Never mind aubergine . . .

[Pianorak]

Never mind aubergine - what about palm oil. Happen to tune into the Food Programme on R4 yesterday (doesn't happen often) and was shocked to hear that whenever you see "Vegetable Oil" as an ingredient of almost anything, ranging from margarine, cereals, crisps, sweets and baked goods, and most convenient foods, incl. Danish pastries, it's palm oil. So what, you may ask, it's "vegetable". Actually it's highly saturated fat and it seems doctors have been warning for ages that its consumption is an elevated risk of a.o. coronary heart disease.

[Serial_Apologist]

Well I didn't know that about "vegetable oil" - thank you for that info, Pianorak.

Am I right in thinking that the spread of palm oil plantations is presently responsible for the felling of large parts of Equatorial forest? I have always used "vegetable oil" in the past, but, as I now do very little frying, I shall transfer over to olive oil.

But... please don't tell me that olive oil is environmentally unfriendly!

S-A

[Pianorak]

. . . Am I right in thinking that the spread of palm oil plantations is presently responsible for the felling of large parts of Equatorial forest? . . .

Unfortunately you are right! The R4 Food Programme should still be available on BBCiPlayer. Don't know about olive oil - but quite frankly nothing should surprise me.

[french frank]

Well I didn't know that about "vegetable oil"

What supermarkets sell as 'vegetable oil' is often rapeseed oil, much of which is UK grown and therefore environmentally good in terms of food miles.

[Bryn]

I recall the issue of palm oil, especially in 'non-dairy coffee whiteners' being something of a cause célèbre in the 1980s. It certainly put me off their use.

[MrGongGong]

We have been avoiding palm oil for years
its not that hard if you know what to look for
nasty stuff
better off with butter, olive oil, rapeseed or corn oil

[Pianorak]

What supermarkets sell as 'vegetable oil' is often rapeseed oil, much of which is UK grown and therefore environmentally good in terms of food miles.

FF - it often is, but apparently more often it appears to be palm oil.
MrGG - As to avoiding it, don't really see how one can if all it says is "vegetable oil".

[MrGongGong]

Don't buy processed food for a start
true its hard to avoid completely
making cakes , or buying them from good bakeries , isn't that hard !

[doversoul1]

Pianorak

As to avoiding it, don't really see how one can if all it says is "vegetable oil

Avoid anything that says ‘vegetable oil’ and go for more precise description. These ‘generic’ names should be avoided, as it can mean anything, like ‘product of more than one countries’. I know you can’t always avoid it if is an ingredient but then at least you know it is somewhat suspicious. [ed.] as Mr GG says, avoid processed food as much as you can.

As for oilseed rape, I think (not 100% sure) most of the crop grown in the UK may be for animal feed. It’s a relatively new crop and it certainly upset beekeepers, since it flowers before anything else and in such a massive way that honey has to be extracted before more traditional summer flowers come into bloom. The worst thing about oilseed rape honey is that it turns absolutely solid in less than two weeks and apparently even bees can’t eat it. At least it has meant quantity of honey but now they have developed a new dwarf variety for easy harvest but bees cannot get the nectar. So it has wiped off wheat and oats and barley from the countryside but no honey… By the way, this is all one-sided story. I am sure there are other views and facts.

[MrGongGong]

Of course if we had got on board a bit more with the EU many of the food diversity that we have lost would have been preserved
its a consequence of viewing everything in cash terms ........ "how much money can I make per acre" being the only consideration

You can buy rapeseed oil and its used for people as well as animals.......... generically in "vegetable oil"

[french frank]

FF - it often is, but apparently more often it appears to be palm oil.

I buy the Coop's and it's described clearly under the ingredients as 'rapeseed oil' - nothing else. The only slight downside is that the seeds are from the EU, though the oil is processed in the UK. I believe Waitrose has UK grown and processed oil (possibly called 'rapeseed oil' rather than 'vegetable oil').

I'm now very happy to substitute the Coop's vegetable oil for some cooking, in place of good quality olive oil and environmentally it's slightly better than everyday olive oil to which I have never given house room .

[MrGongGong]

"The only slight downside is that the seeds are from the EU, though the oil is processed in the UK. "

I thought we were in the EU ??? or have the Tories pulled a fast one on us again ?

[french frank]

"The only slight downside is that the seeds are from the EU, though the oil is processed in the UK. "

I thought we were in the EU ??? or have the Tories pulled a fast one on us again ?

Heh, heh! I assumed that they would have said they were from the UK if they were 100%. And I only mean that as a slight downside in terms of food miles

(I'm a Coop member, so this adds to my bonus or whatever it is I get for having my membership card swiped each time.)

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

i'm a fan of groundnut oil meself, costs more but the taste the taste ... and sunflower and olive and fish oil in little capsules [i used to just drink the cod liver oil from the bottle but the consequences were explosive]

palm oil is an all round rotten product ...

[Pianorak]

I buy the Coop's and it's described clearly under the ingredients as 'rapeseed oil' - nothing else. . .

Sorry, FF - I got the wrong end of the stick; thinking in terms of "ingredient" rather than the "oil" itself.