day stay, I get to sample plenty of it, from the cuisine permeated by the scent of palm oil to the mysteries of "candomble," the African religion similar to Cuban "santeria," to churches that are architectural jewels, hubs of history and repositories of cultural treasures ... SENAC, (National Service of Commercial Apprenticeship), is the city's culinary institute and a great place to sample Bahian specialties like "acaraje" (bean fritters), "feijoard" (bean stew), "xinxim de... (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Cloned sperm created in the lab Jul 4, 2007
" He said it would be important to look at future generations of mice born from the clone-made rodents because there might be abnormalities, such as a propensity to heart disease or diabetes, that could be passed down to offspring. Proposed new UK laws would ban the use of artificially created sperm, and eggs, in fertility treatments. FERTILITY CONFERENCE KEY STORIES RELATED BBC LINKS RELATED INTERNET LINKS The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites MOST E-MAILED BBC's... (BBC News -- Health)
Oil boom, politics shape Africa's future Jun 30, 2007
Europe's great powers once scrambled for dominance across vast, underdeveloped African lands rich in raw resources, including the scarlet palm oil used to grease the first cogs of the industrial revolution ... PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria (AP) Europe's great powers once scrambled for dominance across vast, underdeveloped African lands rich in raw resources, including the scarlet palm oil used to grease the first cogs of the industrial revolution ... Among the first Europeans to arrive here centuries... (Anchorage Daily News)
Eating Ghanaian/African Food is Good for You Jun 19, 2007
A Nigerian told me that the World Health Organization (WHO) says Nigerians (more those from the southern part of the country) are among the people with the best eye-sight in the world because they eat more of their native green vegetables and palm oil. The lessons here are that Ghanaian indigenous foods, with its heavy emphasis on green vegetables, like the famed healthy Arab/Mediterranean foods, are among one of the healthiest in the world. (Ghana Web, Ghana)
The inconvenient truth about the carbon offset industry Jun 16, 2007
The remaining two - solar-powered kitchens in India and energy from palm oil waste in Thailand - are up and running, but neither has yet completed the gold standard process. Atmosfair's founder, Dietrich Brockhagen, acknowledged that what he was selling was "forward" credits even though the two projects might fail finally to generate them. (Guardian Unlimited -- UK)
Niger Delta's window for change Jun 7, 2007
Umuechem, Nigeria - Deep in the heart of Nigeria's volatile petroleum-producing region, Charity Jonah-Jim and her family survive on oil production not crude oil, but crudely produced palm oil that she and her children make by hand. Ms. Jonah-Jim and her children earn $10 a week making cooking oil from palm kernels only yards away from pipes carrying millions of dollars of oil away from their troubled Niger Delta region each year. (Christian Science Monitor -- World)
Experience Borneo wildlife Jun 3, 2007
However, the fight for many conservationists to have the area preserved as a National Park is heavily opposed, as the region is also home to the logging industry and palm oil plantations. Until then, the Kinabatangan will have to fend for itself with its natural flooding, which it has for centuries so far. (Suite101.com)
Animal research raises possibility of end to fat-free diets May 8, 2007
Saturated fat found in meats, milk and cheeses, coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil is considered a main cause of high cholesterol. There are two types of monounsaturated fatty acids, "cis" and "trans," which are named according to their shapes. (EurekAlert!)
Biofuels Hamper Expansion of Healthy Rapeseed May 4, 2007
Palm oil, which is more stable than rapeseed oil, can be used as an alternative to hydrogenated oils but has high levels of saturated fats, which may also raise blood cholesterol. "You are really just swapping one problem for another," Hancock said. (Planet Ark, United States)
EU biofuel push 'to ruin forests' Apr 20, 2007
The oil giants have promised they would obtain their palm oil from sustainable sources; but they define this as taking oil from plantations where forests were felled more than five years ago. Some oil industry experts are now admitting that this makes no sense, because it simply increases overall demand for palm oil. (Yahoo News -- European Union)
A new generation of fats in food products is hitting shelves Apr 11, 2007
The process called interesterifcation, or the rearranging of fatty acids, makes oils, like palm oil, into a solid. The interesterified fats are replacing trans fats in some products. (The Daily Reflector)
Oil's well after Reg's Omega-3 discoveryALMOST 30 years ago Reg Saynor made a discovery that has saved and transformed countless lives around the world. Mar 29, 2007
The cost of going to University was out of the question for a working class family and, bright though he was, Reg joined the merchant navy and travelled to West Africa on ships picking up mahogany, cocoa and palm oil. He also picked up malaria. (Sheffield Today, UK)
Orang utans face extinction by 2012 Mar 25, 2007
A shocking UN report details how the booming palm oil industry is wiping out one of man's closest relatives as its forest habitat disappears ... Palm oil is seen by critics as a cautionary tale about good intentions ... The paradox was brought to world attention by Friends of the Earth, whose ongoing campaign for producers, manufacturers and retailers to commit to sustainable palm oil was recognised at last week's Observer Food Monthly awards with the honour for best ethical contribution to the... (Guardian Unlimited)
Actor Woody Harrelson's dad dies in prison; was convicted of killing federal judge in Texas Mar 22, 2007
The bridge, which joins two villages, "just gave out under the weight of a (large truck) full of merchandise: rice sacks, cement bags, jugs of palm oil," Ibrahima Balde said by telephone. "It's usually pedestrians that take that bridge, and sometimes small cars. But never loaded trucks.". (North County Times)
STAY AWAY: Trans Confusion Mar 21, 2007
"Not that we should start eating all the potato chips because they're trans-fat free, but I think it's good for the public to be aware of these substances that can be hazardous to our health. "Until the public said, 'We're not going to use your product because you use coconut and palm oil in it,' it didn't change. The awareness of the public is causing the change in our food supply. (Las Vegas Review-Journal -- Life)
Another new species for Borneo Mar 16, 2007
Borneo s rainforest is nearly half gone as logging for wood for furniture and deforestation for palm oil plantations are presently driving the island s economy. These activities mean critical losses of habitat, affecting not only the newly separated clouded leopard species but also Sumatran tiger and rhino, pygmy elephants and orang-utan. (Suite101.com)
Fast-food asked to regulate trans fats Mar 14, 2007
"It is important when we reduce trans fats in our food supply that we do it in the context of a balanced diet. "We don't wish to decrease trans fats by returning to the use of saturated fats such as palm oil, tallow and lard. " Heart Foundation communications manager Monique Blunden said dealing with the use of trans fats was important because of the amount of people who ate fast-food every day. "While we are certainly thrilled with the initiative Christopher Pyne has taken, we want to make sure... (Courier Mail)
