Further Decline in Palm Oil Consumption

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, said Rasoul Dinarvand, head of FDA.

“Since we increased the tax on palm oil imports by 16%, and lowered considerably the limit of trans fats permissible in edible oils, the standards in oil consumption have slightly 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.

In mid 2014, dairy producers had been strictly warned not to use it in milk and yogurt but it was permitted in production of eight dairy products including: vegetable fat cream cheese and processed cheese, milk powder with vegetable fat and probiotic ice cream.

In March 2014, after the Agriculture Ministry took over responsibility for palm oil imports from the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Trade, it issued a directive putting a ceiling on imports to 30%. In addition, the ministry plans to further reduce palm oil imports to less than 15% this year.

Research indicates that palm oil, which is high saturated fat and low in polyunsaturated fat, promotes heart disease. In addition to negative effects on the cardiovascular system, it is also carcinogenic.

Globally, use of palm oil in food products is prohibited in many countries and manufacturers who use this oil in their products are required to advertise its use with bold headlines and letters on the product label.

Dinarvand also said that “palm oil will be completely removed from dairy products, although, we constantly advise people to use low-fat milk and dairy products.”