Based on the latest statistics released by Iran’s Customs Administration, palm oil was the seventh major imported good to the country during the first month of the current Iranian calendar year (started March 21). According to the data, more than 41,000 metric tons of palm oil, valued at $431.2 million, was imported during the period, recording an increase of 11.84% in terms of weight and a decrease of 6.67% in terms of value. Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from reddish pulp of the fruit of the oil palms. Its overall health impacts, particularly in relation to cardiovascular disease, are controversial and subject to ongoing research. Much of the palm oil that is consumed as food is to some degree oxidized rather than in the fresh state, and this oxidation appears to be responsible for the health risk associated with consuming palm oil.
