Palm oil is a vegetable oil derived from the fruit of the oil palms Elaeis guineensis. The oil palm produces bunches of fruits with the fleshy mesocarp enclosing a kernel that is covered by a very hard shell. FAO considers palm oil and palm kernels to be primary products. Palm oil is a common cooking ingredient in the tropical belt of Africa, Southeast Asia and parts of Brazil. Its use in the commercial food industry is widespread because of its lower cost and the high oxidative stability of the refined product. The use of palm oil in food products has attracted the concern of environmental activist groups; the high oil yield of the trees has encouraged wider cultivation, leading to the clearing of forests in many parts of the world.
Palm oil Stock Footage
