The unsustainable production of palm oil is creating mass deforestation in Indonesia, Malaysia and now Brazil, as well as human rights abuses. Palm oil (disguised as vegetable oil and hundreds of other names) is found in over 40 per cent of food products on supermarket shelves. Labelling of palm oil is unregulated in Australia and many other countries.
As consumer demand for ethically manufactured products grows, easily identifiable and trustworthy labels backed by independent regulatory bodies add value and marketing opportunities for restaurateurs.
To that end, the world’s first International Palm Oil Free Certification Accreditation Programme (POFCAP) was developed. Australia was among the first countries to adopt the trademark.
Several companies have already gone through the certification process and have been certified Palm Oil Free and more are undergoing the certification process. Once a product is certified, it can display the logo. Jabrick, the cheeky little orangutan on the logo, was herself a victim of deforestation.
You can be assured that if your stock has the Palm Oil Free Certification trademark featuring young Jabrick, that every aspect of the product’s ingredients has been thoroughly researched. Note that the certification is product based, not brand based with many companies having both Palm Oil Free products as well as products containing either palm oil or its derivatives within their portfolio.
For more (and to read Jabrick’s story), visit www.palmoilfreecertification.org