Import of palm oil has declined by 300,000 tons a year over the past two years due to new health safety regulations and standards set by the Food and Drug Administration, according to its head, Rasoul Dinarvand.
“Since we increased the tax on palm oil imports, and lowered considerably the limit of trans fats permissible in edible oils, the standards in oil consumption have improved,” he told IRNA.
Noting that palm oil consumption should not exceed 30%, he said the consumption rate was 50% earlier as it was priced cheap. In the current Iranian year that started in March, the maximum permitted amount of trans fats in solid edible oils is set at 2% and for food industries and confectionaries, 5%. Only oils with zero amounts of trans fats are allowed to enter the country, Dinarvand added.
Palm oil is one of the few highly saturated vegetable fats, is difficult to digest, and can cause toxicity. Its use in the commercial food industry is widespread because it costs less.
