Pam oil producers hope to gain from health concern

Pam oil producers hope to gain from health concern

SINGAPORE (AFP): Malaysian palm-oil producers launched a
promotional blitz in Singapore yesterday to flaunt the virtues of
their product as part of a campaign to increase its share in the
world oils and fats market.

The Palm Oil Week was billed as an event to increase public
awareness of the nutritional and health benefits of the oil amid
rising public concern over the detrimental effects of excessive
consumption of oils and fats.

Ani Arope, chairman of the Malaysian Palm Oil Promotional
Council, said the product would benefit from such concern.

Fats consumed in the west are mostly derived from animal
sources, which contain relatively high levels of cholesterol
compared to fats and oils derived from plant sources, he said.

Palm oil, which contains elements identified as possible anti-
cancer agents and which helps reduce the risk of heart disease
and has no cholesterol, was an ideal substitute for oils and fats
available in many countries, Arope said.

"The competitiveness of palm oil has led to the rapid
displacement of other oils and fats in many markets in addition
to the increased share of palm oil in new areas of food and non-
food usage," he added.

The industry has perfected a process that can now produce red
palm oil, which contains an unusually high content of nutritional
elements such as Vitamin E and beta-carotene, a precursor of
Vitamin A, Arope said.

The new product will be the focus of promotional campaigns in
the coming years, he said.

Malaysia is the world's largest producer and exporter of palm
oil, accounting for 53 percent of world output and 64 percent of
trade. Last year, Malaysia produced 7.2 million tons of palm oil.

One-third of the country's cultivated area supports the oil
palm, known as Malaysia's golden crop.

The world production of oils and fats totaled 88 million tons
in 1994 and is expected to reach 100 million tons by 2000, with
palm oil contributing 20.7 million tons or one fifth of the
total.

The greatest demand for palm oil is expected to come from the
burgeoning Asian economies.

China was the single largest buyer of Malaysian palm oil last
year, with imports exceeding 1.3 million tons, followed by
Pakistan with 1.14 million tons.

The promotional event in Singapore includes a display of palm-
oil products, workshops on nutrition and healthy cooking, fitness
programs and health checks, cooking demonstrations and contests
and video shows.