Blog

As palm oil is naturally semi-solid at room temperature (20°C), the liquid portion can be physically separated from the solid portion by fractionation. The liquid fraction is known as palm olein while the solid fraction as palm stearin.

     Palm olein is bottled and sold as cooking oil or used in food manufacturing such as instant noodles and fried food products. Palm stearin is used in the formulations of trans fat-free margarine, shortening and vegetable ghee.

     Palm olein can be further fractionated to produce palm super olein, which is a more liquid fraction. It can withstand a lower temperature than palm olein before it clouds or solidifies.

Is palm oil similar to palm kernel oil?

No. Palm oil comes from the mesocarp or flesh of the oil palm fruit while palm kernel oil comes from the kernel or seed.

In terms of uses, palm oil is mainly used for edible purposes, while palm kernel oil is generally used for non-edible purposes such as making soaps, cosmetics and detergents. In addition, palm kernel oil has specialised applications in confectionery fats, or cocoa butter substitute (CBS) and cocoa butter equivalent (CBE).

Is palm oil similar to coconut oil?

 No. It is palm kernel oil that is similar to coconut oil in terms of chemical composition, physical characteristics and uses.

Credit: http://mpoc.org.my/faqs/