Palm oil is squeezed from the palm fruits of oil palm trees. Of which, about half are saturated fatty acids and half are monounsaturated fatty acids. The oil squeezed out of the fruit is called palm oil, while the oil squeezed out of the kernel is called palm kernel oil. The composition of the two oils is quite different.
Characteristics of palm oil:
Palm oil mainly contains the two most common fatty acids, palmitic acid and oleic acid. The saturated form of palm oil is about 50%;, palm oil can be “graded” for processing. In other words, after oil extraction, palm oil can be divided into several products with different melting points through some subsequent physical processing. Some products concentrate the saturated fatty acids in palm oil and are more semi-solid or even solid at room temperature; some products contain more unsaturated fatty acids and are liquid at room temperature. Those liquid palm oil components contain relatively high amounts of monounsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E, and are often added to various blending oils to balance the proportion of fatty acids.
Uses of Palm Oil:
Palm oil is widely used in cooking and food manufacturing around the world. It is used as cooking oil, crisp fat and margarine. Like other edible oils, palm oil is easily digested, absorbed, and promotes health. Palm oil is an important component of fat. It has mild properties and is a good material for making food. Judging from the composition of palm oil, its high solid glycerin content allows food to avoid hydrogenation and remain stable, and is an effective antioxidant. It is also suitable for hot climates and is called a good condiment for pastries and bakery products.