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What is palm oil?

Palm oil is an important and versatile vegetable oil which is used as a raw material for both food and non-food industries.

Oil Palm Tree

Oil palm tree, also known as Elaeis Guineensis or African palm oil. It is native to West and South West Africa.  

Palm oil facts

  1. Palm oil trees can grow up to 20 metres tall with an average life of 25 years. 
  2. Palm oil grows across or 10 degrees north / south of the equator.
  3. The tree starts to bear fresh fruit bunches (FFBs) after three years. 
  4. The oil palm tree is also know as Elaeis Guineensis. 
  5. Each individual piece of fruit on fruit bunch contains 50% oil.  
  6. The nut, referred to as a kernel, at the centre of each piece of fruit, is where palm kernel oil is extracted from. 
  7. Palm oil can be harvested 12 months of the year.  
  8. Each tree can produce 10 tonnes of fresh fruit bunches per hectare.  
  9. On average 3.9 tonnes of crude palm oil and 0.5 tonnes of palm kernel oil can be extracted per hectare.  
  10. Leftover fibre from the palm kernel mill process provides a product called palm kernel expeller. This is used in animal feed, but can also be used to make products like paper or fertilizer. 
  11. Palm oil requires 10 times less land than other oil-producing crops. 
  12. It is entirely GM free
Palm Oil Fresh Fruit Bunch

A fresh fruit bunch (FFB). The variety shown in this picture is called Tenera. Palm oil is extracted from each of the individual fruits contained on the bunch.

Palm oil fresh fruit bunches (FFB's)

  • Fresh fruit bunches like the one in the picture above grow on the tree and are harvested, then transported to a palm oil mill. 
  • The mill process extracts the palm oil from the flesh of each individual piece of fruit contained on the bunch. The palm kernel, the nut found in the centre of each piece of fruit, is extracted and sent to a palm kernel crushing mill. The oil is extracted from the kernel. 
  • The pulp left over from this process is pressed together, forming palm kernel cake or expeller. These processes extract three major palm products: palm oil, palm kernel oil and palm kernel expeller. 

 
Palm products

Three major global palm commodities:


CPO - Crude Palm Oil 

piece of palm oil fruit showing kernel

These individual fruits make up the fresh fruit bunches, also referred to as FFBs. Palm oil is extracted from the orange flesh. The white centre is the kernel or nut. This is crushed to extract the palm kernel oil.

 

PKO - Palm Kernel Oil

Palm kernels

Palm kernels are sent from the palm oil mill to a kernel crushing plant. The palm kernel oil is extracted and the pulp left over is compacted together to form palm kernel expeller or cake.


PKE - Palm Kernel Expeller

Palm kernel expeller

Palm kernel expeller or palm kernel cake is used in the animal feed industry. The product is high in energy and fibre and retains a good level of residual oil.

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Book&Claim Ltd, King George Dock, Hull, HU9 5PX, UK
info@greenpalm.org
Company Registered in England
Company No: 05997462
VAT No: GB475480031
General enquiries:
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bob.norman@greenpalm.org
+44 (0) 1482 332013
Simon Chrismas
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+44 (0) 1482 333972
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