Palm oil has been eliminated from all dairy products, said head of the Food and Drug Administration on Friday. “The oil has been eliminated as an ingredient in dairy products, and recent inspections show samples from all production companies are free of palm oil,” Rasould Dinarvand told IRNA. He said palm oil is allowed in certain food industries such as frying oil, minarine (a form of cream), and margarine (an imitation butter spread), as well as certain types of ice-cream. “Palm oil import has been reduced dramatically in the past three years, from over 700,000 tons in 2012 to nearly 400,000 in 2015, and the reduction will continue this year.” Research indicates that palm oil, which is high in saturated fat and low in polyunsaturated fat, promotes heart disease and is carcinogenic. Further, a large proportion of palm oil expansion occurs at the expense of biodiversity and ecosystems in the countries it is produced.
