Palm oil logo launched in bid to raise global awareness
By Food in Canada staff
Business Operations Food Trends Regulation Research & Development Grain & Oilseed Milling fats reformulation regulations trans fat vegetable oilThe RSPO details plans to boost use of certified sustainable palm oil worldwide
The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) has released its new trademark in a push to further promote the use of certified sustainable palm oil.
The RSPO is a Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia-based multi-stakeholder initiative founded in 2004. The group hopes that use of the logo will prompt manufacturers to step up their efforts to use palm oil that has been sourced in a socially and environmentally responsible manner, and ensure that consumers are more aware of its use in food products such as confectionery and cookies. Palm oil is also used in non-food items like soap and cosmetics.
The organization estimates that roughly nine per cent of the world’s palm oil – or 4.2 million tonnes out of a total 46 million tonnes produced annually – is currently RSPO certified.
More than half of the world’s RSPO-certified palm oil comes from Malaysia, followed by Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Colombia. China and India are two of the largest markets for palm oil.
The logo was unveiled in November 2010 at the RSPO’s 8th Roundtable Meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia. Rules governing its use and the procedure for applying for trademark licences have now been finalized. Food producers will be able to use the logo if at least 95 per cent of a product’s palm oil-derived components are RSPO certified.
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