This tree produces fruits that can be processed to extract edible oils and fats for human consumption. It is now one of the commonest edible oils used in everyday foods, cosmetics and personal hygiene products. In Papua New Guinea (PNG), oil palm is a very important export crop.
Is palm oil edible?
Both edible oils are derived from the Elaeis guineensis specie of oil palm. Fractions of palm seed and palm oil are also produced and used globally for edible purposes . This mainly consists of oleic acid (37%–41%) and an equal amount of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids (42%–47%).
Which edible oil plant has the highest oil content?
Oil-seed camellia, oil palm, olive, and coconut ( Cocos nucifera) are the four well-known woody edible oil plants in the world, as they possess a high oil content. Among bulk herbaceous edible oils, the unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) are the highest, approaching 80%, in peanut oil and rapeseed oil.
What type of oil does Elaeis guineensis produce?
Elaeis guineensis fruit yields two types of oil: palm oil from the fleshy mesocarp, and palm kernel oil from the kernel, in the volume ratio 10:1 which differ in composition and properties and consequently, find rather different applications. Ninety percent of all palm oil has traditionally been used for human consumption.