In tropical climates around the globe, a special species of palm tree produces bunches of oil-rich fruit. In Malaysia, plantation workers hand pick these massive fruit bunches – each bunch weighs between 20 and 50 pounds and may contain up to 3000 individual fruitlets – often on family farms which have been tended for generations. Palm oil is released when these fruitlets are squeezed. The process is similar to olive oil production.

Palm oil is estimated to be in half of our packaged foods. Despite being the world’s most widely consumed vegetable oil, many American moms know very little about palm oil.

Many manufacturers have switched to natural tropical fats such as coconut and Malaysian palm oil to replace the trans fat-laden partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) in their products. PHOs have been shown to increase heart disease, diabetes and stroke risk so the FDA has restricted their use.

Malaysian palm oil is an industry favorite because of its quality and wholesomeness. This premium healthy fat offers a creamy texture and long shelf-life, plus it’s responsibly produced.

Many of us are trying to eat foods closer to how they are found in nature. But that can be a challenge when it comes to edible oils because almost all of the canola, soybean and corn grown in the United States (more than 90 percent!) come from genetically modified seeds. Thankfully, all palm oil is non-GMO.

Palm oil also offers a unique, heart-healthy 50-50 blend of saturated and unsaturated fat. Plus, it’s loaded with vitamin E tocotrienols. These antioxidants are up to 60 times more potent than the more common vitamin E form.

One more reason to love oil palm treesOil palm plantations are incredibly high yielding. In Malaysia, one acre of oil palm produces 11 times more oil than an acre of soybean, 10 times more than sunflower and 7 times more than canola. Best of all, oil palm trees don’t need to be cleared and replanted every year as with corn, canola and soybean crops. This results in significantly less environmental impact, as well as stable homes for native wildlife.

Leading companies such as Kellogg’s, Nestle and General Mills depend on palm oil to produce great-tasting and nutritious products. They take great care to use responsibly produced palm oil, such as certified sustainable Malaysian palm oil. Visit www.palmoilhealth.org or view each company’s corporate responsibility report to learn more about responsible palm oil sourcing.