What's the deal with Fractionated Palm Kernel Oil?

[Mike]

It seems the more food labels I read I'm starting to see "fractionated
palm kernel oil" more frequently. What's the deal with this? Is it
cheaper for the manufacturers? If so, then I have to assume it's
probably not the best choice for the consumer. Any thoughts?

Mike

[TLN Phil]

Hey Mike.

In the dawn of partially hydrogenated oils--which contain harmful
trans-fats--finally being removed from most shelf stable foods,
different incarnations of palm kernel oil are appearing on ingredients
labels. Fractionated palm or palm kernel oils are used primarily in
nutrition bar coatings because a saturated fat is necessary for it to
be stable at room temperature. If not, you would have a liquid
coating!

Compared to other tropical oils, palm oils have a higher melting point
(and likely cheaper than the likes of coconut oil). During the
fractionation process, the most saturated portion of the oil is
skimmed from the less saturated portions. Again, this produces a
coating that is shelf stable and solid at room temperature.

Smaller amounts of palm oils are used in shelf stable foods like
crackers and cookies to produce a buttery texture. An even smaller
amount is used to encapsulate vitamins and minerals found in nutrition
bars, powders and energy drinks. The palm oils protect the nutrients
from oxidizing, and more importantly, the vitamins usually nasty taste
from leeching out into the product.

If you break down the composition of palm kernel and palm oil, the
palm oil is the better of the two. It has less saturated fat and is
used, for the most part, in its natural state. Palm kernel oil is
higher in saturated fat and requires a petroleum-based solvent to
extract as much oil as possible from the pit (palm oil is from the
fruit, palm kernel oil is from the pit of the fruit).

With only a few grams of palm kernel oils being used in nutrition bars
and other products, the differences I just described are really
insignificant.

If you are concerned about palm and palm kernel oils, you can avoid
them completely by not using these products, or choosing uncoated
versions. Nutrition bars are a staple in my busy schedule. Again,
knowing that these oils are not used in large quantities, I eat coated
and uncoated bars alike.

Regards,

TLN Phil