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Which foods and products are made using palm oil or palm kernel oil?

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Dense grove of acai palm trees (Euterpe oleracea) with slender trunks and abundant green fronds growing on Combu Island in Belem, Para, Brazil. — Palm Wild acai palms (*Euterpe oleracea*) growing on Combu Island in Belem, state of Para in Brazil.

The African oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) is the primary source of both palm oil and palm kernel oil, which are derived from different parts of the fruit. While both are vegetable fats, they serve distinct purposes in manufacturing and food production.12

Palm Oil

Obtained from the fleshy outer portion of the fruit, palm oil is used in a variety of industrial and consumer products, including:
* Soaps and cosmetics12
* Candles12
* Biofuels12
* Lubricating greases12
* Industrial processing, such as coating iron plates and processing tinplate12

Palm Kernel Oil

Extracted from the seed (kernel) of the fruit, this oil is chemically distinct and is primarily used in edible products and pharmaceuticals, including:
* Margarine312
* Ice cream12
* Chocolate confections12
* Cookies and bread12
* Pharmaceuticals12

The residue left after extracting oil from the kernel is often used as cattle feed. It is important to note that the rapid expansion of the palm oil industry has been a significant driver of deforestation and biodiversity loss in regions like Indonesia and Malaysia, leading some environmental groups to advocate for the avoidance of these products.12