Presentation by Ms. Vicky Chia, Senior Executive, Science, Environment and Sustainability Division, MPOC was presented during Techno-Economic Marketing for Palm Oil (TEMPO) in Algeria 2022

1. Malaysian Palm Oil:
Nutrition, Health Benefits &
Application
by Vicky Chia
Senior Executive of Science, Environment &
Sustainability Division
Accredited Practising Dietitian & Nutritionist
(Australia & Malaysia)

2. Outline
• Introduction of Malaysian Palm Oil
• Nutrition Attributes of Malaysian Palm Oil
• Application
Food Applications & Advantages
Non-Food Applications

3. Palm Oil
36%
Soybean Oil
26%
Rapeseed
Oil
11%
Sunflower Oil
9%
Others
18%
Most popular vegetable oil globally
Accounts for 36% of the global oils and fats
supply
Most productive vegetable oil in terms of
yield per hectare
✔ Up to 2.91 tonnes of oil per hectare per year
✔ At least 4 times more productive than
other veg. oils
Major applications:
✔ Food
✔ Oleochemicals
✔ Biofuels
✔ Renewable energy resource (biomass)
Palm Oil in Global Context
GLOBAL OILS AND FATS SUPPLY (2018)

4. Mesocarp
Palm Oil Process
Oil Palm
Crude Palm Oil Crude Palm Kernel Oil
Process & Fractionation
Oil Palm Fruitlets
Fresh Fruit Bunch

5. Oils produced from palm fruitlets
49.9
39%
11%
82%
16%
2%
Palm Oil
Palm
Kernel
Oil
Mesocarp
(flesh)
Kernel
(seed)

6. Mesocarp
(flesh)

7. Kernel
(seed)

8. Comparison of Fatty Acid Profile
Polyunsaturated fats are easily oxidised and are not recommended for
deep frying. They need to be partially hydrogenated to make them stable
for frying but this will generate TRANS FATTY ACIDS ➔ Bad for health!
Increased stability (higher saturated fat content) Decreased stability (higher polyunsaturated fat content)
✓ Balanced FA
profile
✓ High oxidative
stability (∵ ⩾50%
saturated fat)
✓ Only 10%
polyunsaturated fat
➔ Stableoil
→ More than 55%
polyunsaturated
fat
→ Low oxidative
stability
→ Not stable
(easily
hydrolysed,
oxidised &
polymerised)

9. Phytonutrients
• Natural chemicals in plant foods
• Function: To protect plants from insects and sun, and to keep
them healthy
• Function for human: Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects
• Examples: carotenoids, flavonoids, polyphenols, resveratrol, tocols

10. Phytonutrients in Palm Oil
Pro-vitamin
A
Carotenoids
Phytosterols
Vitamin E
Tocotrienols
Coenzyme
Q10

11. Vitamin E
Different
chemical
forms
Vitamin E is fat soluble vitamins,
hence higher content vitamin E is
found in fat-containing food,
including oils, nuts, wheat, avocado
and others

12. Source: Sundram K. & Nor R. M. (2002)
- Palm oil contains high amount of Vitamin E Tocotrienols
- One of the richest sources of Vitamin E Tocotrienols
What makes palm oil different and nutritious?

13. Potential anti-cancer &
anti-inflammatory properties
Powerful antioxidant
Neuroprotective (i.e. Stroke prevention
& protection)
Potential Health Benefits of Palm
Vitamin E Tocotrienols

14. Why is Red Palm Oil red in colour?
• It contains high amount of Provitamin A Carotenoids (especially β-carotene,
like carrots and tomatoes)
• Vitamin A precursors ➔ Converted into Vitamin A in our body
• Main characteristic of Carotenoids: Vibrant orangey red colour

15. Malaysian Red Palm Oil
Refined using a special method that
retains Provitamin A carotenoids (the
red pigment that gives its colour).
Red Palm Oil is suitable for salad
dressing, baking & stir frying

16. Functions of Vitamin A
Vision
Immune System
Cell Growth &
Development
Foetal
Development
Cognitive Function
(Elderly)
Source: Loganathan et al., 2017; RNI 2017

17. • Issues with poor eye health such as visual impairment, blindness, risk
of infection & stunting
What will happen if we don’t eat enough
Vitamin A?

18. Palm Oil: Food Application
Cooking oil Bakery fats:
margarine/shortening
Vanaspati:
Solid frying medium
Confectionary Fats/
Cocoa Butter Substitute
Dairy fat substitute

19. Other Food Uses
Santan sawit/
coconut milk
substitute
Infant
formula
Cheese
analogue
Emulsifier
/Stabiliser
Special
animal fat
replacer

20. Palm Oil: Best Oil for Frying Food Industry
03
Stable at high cooking temperatures (high
smoke point – 230°C)
High oxidative stability
Has right content of polyunsaturated fat
(10% only)
Competitively priced
02
01
04
DEEP FRYING is a cooking process which
food is immersed into frying oil at a temperature
between 150 - 190°C
1. Cooking/Frying Oil

21. Advantages of Palm Oil for Deep Frying
02 Produces less
volatile compounds
Less sticky residue on
walls & utensils
01 Less oil absorption
Good & consistent
texture on fried product
03 Resistant to
oxidation
Long shelf life

22. Examples – Frying Industry
French Fries &
Chicken
Instant
Noodles
Potato Chips Doughnut
Palm oil has good oxidative stability that can extend the shelf life
of end products.

23. Palm-based Cooking and Frying Oils
Cooking Oil, Blended Cooking Oil & Healthy Functional Oil
• Palm olein
• Blended palm olein (with other soft oils, i.e. soybean oil, sunflower oil etc)
to create desired percentage of fat ratio
• Healthy functional oil – Fortified with Vitamin E Tocotrienol

24. 2. Palm Oil in Bakery Industry
❑ Margarine
❑ Shortening
❑ Vegetable Ghee (or Vanaspati)

25. Palm Oil Naturally Semi Solid
Palm Oil (Semi-solid) ----> Fractionated -----> Palm Olein and stearin (Solid fat) -----> No trans-fats
Soft Oils (other
vegetable oils)
Semi-Solid
25 - 40%
Trans Fats
Soft oil (Liquid oil) ----> Partially hydrogenated to get semi-solid ----> 25 - 40% Trans-fat
Do not need partial hydrogenation to solidify
for bakery fats (i.e. margarine, shortening)
Partial
hydrogenation

26. Why is Trans-Fat not good for health?
LDL
cholesterol
(bad)
HDL
cholesterol
(good)
Blood Triglycerides
(bad)
Cardiovascular Diseases
(i.e. Heart Disease, Stroke and others)

27. Margarine

28. Shortening

29. Vegetable Ghee
• Also known as Vanaspati
• Cow’s ghee substitute – non-palm fats must be hydrogenated

30. 3. Specialty and Dairy Fat Substitute
• Confectionary fats
• Dairy fat replacer for ice-cream
• Cheese analogue
• Palm-based coffee creamers

31. Confectionary Fats
ⵙ Suitable as replacer of
expensive cocoa butter
ⵙ Have good glossiness and
excellent mouthfeel profile
ⵙ Suitable for the manufacture of
• Chocolate spread
• Caramels
• Toffees
• Fillings
ⵙ Has good resistant against fat
bloom in chocolates
Fat bloom in chocolates
is a result of cocoa butter
in the chocolate melts
and separated from the
chocolate.

32. Dairy Fat Replacer – Ice-Cream
❑ Palm-based fat is used to replace dairy fat
in ice cream formulation
❑ Basic ingredients in ice cream formulation are
fats, milk solid non-fat, sugar, emulsifier and
water.
❑ Fat is one of the major ingredient in the ice
cream production.
❑ A fat base with sharp melting properties at
body temperature is highly desirable to
ensure good organoleptic characteristics
(i.e. good mouthfeel).

33. Cheese Analogue
❑Texture and taste is
very similar to dairy
cheese
❑100% plant source
(vegan friendly)

34. Palm-based Coffee Creamers
❑Substitutes for dairy
cream and milk
(evaporated or fresh)
❑Longer shelf-life, easy
storage and handling,
and lower cost of
production

35. Other Food Applications

36. Stabiliser in Peanut Butter Spread
Palm oil is used to stabilise oil
dispersions to impart a smooth
texture, which is the desired physical
characteristic for peanut butter.
May exhibit oil separation
problems, coupled with the
formation of a hard layer of
peanut solids at the bottom of
the container due to settling.

37. Palm-based Emulsifier
Applications
• Salad dressing
• Mayonnaise
• Homogenised milk
• Vinaigrette

38. Animal Fats Replacer
Applications
• Sausages (beef/chicken)
• Burger patties
• Chicken nuggets
• Pepperoni
• Meat balls
Advantages
• Cholesterol-free
vegetable based animal
fat replacer
• Provides good mouthfeel
to the product similar to
the taste of animal fats

39. Palm Oil: Non-Food Application
Personal Care Products
Biodiesel
Ink
Cosmetics
Grease & Lubricant
Household Products
Palm-based Oleochemicals

40. Benefits of Palm Oil & Derivatives
03
02
01 Vegan and Halal
Biodegradable
Sustainable

41. Videos for Reference
1. Cooking with Malaysian Palm Oil: https://youtu.be/qmt0oIID6wE
2. Palm-based Oleochemicals (Arabic): https://youtu.be/otxC8k_Soio
3. How Palm-based Oleochemicals being used in Cosmetics and Personal Care Products:
https://youtu.be/-SyTSTt3yVQ

42. www.mpoc.org.my
www.palmoiltv.org
Thank you
‫ا‬ً‫شكر‬
vickyc@mpoc.org.my
www.palmoilhealth.org