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Is Modified Palm Oil Gluten Free?

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Greg Allen answered
Modified palm oil is not naturally gluten free, but there are versions of palm oil that are available. Palm oil is taken from the fruits of palm trees, and is red in color. It is one of the oils that are high in saturated fat, although it does not contain cholesterol.

The oil is used regularly in cooking in the following places:

• Africa
• South East Asia
• Brazil

Environmental groups often attack palm oil use, as is very damaging to the natural environment. The impacts the production of palm oil has on the environment include;

• Deforestation
• Increase in greenhouse gas emissions
• Danger to the natural habitat of various endangered species, including the Sumatran Tiger.

Certain high profile organizations have committed to using palm oil, only if it is sourced from sustainable sources. One of these companies is Unilever, and they decided they would follow this route in 2008. In 2011 the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil introduced a trademark that could be used by its members, the trademark can be placed on products that include the use of palm oil, such as chocolate and margarine. This trademark shows that the companies producing these products are committed to using only palm oil from sustainable sources.

Indonesia is the largest producer of palm oil in the world, producing nearly 21 million tons of the oil each year. Malaysia also produces a large amount of the oil, and other countries where production is high are:

• Kenya
• Columbia
• Benin
• Ghana

Palm oil is not only used in chocolate and margarine, but also in the production of salad oil, mayonnaise and cooking oils.

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