Abstract
India is experiencing a shortage of edible oils that may increase in years to come. To meet this challenge, palm oil is being considered as a potential new source of oil owing to the high productivity of the oil palm. Besides importing palm oil for the present, indigenous production by cultivating the oil palm has been initiated as a long-term measure.
When a new edible oil is introduced, people have to be assured of its safety and nutritional quality. Besides ensuring that palm oil meets essential fatty acid (EFA) requirements, concern about its atherogenic potential due to its saturated fat content has to be allayed. The habitual low-fat Indian diet based on cereals and pulses contains invisible fats amounting to 25 g per day, but it provides two-thirds of EFA requirements. Increased consumption of fat in the form of palm oil should therefore not pose a problem to the requirements since the oil contains about 10% of n-6, 18:2 linoleic acid. Although categorized as a saturated fat, palm oil does not raise blood cholesterol, unlike other fats such as coconut oil. Unrefined crude palm oil, which is rich in β-carotene, is also of special interest as it can be used to prevent vitamin A deficiency, which is widespread In India.
Owing to its technical characteristics, palm oil can be used in domestic cooking as well as in the foodprocessing industry for the manufacture of vanaspati and margarine, and as a specialty fat in the bakery and confectionery industries.