InfoSAWIT, RIMINI – Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) did participate in the world congress of the 22nd International Union of Food, Science, and Technology (IUFoST) in Palacongressi, Rimini, Italy, from 8 - 12 September 2024. In a session “Navigating the Intersection of Human Health and Sustainability”, MPOC delivered some significant findings about palm oil and related to the sustainability and health aspects in palm oil production globally.
As InfoSAWIT quoted from MPOC, Wednesday (25/9/2024), the session met some international scale – experts to discuss the complex connection between fat in food, man’s health, and environmental sustainability with palm oil as the main focus. The discussion emphasized it would need to get deeper understanding about fatty acid, namely in palm oil, encourage to implement sustainable palm oil plantation practices to face the environmental challenges and food security globally.
Opinion Revision about Saturated Fat
Prof. Francesco Visioli of University of Padova opened up the discussion by delivering new opinion about saturated fat that many mighe misunderstand about. Saturated fat in palm oil, butter, and animal fat, was always blamed as the risks to the increasing cholesterol and cardiovascular (diseases). Visioli thought, the impacts of saturated fat would depend on its sources.
Prof. Visioli mentioned that trans-fat would be the main factor in heart issues, not saturated fat. He thought it would be significant to get precise nutrition that considered the individual reaction for fat than by using a diet recommendation in general.
The discussion continued by Dr. Roger Clemens (University of Southern California), Dr. Peter Pressman (University of Maine), and Dr. Walles Hayes (University of South Florida) that was about the misunderstanding about palmitate acid in one fatty acid in palm oil. The experts denied the claim that connected palmitate acid in palm oil with cancer risks. They also explained that acid is the main component in human milk and baby’s fat. They emphasized it would need deeper study to get the right understanding about palmitate acid.
Palm Oil and Food Security Globally
Dr. David Ross Appleton of SD Guthrie Berhad said that palm oil would be significant in food security globally. He thought, changing/consuming other vegetable oils that were less efficient, would make environmental issues worse, such as, deforestation, the losses of natural conservation. Dr. Appleton also explained that Malaysia would be committed to sustainability by having Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) to confirm that palm oil products were sustainably produced.
He also emphasized what SD Guthrie did heading to zero percent - green-house gas emission in 2050 and implemented circular economic practices. These would cover the improvement of labor condition, increasing palm oil product quality.
CEO MPOC, Belvinder Sron emphasized that the participation of MPOC in the congress would be the commitment to solve the misunderstanding about palm oil and also promote healthy and sustainable production practices.
“We are proud that we are contributing in the global scale – discourse. We do believe palm oil would play significant roles to realize the balance between man’s health and sustainable environment,” Belvinder said. (T2)
