Palm Oil is Healthier Than Any Other Vegetable Oil

According to the American Palm Oil Council (APOC), palm oil is healthier than any other vegetable oil.  It contains nutrients that contribute to your daily energy needs, and it is also a valuable source of beta carotene and vitamin E.  Recent research suggests that tocopherols and tocotrienols, which are isomers of vitamin E found in palm oil, are antioxidants, and they are highly correlated with more favorable cholesterol profiles, and lower risk of heart disease and some types of cancer (http://www.americanpalmoil.com).

Production of palm oil has increased in recent years to meet the increased demand not only in the United States, but in other parts of the world. Today, palm oil is becoming a major oil of preference among consumers in different parts of the world.  It is consumed worldwide in more than 100 countries, and even in some countries, it is consumed in its unrefined state, as an ingredient of traditional dishes.  Today, about 90% of palm oil currently goes into food applications and the remaining 10% goes into non-food applications.

This high demand and increased production, however, brings with it a variety of issues to consider, such as storage issues. For instance, storage and packaging issues are the most prominent; to store this nutritious oil is a delicate issue, in terms of maintaining product quality.  Writing about the impact of packaging and storage on sunflower oil, Kucuk and Caner (2005:222-224) argue that the combined or individual effects of light, oxygen, moisture, metal contamination, and heat on the sunflower oil’s quality is mostly negative, as such they all lead to deterioration in the oil’s quality and stability; this manifests itself as development of acidity and production of carbonyl compounds (Schieberle et al. 1979; Schieberle and Grosch 1981; Tawfik and Huyghebaert 1999 cited in Kucuk and Caner 2005, 223).

Packaging and storage condition of oils becomes highly important to maintain their quality and stability.  This is applicable not only to sunflower oil, but also to palm and other oils.  For instance, characteristics of the packaging material (permeability and light transmittance) may in fact have a direct effect (Hotchkiss 1995 cited in Kucuk and Caner 2005:223).

The growing literature on the effects of the packaging and storage on the stability and quality of vegetable oils have some contradicting conclusions.  In terms of packaging materials, glass and plastic bottles/containers are the most preferred substances. Recently, polyethylene (PE), polyvinylchloride (PVC) and polyethylenetetraphthalate (PET) are also used as packaging materials.  PET is becoming more and more popular and attractive due to its excellent barrier, appearance, and mechanical properties. It also weighs much less than any other material and is relatively cheaper.

With five generations of experience in Oils and Fat trade, the Saranabu group, understands the problems associated with packaging and storage of oils. To this end, the group has started working on an 18000 Mt Storage Tank Facility to further enhance its Bulk Oil operations and to serve as a central part of distribution to other countries in West Africa.

Saranabu group’s infrastructure includes its own transport and logistics department storage tanks for bulk imports and warehouses. The group has been the largest importer of Bulk Vegetable Oil in West African region for the last few years with customers across many countries in West and also Central Africa. Saranabu group’s products include, palm olein (vegetable oil), RBDPO (refined bleached deodorized palm oil), cotton seed oil, crude palm oil, shortening (bakery fat), stearine, margarine, PFAD (palm fatty acid) and soap noodles.

Saranabu group, a Lebanese family business based in West Africa with 15 years of experience in trading, industry, and investment, has earned its reputation as reliable suppliers to both industries and merchants, it keeps providing innovative and cost effective solutions to its customers in a precarious economic conditions of the continent.