Palm oil is obtained from the flesh ("mesocarp") of the oil palm
fruit. Like olive oil, palm oil is a fruit oil. Palm oil should not be
mistaken for palm kernel oil which is extracted from the kernel or seed
of the palm fruit.
Therefore, the oil palm fruit is unique. From the fruit two distinct
types of oils are produced - palm oil and palm kernel oil. Both are
edible oils but with very different chemical composition, physical
properties and applications. Each palm fruit produces about 90% palm oil
and 10% palm kernel oil
Palm oil has a balanced composition of both saturated and unsaturated
fatty acids. Coupled with nature's gift of high vitamin E content, the
oil is naturally very stable.
Palm oil contains an equal proportion of saturated and unsaturated
fatty acids. It's particularly rich in the saturated palmitic acid
(44%), with substantial amounts of the monounsaturated oleic acid (40%),
and smaller amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids (10%).
Palm oil has had a history of food use of over 5,000 years, and this
major oil in the world's oils and fats trade is currently consumed in
over 130 countries worldwide.