KARACHI, March 2: With continually surging prices of palm oil and Pakistan being the third most important importer of this particular commodity because of its dependence on imported edible oil, it would be interesting to rethink the country’s consumption of palm oil with special emphasis on its impact on health, so that consumers can make informed choices.
Palm oil, an edible oil derived from the pulp of fruits of the oil palm, generally appeals to the food industry because it is slightly less expensive than other edible oils, some of which are healthier in content. Dr Mohammad Abid Hasnain of the University of Karachi’s food science and technology department explains that oils are made of fatty acids which can be classified as: saturated, unsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.
“Edible oils, which have more unsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, are better. Palm oil, however, has a relatively higher amount of saturated fatty acids (as compared to soybean and olive oils).”
Also, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) report, there is enough evidence that palm oil consumption “increases the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.”
In Pakistan, apart from being consumed (in huge amounts) as oil for cooking, palm oil is also used to make ghee because of the high melting point and the abundantly present saturated fatty acids. It is also used in food processing industries in huge amounts. When asked if it is possible to cultivate other oil seeds in Pakistan, Dr Hasnain said “soybean is already being cultivated in some parts of Pakistan, but the management of these cultivations is not so good and does not seem to be high on the government’s agenda.” However, Iftikhar Ahmed, Assistant Director Planning at the Pakistan Oilseed Development Board (PODB), said that even though “other oil seeds are properly being cultivated locally, that meets only 28 per cent of the country’s needs, which is why the remaining 72 per cent is being met by importing oil and oil seeds to Pakistan.”
The domestic demand for edible oil in Pakistan is around 1.99 million tons, while imports cost the nation around $989 million yearly. Of the imported edible oil, approximately 56 per cent is palm oil.
On the question of palm oil being imported for its relatively less expensive prices, Ahmed said, “the prices have already surged to $1,157 per ton. We cannot say it is cheap anymore. The use of soft oils such as canola, soybean and sunflower for the purposes of cooking is healthier,” he added.
Sheikh Abdul Waheed, Chairman of the Pakistan Vanaspati Manufacturers Association, estimates Pakistan’s palm oil imports to be 17 lakh tons per annum. “Palm oil is not supposed to be used as or in cooking oils and only unregistered or unorganized people do so. It is to be used to make ghee, which is a popular consumer item in Pakistan.”
Healthier alternatives to palm oil are non-hydrogenated “soybean, canola and corn oils,” Dr Hasnain said, which can “be easily and more abundantly cultivated in the country.”
Maybe it is time that instead of spending more on unhealthy food items, the authorities looked for other in-house alternatives, which would not only prove to be a lighter burden on the national exchequer but would also be healthier for consumers.
