Fats and oil company commit to supply sustainable palm stearin

Fats and oil supplier, AAK UK, has flagged up its commitment to supply sustainable palm stearin from 2012/2013, as it reveals that its full range of bakery fats now contain RSPO certified sustainable palm oil.

The latest pledge and extended sustainability of its bakery fats range follows the launch by AAK in May last year of an industry-first low-saturated fat pumpable shortening containing fully-traceable, certified sustainable palm oil.

Straight palm can be used in biscuit dough and some other food products, but 60 to 70 per cent of palm oil is sold as derivatives including olein and stearin; fractions of olein and stearin; palm kernel oil (PKO) or PKO derivatives, which are then blended into bakery fats and other products.

The bakery fats supplier said that palm stearin fraction is not (yet) available in a fully-traceable, certified form.

And AAK stressed that bakery manufacturers, while awaiting a sustainable stearin supply, can help “support sustainable production in relation to their use of blends and palm kernel oil with the GreenPalm certificate trading programme, or Mass Balance, which are both options approved by the RSPO.”