Abstract
Palm oil has many advantageous properties that make it well suited for manufacturing and processing food products in Japan. Its principal uses are in making margarine and shortening, and for deep frying instant noodles, tempura, and snack foods. Palm oil now enjoys a 22% share of all oils and fats used in preparing these foods. In addition, palm oil fractions such as palm olein, palm stearin, and palm midfraction are used increasingly in a variety of other food products, ranging from vegetable ghee and hard butter to chocolate and ice cream. According to official statistics, palm oil consumption in Japan has now increased to around 320,000 tons per year, and the indications are that its use in the food industry will continue to increase despite the fact that liquid oils remain the major oils in domestic cooking.