Cooking Oil

India's Baby step towards Self Sufficiency - Vegetable Oil

2011-02-28T19:52:00.001-08:00

KOLKATA: FM's proposal in Union Budget to provide an amount of Rs 300 crore to bring in 60,000 hectares under palm oil production has not enthused the domestic edible oil industry. Though they feel that a beginning has been made to reduce India's dependence on edible oil imports but they do not see an immediate impact of this move.

Aditya Agarwal, director, Emami group of companies said: "It is wise to reduce the country's dependence on edible oil imports. But the present move will not impact much as it takes at least 6-7 years for palm oil seeds to produce fruits which are then crushed to produce oil." Incidentally, India spends nearly Rs 50,000 crore annually for importing edible oil from the international markets.

India imports nearly 90 lakh tonnes of edible oil. "Of this total imports, nearly 70 lakh tonne is palm oil. Palm oil is largely imported from Malaysia. FM has said the initiative to bring 60,000 hectares under palm oil plantation will generate 3 lakh metric tonnes of palm oil annually in 5 years. This volume is not huge to meet the growing demand of palm oil in the country," said Mr Angshu Mallik, VP (sales and marketing) at Adani Wilmar.

The domestic production of edible oil meets only about 50% of the country's demand. The gap in supply is met through imports which are often at high prices. The oilseeds production in 2010-11 is pegged at 278 lakh tonnes as against 249 lakh tonnes in 2009-10.

Mr Agarwal feels that the FM's move will trigger a series of trial and research in the palm oil sector. Added Mr P.K. Sardar, executive director at Central Organisation for Oil Industry & Trade: "There will be no imemdiate impact of FM's proposal. But the move will help farmers who will opt for palm oilseed production as their returns will improve."

2010-10-10T06:04:00.001-07:00

Oxidized Bitumen, Blown Bitumen, Oxidized Asphalt, Blown Asphalt R90/15, R85/25, R115/15 - BenzeneInternational http://ping.fm/EPvvD

Oxidized Bitumen, Blown Bitumen, Oxidized Asphalt, Blown Asphalt R90/15, R85/25, R115/15 - BenzeneInternational

2010-10-10T06:01:00.000-07:00

Oxidized Bitumen, Blown Bitumen, Oxidized Asphalt, Blown Asphalt R90/15, R85/25, R115/15 - BenzeneInternational

2010-10-10T05:37:00.001-07:00

Cutback Bitumens, Liquid Bitumen, Medium and Rapid Curing Cutbacks by Benzeneinternational http://ping.fm/H2UbE

2010-09-30T05:41:00.001-07:00

Base Oil, Base Oil SN 150 SN500 - BenzeneInternational http://ping.fm/cAHPG

2010-09-25T19:49:00.001-07:00

Bitumen: Viscosity Grading of Bitumen http://ping.fm/Y7QEk

Penetration Grade Bitumen, Bitumen Performance - Your Trusted Partner for Generations

2010-09-25T04:36:00.001-07:00

Penetration Grade Bitumen, Bitumen Performance - Your Trusted Partner for Generations

2010-09-25T04:36:00.000-07:00

Penetration Grade Bitumen, Bitumen Performance - Your Trusted Partner for Generations

2010-09-25T04:14:00.001-07:00

Cationic Emulsions, Quality Asphalt Emulsions, Asphalt Emulsions Suppliers - BenzeneInternational http://ping.fm/V5nlx

Cationic Emulsions, Quality Asphalt Emulsions, Asphalt Emulsions Suppliers - BenzeneInternational

2010-09-25T04:12:00.000-07:00

Cationic Emulsions, Quality Asphalt Emulsions, Asphalt Emulsions Suppliers - BenzeneInternational

2010-09-25T04:03:00.001-07:00

Cutback Bitumens, Liquid Bitumen - BenzeneInternational http://ping.fm/W3OrK

Cutback Bitumens, Liquid Bitumen - BenzeneInternational

2010-09-25T04:00:00.000-07:00

Cutback Bitumens, Liquid Bitumen - BenzeneInternational

2010-09-25T03:42:00.001-07:00

Oxidized Bitumen, Blown Bitumen, Oxidized Asphalt, Blown Asphalt - BenzeneInternational http://ping.fm/IEL63

Oxidized Bitumen, Blown Bitumen, Oxidized Asphalt, Blown Asphalt - BenzeneInternational

2010-09-25T03:38:00.000-07:00

Oxidized Bitumen, Blown Bitumen, Oxidized Asphalt, Blown Asphalt - BenzeneInternational

2010-09-25T03:13:00.001-07:00

Base Oil, Base Oil SN 150 SN500 - BenzeneInternational http://ping.fm/hAuql

Base Oil, Base Oil SN 150 SN500 - BenzeneInternational

2010-09-25T03:06:00.000-07:00

Base Oil, Base Oil SN 150 SN500 - BenzeneInternational

2010-09-22T05:54:00.001-07:00

Bitumen, Bitumen Services, Bitumen Storage, Bitumen Supplier - BenzeneInternational http://ping.fm/V09wg

Bitumen, Bitumen Services, Bitumen Storage, Bitumen Supplier - BenzeneInternational

2010-09-22T05:50:00.000-07:00

Bitumen, Bitumen Services, Bitumen Storage, Bitumen Supplier - BenzeneInternational

2010-09-09T18:35:00.001-07:00

Benzene International Pte Ltd website http://ping.fm/v6Akt

Benzene International Pte Ltd website

2010-09-09T18:30:00.000-07:00

Benzene International Pte Ltd website

2010-09-02T05:18:00.001-07:00

Singapore Children Society - 1000 Enterprises For Children-In-Need http://ping.fm/SqTIU

Singapore Children Society - 1000 Enterprises For Children-In-Need

2010-09-02T05:15:00.000-07:00

Singapore Children Society - 1000 Enterprises For Children-In-Need

2010-09-02T04:37:00.001-07:00

Bitumen - Windows Live http://ping.fm/r3fQd

Bitumen - Windows Live

2010-09-02T04:35:00.000-07:00

Bitumen - Windows Live

2010-09-01T21:54:00.001-07:00

http://ping.fm/8Bp2N

Facebook | Benzene International Pte Ltd

2010-08-30T19:55:00.000-07:00

Facebook | Benzene International Pte Ltd

Oxidized Bitumen, Blown Bitumen, Oxidized Asphalt, Blown Asphalt - BenzeneInternational

2010-08-28T21:38:00.000-07:00

Oxidized Bitumen, Blown Bitumen, Oxidized Asphalt, Blown Asphalt - BenzeneInternational

Bitumen in Drums - Windows Live

2010-08-26T21:42:00.000-07:00

Bitumen in Drums - Windows Live

Your Trusted Partner for Generations

2010-08-23T21:15:00.000-07:00

Your Trusted Partner for Generations

Cargill in Tie Up

2010-08-12T06:31:00.001-07:00

Cargill and Unilever team up for new palm oil deal

Oil giant Cargill has teamed up with global consumer company Unilever in a new palm oil deal.

The company will provide Unilever's European branch with up to 10,000 tonnes of sustainable palm oil in a bid to improve their product.

"We are very pleased to partner with Unilever and see this as a big step forward in the drive towards palm oil sustainability," said Paul Naar, head of Cargill's food business in Europe.

Mark Engel, chief procurement officer at Unilever, also said that the company is planning to achieve 100 per cent palm oil by 2015.

"We are very pleased that Cargill is sharing our vision for sustainable palm oil and enabling this for us," he added.

The partnership comes after a tough time for the palm oil industry. In recent months green campaigners have heavily criticised palm oil producers for destroying rainforests and wildlife habitats.

But campaign group Rainforest Action Network welcomed the latest development and expressed hope that the partnership would lead to creating a sustainable palm oil industry.

They did however, express concerns that the product was not entirely free from forest destruction and environmental damage and that the deal only represented a small percentage of palm oil that Cargill trades every year.

Posted by Phillipa Atkins

Join senior procurement and supply chain decision makers in the F&B industry for intensive strategy building and networking opportunities at Fi's IngredientSource conference for more information visit:
www.fi-ingredientsource.com

Benzene International Pte Ltd- Corporate

2010-07-06T21:56:00.001-07:00

http://www.spring.gov.sg/NewsEvents/ITN/Pages/With-challenges,-come-opportunities-20100629.aspx

With challenges, come opportunities

2010-07-01T00:04:00.000-07:00

Link

Bitumen Emulsions

2010-04-07T19:29:00.001-07:00

CATIONIC EMULSIONS

When asphalt is milled into microscopic particles and dispersed in water with a chemical emulsifier, it becomes an asphalt emulsion. The tiny droplets of asphalt remain uniformly suspended until the emulsion is used for its intended purpose. In the emulsion state, the emulsifier molecules orient themselves in and around droplets of asphalt. The chemistry of the emulsifier/asphalt/water system determines the dispersion and the stability of the suspension. When emulsions are used in the field, the water evaporates into the atmosphere, and the chemical emulsifier is retained with the asphalt.

Emulsions were first developed in the early 1900s. It was in the 1920s when emulsions came into general use in pavement applications. Their early use was in spray applications and as dust palliatives. The growth in the use of asphalt emulsions was relatively slow, limited by the type of emulsions available and a lack of knowledge as to how they should be used. Continuing development of new types and grades, coupled with improved construction equipment and practices, now gives a broad range of choices. Virtually any roadway requirement can be met with emulsions. Judicious selection and use can yield significant economic and environmental benefits.Emulsions are less hazardous to use and can be applied in a wider range of conditions.

An asphalt emulsion consists of three basic ingredients: asphalt, water, and an emulsifying agent. On some occasions, the emulsion may contain other additives, such as stabilizers, coating improvers, anti-strips, or break control agents. It is well known that water and asphalt will not mix, except under carefully controlled conditions using highly specialized equipment and chemical additives. The blending of asphalt and water is the same as an auto mechanic trying to wash grease from his hands with only water. Only with a detergent or soapy agent can grease be successfully removed. The soap particles surround the globules of grease, break the surface tension that holds them, and allow them to be washed away.

Anionic, non-ionic and cationic emulsifiers are all available, which will successfully emulsify bitumen and provide storage stable emulsions. Cationic emulsifiers offer additional advantages, which arise from the fact that most naturally occurring aggregates are negatively-charged in aqueous media, and have a capacity to absorb cationic emulsifiers. Choice of emulsifier type, and emulsion formulation enables the rate of breaking of the emulsion to be controlled. The emulsifiers remain in the cured seal and are concentrated at the interface between bitumen and aggregate and act as antis tripping agents.

This is a test Post from multiply.com

Bitumen Emulsions

2010-04-07T19:29:00.000-07:00

CATIONIC EMULSIONS

This is a test Post from multiply.com

Palm or Soya - They are same on Price atleast.

2010-03-18T02:18:00.000-07:00

Asian palm oil is fast closing the price gap with rival South American soyaoil in a trend set to accelerate in 2010 as supplies of palm are poised to outstrip soyaoil.

Despite expected bumper soya crops in the Americas, palm oil supply this year will exceed soyaoil, as higher biofuel mandates, soya rust disease infecting Brazilian crops and a tussle between Argentine grain farmers and the government give palm the edge.

Dry weather could curb palm oil output in top producers Indonesia and Malaysia, but traders' projections for combined exports in 2010 stand at 33.82 million tonnes, or more than triple the soyaoil shipment estimates of research group Oilworld.

That suggests palm oil may be best placed to mop up food demand from developing Asian giants India and China, with its discount to soyaoil staying below US$75 a tonne (US$1 = RM3.34) for much of 2010, compared to an all-time high of US$300 a tonne in 2008.

"I expect palm oil to rally slightly more than soyabean oil, but I expect palm oil to remain at a discount," Anne Frick, a US-based senior oilseeds analyst with Prudential Bache Commodities, said.

"Soyabean oil is more affected by the biofuels story while palm oil is most affected by food demand. Much of the world is still in a daily struggle to obtain enough calories and those areas are located closer to the source of palm oil."

Palm's discount to soya hit its narrowest in nearly 10 months in February, prompting increasingly affluent key Asian consumers to shift demand to other vegetable oils, but the changing supply dynamics of soya and palm redraws that picture.

Malaysian benchmark crude palm oil futures have outperformed US soyaoil for much of this year, narrowing the gap between cash South American soyaoil and Malaysia's refined palm olein to as low as US$12.50 per tonne by March 5, traders say.

The relationship between the world's two most traded vegetable oils takes centre stage at Bursa Malaysia's palm oil industry conference this week in the Malaysian capital attended by planters, global traders and analysts.

Prospects this year for a 5 per cent decline in Malaysian palm oil output and a South American soya crop that is nearly a third larger than last year's drove palm oil prices to perform better than soyaoil, spurring some dealers to conclude palm would trade at a premium as global demand grows.

But expectations this year of soyaoil exports rising by only 2.1 per cent from 2009 and a 16 per cent increase in palm oil exports from Indonesia have prompted many to say palm oil will keep its discount - albeit a narrow one.

"A lot of Indonesia's oil palm acreage is maturing, so Indonesia's production will more than make up for Malaysia's shortfall," said Martin Bek-Nielson, executive director for Malaysian listed United Plantations.
Source- Daily Express , malaysia.

Cargill pulling out of PNG

2010-02-25T19:17:00.000-08:00

Cargill Inc., the world’s largest agribusiness company, has announced the sale of their palm oil plantations in the remote tropical nation of Papua New Guinea (PNG). Cargill owns mills and plantations in Indonesia, Malaysia, and until today, PNG, and trades palm oil globally produced by at least 25 additional palm oil producers in Indonesia and Malaysia.

Cargill’s oil palm operations in PNG destroyed rainforests – Photo by Greenpeace PNG
Just three months ago RAN released a case study, based on original field research carried out by RAN and the International Accountability Project, on Cargill’s palm oil operations in PNG. Commodity Colonialism reports that serious environmental and social issues threaten the sustainability of Cargill’s plantations there, with a special focus on the dangers of converting once independent and self sufficient Papuan farmers into indebted laborers through Cargill’s use of share cropping contracts.

After eight years of operations in PNG, Cargill is turning their palm oil plantations over to New Britain Palm Oil, along with a range of unfilled commitments to the people and government of PNG.
It is unclear what will become of the thousands of indebted Papuans who remain bound under contract to exclusively produced oil palm for Cargill at prices set by the company, of the polluted rivers and watersheds Cargill is leaving behind, or the roads Cargill made a commitment to build and maintain in the rugged interior.

Cargill did not release any official comments but insiders point to the strong criticisms of Cargill’s unsustainable palm oil production by customers and the media as a likely reason Cargill decided to exit the country. Recent contract cancellations against the Indonesian palm oil producer Sinar Mas, Cargill’s single-largest palm oil supplier, have led to questions of Cargill’s support of, and profits from, rainforest destruction in neighboring Indonesia.

Cargill’s Oro Bay palm oil plantation – Photo by Greenpeace PNG
Back in PNG, local communities have spoken out on the damaging effects palm oil production has on the farms, forests, and rivers they have depended on for tens of thousands of years for survival. The lack of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) in Cargill’s sharecropping agreements, the lack of training to use dangerous pesticides, and the use of child labor are also among the most serious concerns expressed by locals living at Cargill’s three PNG plantations.

Cargill’s entrance into palm oil production in PNG gave rise to concerns that the company would use its financial and political influence to undermine the strict protections the constitution of PNG provides to community forests and farms through the recognition of communities’ customary land rights. It appears that these strict constitutional protections, which prevented Cargill from rapidly expanding it’s PNG plantations, played a significant role in Cargill’s decision to stop producing oil palm in PNG. A World Bank social impact report that noted increases of debt, prostitution, alcohol, and violence at PNG’s palm oil plantation communities, providing additional reasons for Cargill to disassociate themselves with PNG palm oil.

New Britain Palm Oil’s palm oil operations in PNG replaced primary rainforest – Photo by Greenpeace PNG
New Britain Palm Oil (NBPO) is a long-time producer of palm oil in Papua New Guinea with a reputation for respecting local communities and a cautious approach to oil palm expansion, but NBPO’s plans for Cargill’s holdings are unknown. One this is for certain though, NBPO will now have to clean up Cargill’s palm oil mess in PNG.

David Gilbert is a Research Fellow at RAN. He has worked in the tropical forests of the Amazon and Indonesia, with a special focus on forest conservation and indigenous rights.

He can be reached at davidgilbert@ran.org

Proposed Tariff on import of Palm Oil

2010-02-17T00:56:00.000-08:00

At present, there is nil tariff on unrefined oil and 7.5 per cent on refined oils.

The tariff on imports of vegetable oil continues to be based on the market price in September 2006, and the domestic industry says this is absurd and harms both, them and the government.

In their pre-Budget memorandum, the Solvent Extractors Association (SEA) has urged that this ‘base tariff value’ be raised by at least 50 per cent, to bring it in line with prevailing prices. The latter have almost doubled since the September 2006 fixation, they noted. And, they have asked the tariff rate be raised. At present, there is a nil rate on unrefined oil and 7.5 per cent on refined oils. They have asked for a range of raises, depending on the product, complaining that domestic refineries are operating at below half their capacity, while customers import ready-to-use refined oil.

IMPORT TARIFFS
Oils Present Tariff Proposed Tariff Value
RBD Palmolein 484 705
Crude Palm oil 447 660
Soybean Oil 580 870
Sunflower Oil Not fixed 850

Figures in $/tonne

The SEA has argued that the raise in the base tariff value would mean far more money for government coffers, even if the rate of duty remains unchanged.

The freezing of base tariff value was done as a special case in 2006 for fear of stoking inflation. The majority of vegetable oils required for domestic consumption (about 15 million tonnes a year) are imported. As an example, the current price of imported RBD (refined, bleached and deiodised) olein is $765 a tonne. But, the duty is collected on the basis of a price of $465 a tonne, at which the value has been frozen.

The tariff is 7.5 per cent, but with this difference in prices, it is effectively only about five per cent. Which is hurting us, complain the refiners, while you (the government) also lose money.

“If the tariff is revised upwards, the government’s revenue collection from this sector will increase at least by 50 per cent,” said an analyst.

SEA wants the base tariff value for all oils to be aligned to the current market price for edible oils. Also, in cases such as sunflower oil, where no such value has been fixed, it must be; imports have jumped. The domestic vegetable oil industry consists of 15,000 oil mills, 600 solvent extraction units, 600 vegetable oil refineries and 250 vanaspati units spread across the country. SEA has also demanded at least 20 per cent duty on crude palm oil, 30 per cent on RBD olein, 25 per cent on crude soybean oil and sunflower oil from the present level of nil duty on these two in this form and 7.5 per cent if these are refined.

Source- Business Standard

CPO OR RBD..

2010-02-09T00:51:00.000-08:00

Indonesia plans to limit exports of crude palm oil (CPO) to encourage downstream work, the industry minister said on Monday, a move that a trade group doubts would easily lead to the hoped for surge in value-added products.

The plan is unlikely to have any near-term impact on CPO supplies onto the world market and a senior Indonesian palm oil industry official questioned the scope.

The domestic market’s capacity to absorb output of refined products, as well as the government’s definition of such products is key, Joko Supriyono, secretary general of the Indonesian Palm Oil Association (GAPKI), told Reuters.

“It must be clarified what the government means by downstream industry. Do they mean products just like soaps or creams?”

Supriyono said if the government definition of downstream industry excluded refined products the industry has been producing, “it is going to be difficult to achieve the target.”

The industry was also able to produce other refined products such as oleochemicals, biodiesel and fatty acids but their output depended on demand, he added.

Biodiesel firms, which have combined capacity of 3.1 million tonnes, only produced 344,000 tonnes in 2009. They have also stopped supplying state fuel distributor Pertamina from last month awaiting government payments of subsidies.

He said there was a misperception that Indonesia’s palm oil industry only exported CPO, while in fact exports of refined products such as RBD palm olein and RBD stearin accounted for about 40 per cent of total exports.

Indonesia is the world’s top palm oil producer and exports about 70 per cent of its palm oil output per year, of which more than half is in the form of CPO. Rival Malaysia however ships out mostly higher-value refined products.

The government plans to limit exports of crude palm oil to not more than 50 per cent of output in 2015, and to 30 per cent of output in 2020, the minister said.

“Such a target can be achieved by developing the palm oil downstream industry, which can create added-value locally,” said industry minister M.S. Hidayat.

The government has said it plans to build three special palm clusters in the country’s biggest palm-producing province of Riau, in North Sumatra, and in East Kalimantan, where new ports and refining facilities will be built.

Indonesia is trying to increase its capacity to absorb its palm oil output, partly because of slow progress in the implementation of its plans for mandatory biodiesel usage.

GAPKI has forecast that exports will rise 16 per cent this year to 18 million tonnes, following a 12 per cent increase last year. – Reuters

source - http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/business/52470-indonesia-says-to-limit-crude-palm-oil-exports

healthy cooking

2010-02-04T13:17:00.000-08:00

Healthy Cooking is a Must for Families

When it comes to cooking healthy meals for our families, there is always some degree of dissention among the ranks. The good news is that there are recipes that are very healthy but the healthy nature of these recipes is somewhat disguised. What they do not know in these instances truly should not bring harm their way (outside of allergies, which should never be ignored).

Healthy cooking is often difficult as most of us do not want to spend time planning and preparing meals that our families refuse to eat. At the same time, we want our families to be healthy so we feel compelled to learn new and improved ways of cooking healthy foods for our family to enjoy (and unfortunately in some cases scorn).

With weight and nutrition being known as the culprit in so many health conditions it is impossible to ignore the importance of not only eating healthy ourselves but also of teaching our children the importance of eating healthy. One way to insure that your loved ones are in fact eating healthy is to make sure that you are cooking healthy and nutritious foods for them. This does not mean that you cannot enjoy the occasional calorie splurge or even that you shouldn't. The key to cooking healthy is learning to control portions and understanding the importance of moderation.

For those that are hoping to incorporate healthy cooking habits into their daily routines, there are no more resources available than ever before in order to assist you in those endeavors. You can seek the services of a professional nutritionist, your doctor can offer advice, you can find all kinds of books on healthy eating, cooking, and living at your local library, and the Internet is an outstanding source of all kinds of information when it comes to leading a healthier lifestyle all around.

There are many books and magazines that are filled with recipes that encourage healthy cooking and eating habits. If you truly love to cook, then there is no shortage of recipes that you can try out along the way. The really good news is that you can incorporate healthy cooking into your cooking routine whether you are cooking for one or a household of ten.

There are many that will argue that cooking healthy food costs more than cooking the prepackaged foods that pack on the calories and additives. The truth of the matter is that when you compare the costs with the medical bills of the future for failing to do so, they seem rather slight by comparison. Yes, good food costs more money. In many cases, that is a simple fact of life. However, by learning portion control and eating the proper portions you just may discover that you are actually spending less as you adjust to the proper amounts of food you should be consuming in order to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle.

Cooking healthy isn't an overnight change; it is a lifestyle change that should be implemented one step at a time. You do not have to go into your kitchen and through out every little thing that you deem 'unhealthy' only work to not buy more of these items once they've been used. Make wiser decisions when purchasing fats for food preparation and you will discover that you've made a vitally important step in the process of incorporating healthy cooking and eating habits in your home.

It's those small steps you take towards your goal of cooking healthy foods for your family that will matter far more than any giant leap. Before you know it you will find that you all have more energy and a better sense of overall health than you would have imagined before changing your cooking habits. If that isn't enough to encourage you however, you can always check out the excuse to go shopping for new clothes after you drop a size or two.

http://www.benzeneinternational.com
http://palmoils.blogspot.com

Duty determines the quality

2010-01-20T01:12:00.000-08:00

Why the indian importers are short-changed with poor quality palm oil since everyone rush to declare it as crude and sell it as it is to the public.. The reason 7.5% import duty for the refined oil..

Pls read on from
G. Chandrashekhar

Mumbai, Jan. 19

Now that the Government has allowed both raw and refined sugar imports duty-free, it is time the same logic is extended to edible oil also.

If anything, the case for unifying the rate of duty on both crude and refined oils at zero is more compelling than ever before.

On March 18, 2009, the Government reduced the rate of Customs duty on imported crude vegetable oil to zero and on refined oil to 7.5 per cent. It was, of course, the compulsion of the time. The country was in the election mode and food inflation was raging.

Import of vegoils

Ten months down the line the country has imported unprecedented quantities of crude vegetable oils, mainly palm oil, but the consumers have not had a good deal. Indeed, they are short-changed in terms of quality.

April-December 2009 arrivals totalled 62.2 lakh tonnes (up from 49.1 lakh tonnes during the same period previous year), an increase of over 13 lakh tonnes in a nine-month period after duty on vegoils was drastically reduced. Of the 62.2 lakh tonnes of aggregate imports, crude palm oil alone accounted for 38.1 lakh tonnes. During the period, refined palmolein arrivals surged to 9.80 lakh tonnes. In addition, we have had soyabean oil and other oils flowing in.

Despite import of record volumes and burdensome stocks across the country – storage capacities are full and tanks rentals have shot up – the effect of such massive imports and inventory is not markedly felt on edible oil in the open market. Prices have not declined to levels that bring real relief to consumers.

This is primarily because the market is dominated by large refiners who call the shots every day. Prices are dictated by them. Unless this stranglehold of large refiners on the edible oil market is decisively broken, consumers may not obtain any real price relief. The time lag between crude oil import and refining and marketing creates a window of speculative opportunity.

The speculative window needs to be closed and oils must be made available to the market continuously. One sure way to achieve this would be to withdraw the existing 7.5 per cent Customs duty on refined oils which will encourage more traders – big and small – to participate in the import business– and ensure that cooking oil is distributed without delay and without anyone being allowed to hold speculative positions.

Duty-free import of refined oils will make for steady flow of ready-to-market refined oil. Nothing, of course, would prevent large refiners from importing crude oil for refining and marketing, but the opportunities to profit from market volatility would be reduced. Consumers will be the ultimate beneficiaries.

disposal of stearin

A major question that has remained unanswered for long is the disposal of stearin – the solid fraction of palm oil which is not edible per se – that is produced. There are limits to using stearin as industrial oil for soap making and similar purposes. But the quantum of stearin that India produces following the flood of crude palm oil arrivals is simply too big for the country's industrial sector to absorb.

Imports of 50 lakh tonnes of crude palm oil would produce a staggering 10 lakh tonnes of stearin. The possibility of stearin being blended with other oils for manufacture of vanaspati, for instance, cannot be ruled out. Institutional consumers such as restaurants and sweetmeat shops that constantly look for cheapest cooking oil would be ready buyers of such sub-standard oil.

In other words, the by-product of palm oil import that is stearine is palm off to unwary consumers as cooking oil, something that is sure hurt the health of people over time. It is surprising why the Government never bothered to examine this pernicious aspect of crude palm oil import.

Edible oil prices have not attracted the kind of mass attention that sugar and pulses have. Duty-free import of vegetable oil will curb speculation in the marketplace and ensure sustained flow of the commodity to the benefit of consumers.

Failure to strictly monitor the quantity of imports, quality of oil being sold in the market and disposal of residue makes the Government culpable.

Source - The Hindu

Cooking

2010-01-19T02:09:00.000-08:00

ooking for Special Occasions

We all have those moments in our lives when we feel as if everything needs to be exactly right. It is these moments that we often refer to as special occasions. When it comes to cooking for special occasions, many of us find that we drop the ball in our anticipation and feel as though we have ruined the moment. While this is often far from the truth, it does serve to diminish the moment in many of our minds. For this reason, you need to work up a repertoire, if you will, of simple to make special occasion cooking recipes.

You will be shocked and amazed at all the sinfully rich and delicious meals and side dishes that are out there, that are amazingly quick and easy to prepare. This means that you will not run the all too common disaster scenarios that you hear about and will still manage to have a wonderful meal that is enjoyed by all.

The trick is in choosing a rather simple meat dish and dressing it up with the more decadent side dishes. Incredibly rich side dishes that are simple to prepare are greater in number than meat dishes that require little culinary effort. You should also keep in mind the audience for your special occasion. Sometimes a family favorite makes the occasion seem much more special than an all out effort for chicken cordon bleu or veal Marsala. There is no point in going to an extreme effort to create a culinary masterpiece if it is going to be riddled with picky children proclaiming that they do not like this or that about your meal.

Another great idea when it comes to cooking for special occasions is to prepare as much as possible ahead of time in order to alleviate the pressure during the event and to allow you more time to enjoy the event rather than dealing with the details of meal preparation. The greatest gift you can really give yourself when cooking for special occasions is the time necessary in order to enjoy these special occasions. This is not to say that there isn't some cooking that will need to be done.

Foods that can be prepared ahead of time and reheated just prior to serving are often the best when it comes to cooking for special occasions. There are all kinds of appetizers, entrees, and desserts that will work perfectly in this particular instance. You can often find them by performing a simple Google search online or by sorting through many of your favorite cookbooks at home. The important thing is that you do not get so caught up in the idea of cooking for special occasions that you forget to actually enjoy the occasion.

If this is not the way you prefer to do things that is perfectly understandable. Some of us do thrive in high stress situations. The key for those who prefer to do all the meal preparation when cooking for special occasions at the time of cooking is planning properly and allowing plenty of time for possible hiccups in the process. Mistakes occur when people feel rushed and hurried in their culinary efforts.

Another common mistake that is made when cooking for special occasions is cooking outside of your comfort zone. When you are preparing a challenging recipe it is best if you do this during a time when you are not going through the stress of potential visitors or insuring the best possible of circumstances. In other words, it is best to challenge your culinary talents when you do not have a vested interest in success.

Special occasions are a great time for friends and family. The hope is that you will have many special occasions throughout your life. Do not waste too much time and energy fretting over cooking for special occasions. Instead, put all of your effort into enjoying those occasions.
www.benzeneinternational.com

Cooking

2010-01-19T02:08:00.001-08:00

Cooking for One

It is often frustrating to attempt to plan meals that are designed for one. Despite this fact, we are seeing more and more recipe books and Internet websites that are dedicated to the act of cooking for one. Divorce and the death of spouses or grown children leaving for college are all reasons that someone accustomed to cooking for more than one would suddenly need to learn how to adjust all the cooking practices utilized before into a streamlined plan of cooking that is more efficient for one person creating less waste.

The mission, should you choose to accept it, is to make cooking for one a challenge rather than a trial. Use this opportunity to try new and exciting cuisines. Perhaps one of the greatest things about cooking for one is the fact that it isn't quite as expensive as cooking for two. This means that you have a little more money in the grocery budget with which to plan and prepare your meals.

One thing you may want to keep in mind however is that when cooking for one, if you prepare foods that are freezable. It may save more time (and in the end money) if you cook the full 2-4 servings that most recipes call for and freeze the leftovers in single serving portions for a later point in time. This leaves you with a freezer full of foods for those nights when the thought of cooking just seems beyond your capabilities. This also leaves you with doing the work once and enjoying the fruits of your efforts many times over. This is a great position to be in if you ask me.

We are finding more and more recipes and cookbooks that are designed around the concept of cooking for one. No matter what situation placed you in the position of cooking for one, there is no reason that you shouldn't enjoy great food that is exciting and pleasant simply because you are dining alone. There is no harm in enjoying a fabulous meal with a glass of wine and great music whether you are cooking for one or one hundred.

Remember you are what you eat and if you relegate yourself to boring meals that lack excitement and spice that is what you will become. However if you decide to reach out and try new and exciting dishes with every meal you prepare when cooking for one, it will show in the way you embrace life in other areas as well. While we should not live to eat, we should also not limit ourselves to eating to live. Enjoy the foods you prepare whether the portions are large or small in size.

If you do not want to invest heavily in cookbooks that relate to cooking for one, it is quite possible that your local public library will have a few from which you can find some excellent recipes tips and resources. While you are there be sure to check out their selection of exotic food cookbooks in order to spice things up a bit. You never know what treasures you may discover on the shelves or your local library. You may even find local resources on classes that center on the idea of cooking for one. If the library proves to be a bust as far as resources go, the Internet is full of recipes, tips, and hints for those who are cooking for one.
www.benzeneinternational.com

Cooking

2010-01-19T02:07:00.001-08:00

Cooking for Little Ones

Cooking for toddlers and growing children presents some unique challenges along the way. While you want to provide them with those ever so important nutrients, it is often difficult to get them to eat those foods that are best for their growing bodies. We are all probably well aware of the food pyramid and the number of servings our children need of healthy grains, proteins, fruits, vegetables, and calcium products. Getting them to eat these nourishing products is another matter all together unfortunately.

The good news when cooking for children is that you do not necessarily need to incorporate all the important nutrients into dinner food. The truth of the matter is that raw cucumbers, which are thinly sliced and sprinkled with salt make a much healthier snack than potato chips and many little ones love this for a snack. You get a vegetable in their system and they are getting a treat at snack time. The same holds true for melon and cantaloupes. These make excellent snacks and are a much-needed fruit in these important diets for little ones.

When it comes to cooking for little ones, however man, woman, and child cannot live on macaroni and cheese alone. It's been tried and tested and failed miserably. Try mixing things up whenever you can while keeping meals kid friendly. It is important that you try to introduce whole grains, proteins, and vegetables whenever possible at meal times around your home. The good news is that there are many prepackaged convenience foods that are introducing whole grains like never before in order to meet the growing demand of consumers for healthier meals that can be prepared with little fan fare or fuss.

Cooking healthier meals for kids is now easier than ever before. Fresh fruits and vegetables are best whenever possible. However, if you cannot manage fresh, you should avoid canned (fruits especially as they are often swimming in sugary sweetness) whenever possible. Frozen is far preferable to canned when it comes to both fruit and vegetables, as there are often fewer additives.

If you need some great meal ideas that are kid friendly and easy on the budget, you can often find recipes readily available online. You can meet your child's calcium and dairy product needs by adding milk as the drink of choice for meals or a slice of cheese melted over their favorite vegetable. Ice cream, yogurt, and pudding also make excellent calcium rich treats, in moderation of course.

Encourage your children to try new things rather than cooking the same few meals over and over again that you know they are likely to eat. This prevents two things from happening. First of all, it helps you not to get bored when cooking for your children. Second, it allows your children to try new flavors and textures and form opinions about them. By trying new things they will learn not only about the things they dislike but also the foods they really enjoy.

You should also keep in mind that your children are people too when cooking for them. Just as you have foods you like and dislike they also will develop tastes over time. Those tastes may also change in time as well. It's frustrating, I know, to spend time and money preparing a meal only to have your child push the plate away and refuse to even try the meal. For this, I recommend enlisting their help in the kitchen. Children are much more likely to eat the things they had a hand in preparing as a matter of accomplishment and pride. It's psychological warfare I know but all is fair in war and dinnertime.

Perhaps the greatest gift you can give yourself (much greater than the help in the kitchen) by 'forcing' your little ones to help prepare dinner is that they will learn to better appreciate your culinary efforts and eat peacefully rather than sullenly. This tactic has met with great success in my household when cooking for little ones. I hope you will enjoy the same degree of success as well.

Cooking

2010-01-19T02:05:00.001-08:00

Cooking for Crowds Shouldn't be a Frightening Proposition

Most people balk at the idea of cooking for large crowds of people. With images of huge stockpots boiling over and becoming chained to a hot stove and oven for countless hours on end, it's no wonder that so many people avoid the idea of cooking food for large crowds with more tenacity than they avoid being last in the dinner line.

The good news is that it doesn't have to be the frightening proposition that so many make it out to be. When it comes to cooking for a large crowd, the planning phase is the most important. You absolutely must plan your meals when feeding a large group of people. This goes far beyond the notion of spaghetti or fried chicken as the meals you are planning. You need to know how many servings you will need. While obviously you never know how hungry people will be or who will eat how much when it comes to cooking for a large crowd it is a good idea to always plan for a few extra mouths in case some need a little more than you may think (you might want to double servings for teen and college aged men that will be dining).

You need to know at least a general number of servings to prepare and adjust your recipe in order to accommodate those needs. Some people find it much simpler if they can double or triple recipes rather than scaling them to specific serving sizes. If this works best for you then by all means incorporate this practice when cooking for crowds. One thing you must be aware of is that you will need to include in order to create the meal you are planning.

Having the proper ingredients and the proper amounts of ingredients is more important in bulk recipes than is often necessary in smaller recipes as there is less leeway when it comes to creating the proper consistency. You should keep this in mind when making purchases for your cooking for a large crowd event.

Some people find the best route to take when it comes to cooking for crowds is to keep everything as close to their normal cooking routine as possible. This would mean that instead of cooking one really huge pan of lasagna for a triple sized crowd, they would instead cook three normal sized pans of lasagna. This accomplishes two things really and is something you may wish to keep in mind despite the extra time spent in the kitchen.

First of all, if something goes, wrong only one third of the meal is in shambles rather than the entire dinner. Second, you have a greater possibility of finding consistency issues before the baking begins if you are using measurements and cooking containers that you are familiar with and comfortable using. It is always best to discover errors and omissions sooner rather than later when it comes to cooking as very few ingredients can be properly added after the fact.

While cooking for crowds may send some into dizzying spells with heart palpitations it helps if you take a few deep breaths, sit down, plan your menu, plan your meals, make a list of your ingredients, and cook in a manner that is comfortable for you. If you would rather get it all over with in one fell swoop, then by all means do just that. If you are more comfortable making multiple dishes of family favorites then that is probably going to be the best course of action in order to meet your large crowd cooking needs.

Most importantly you should remember when cooking for crowds is that you might have just earned yourself a well-deserved night off afterwards. Cooking for crowds is time consuming and should be approached when well rested (if that is even possible) for the best results. There is something that is actually very satisfying about knowing that you have fed a crowd and fed them well.

www.benzeneinternational.com

Cooking

2010-01-19T01:51:00.000-08:00

Cooking Classes for the Masses

Whether you are a seasoned pro when it comes to the fine art of cooking or an utter novice there should be some cooking classes or resources in your area that can help you learn and improve your existing skills. Surprisingly few people manage to utilize the many wonderful opportunities that are available to them when it comes to cooking classes.

If you are considering a cooking class you should be glad to know that many communities offer them for a nominal fee at night and sometimes on the weekend. These classes are rather basic and often designed to help women learn the basics of a few economical and healthy meals to prepare for their beginning families. If you fit the bill for this, then you should check out your local library for possible leads for these sorts of classes in your area. Even if they do not have the information available it is quite likely that they can point you in the right direction.

If you are looking for cooking classes that you can take with your children, check out your library once again for the first resource. There are also many gourmet food shops that offer cooking classes for parents to take with their children. This is a great opportunity to bond with your child while you both learn to prepare a new dish or two together. It is quite likely that you will be quite surprised by the things you can learn from your child as well as the things you can learn by simply taking the class.

For those among us who are seeking culinary experience with very specific cuisines you will have to search a little more for the perfect cooking classes in which you can achieve your goal. They do exist however, though your chances of learning Thai cooking are much greater in a larger city than in smaller towns throughout the country. If you are really interested in learning some exotic cooking techniques perhaps you should consider a vacation in which you can try out a few new cooking classes while you are there. If you prefer other things on your vacation to cooking you could make a point of attempting one basic class in the cuisine of your choice for each vacation you take. This will give you a little more than the same old souvenir to bring back from your trip and an experience that in many cases is quite memorable.

Finally, if you are looking for a romantic idea, how about signing up to take a couples cooking class? Believe it or not, these classes are often offered in both big and smaller cities. They seem to be all the rage around Valentine's day, perhaps the hint is that the other partner in a relationship can share some of the cooking responsibility or perhaps the idea is that there is more than one way to steam up the kitchen.

Regardless of the reason for taking cooking classes they can bring not only a great deal of enjoyment to your dining room, but also increase your ease in your kitchen. If you've never taken a cooking class, there is no time like the present to do so. No matter how skilled you are in the kitchen there is always something that can be learned.
www.benzeneinternational.com

Cooking Cajun Food

2010-01-19T01:49:00.000-08:00

ooking Cajun Food

Cooking in the heart of Cajun country is an art form. There really is very little science to this particular form of cooking that includes a lot more than mere lagniappe from the pantry or the spice cabinet. Cajun cooking is something that has often been imitated around the country and around the world but can very rarely be accurately duplicated.

One of the fascinating things about Cajun cooking is the fact that there are very few exact recipes. Most, if not all authentic Cajun cooking is done to taste rather than measurements. Even more amazing is that from day to day one person can make the same dish over and over and it is quite likely to taste a little bit different each and every time it is made. The major reason for this is that in addition to being an art form in and of itself, Cajun food is often made even more delicious or mysterious simply by the mood of the one doing the cooking.

I'm sure that many of you have watched as Emeril Lagasse makes some special concoction and exclaims "Bam!" there is a good bit of that when it comes to Cajun cooking. Something that goes far beyond the ingredients in the recipe and somewhere into the heart and the soul of the cook in question. There is a reason that many southern cooked dishes are referred to as soul food and you should not for one second forget that New Orleans is in the heart of the Deep South.

The most difficult thing, perhaps when it comes to preparing good Cajun dishes outside of the New Orleans region is finding the right ingredients. It is nearly impossible to find the fresh seasonings and spices that are essential to most Cajun cuisine outside the heart of the old south. Not only that, but fresh crawfish and andouille sausage are a little difficult to come by during the heart of a Michigan winter.

If you are determined to learn to make Cajun food of your own, you must first find the ingredients. Specialty food shops or those that will special order might be your best bet. There are some grocers that will carry a limited stock of Cajun seasonings on their international food aisles. Keep in mind that these sources are extremely limited. Once you have the ingredients, it's time to let a little jazz blare from your speakers in order to set the mood. Most of the best Cajun dishes require a substantial amount of time for simmering and this should be considered. Cajun food is not to be rushed-much like the citizens of the Big Easy. The food will be ready in time and as the one cooking the food you must learn to accept that about Cajun food. It has a way of letting you know when it is ready that is almost mythical until you've experienced it for yourself.

Cooking Cajun food will try your patience, try your talents, and in some cases zap your energy, as it tends to be an emotional process for many. On the other end however, Cajun food is some of the richest and most delicious food on the planet. Mastering the ability to cook this wonderful food will make you a slave to its flavor for many years to come.

www.benzeneinternational.com

Cooking Oil

2010-01-19T01:47:00.000-08:00

ooking Basics for Beginners

When it comes to cooking, it is important to keep in mind that everyone started somewhere. I do not know of a single person who was born with a wooden cooking spoon and ready to go. There is a lot of learning that must be done in order to become a prolific cook and then there is always room for improvement. Not only do you need to begin with the basics when it comes to cooking but you almost need to begin again when learning to cook a new cuisine such as Chinese, Thai, or Indian food.

This means that at any given time in your cooking learning cycles there is quite probably someone somewhere that is better and/or worse at cooking than you. Take heart from this because even the best have bad days when it comes to cooking. There are many people who cook for different reasons. Some cook in order to eat and survive while others cook because they actually enjoy the process of cooking. Some cook during times of emotional upheaval and others cook out of sheer boredom. Whatever your reason for cooking or learning to cook you should always begin with the basics.

The first thing that you need to learn is what the different terminology you will find in recipes actually means. There are many new and sometimes foreign sounding terms that you will find in common recipes. These terms can mean the difference in recipe success or failure. You should be able to find a good section in any inclusive cookbook that explains the different definitions for unfamiliar terminology. If you aren't absolutely certain what is meant by "folding in the eggs" it is in your best interests to look it up.

Another great bit of advice when it comes to cooking basics is to try simpler recipes for a while and then expand your horizons to the more complex recipes that abound. Most recipes will have a little note about their degree of difficulty and you can read through the recipe to see whether or not it is something you are interested in preparing or confident that you can prepare. Remember Rome wasn't built in a day and it will take quite some time to build a reliable 'repertoire' of recipes to work into your meal planning rotation.

The good news is that once you've learned the basics of cooking it is unlikely that you will ever need to relearn them. This means that you can constantly build up and expand your cooking skills. As you learn new recipes and improve your culinary skills and talents you will discover that preparing your own meals from scratch is much more rewarding than preparing prepackaged meals that are purchased from the shelves of your local supermarkets.

You will also discover as your experience and confidence grows that you will find yourself more and more often improvising as you go and adjusting recipes to meet your personal preferences. If you prefer more or less of ingredients or want to make a recipe a little more or less spicy in flavor you can make simple adjustments along the way in order to achieve this goal. In other words you will begin in time to create recipes of your very own. And that is something you won't necessarily learn when it comes to basic cooking skills for beginners but you would never learn if you didn't master those basic cooking skills.

www.benzeneinternational.com

Cooking Tips

2010-01-19T01:45:00.000-08:00

Beat the Summer Heat with Crock Pot Cooking

When the weather outside warms up, the kitchen can be a terrible place to be. There are many things you can do however, when it comes to cooking a nice home made meal that doesn't require traditional stove top or oven cooking. Learn to utilize some of the lesser heat producing equipment in your kitchen, such as the crock pot, in order to truly beat the summer heat and keep your cool while preparing a nice hot meal for friends and family.

So, how does crock pot cooking really help beat the heat? Simply put, the crock pot in and of itself puts off far less heat when cooking than an oven or stove top. This is the first and possibly the best reason to utilize the crock pot in your summer meal planning. You should also consider the fact that by not heating the house by using your stove top or oven you are also preventing your air conditioning (or other cooling methods) from working overtime in order to compensate for the additional heat that other cooking methods introduce.

This makes crock pot cooking a win-win situation as the costs involved in operating a crock pot are far less than the costs involved in operating a stove or oven in general. Whether electric or gas, your stove and oven are often serious energy hogs. Add to that the fact that you are not raising the temperature in your home by traditional means of cooking and you are using even less electricity.

Unfortunately for most, the general consensus has been that crock pots were meant for comfort foods and hearty winter meals. The truth is that the crock pot should be one of your best loved and most often utilized cooking methods if you can manage it. When it comes to cooking with a crock pot, the options are almost limitless. Almost anything that can be baked can be made in the crock pot and many, many more wonderful and enticing meals and treats as well.

Benefits of Crock Pot Cooking

In addition to the cost benefits mentioned above when it comes to crock pot cooking there are many other benefits that are well worth mentioning. First of all, the bulk of the work involved in crock pot cooking takes place early in the day when you are refreshed rather than at the end of a hectic work or play day. This means that you are less likely to forget an ingredient or make other mistakes that often occur as we hurriedly prepare a dinner when we are exhausted from the activities of our day.

Second, many great crock pot recipes include the vegetables that insure we are getting the nutrients we need. So often, when preparing a meal at the last minute, vegetables and other side dishes are left out in favor of expedience. Crock pot cooking in many instances is a meal in one dish.

Another great reason to use a crock pot for your summertime cooking is the ease of clean up. Unlike pots and pans, most crock pot meals are made in one dish. This means that there will not be mountains of dishes to be either hand washed or loaded into the dishwasher (or if you are like me-both) afterwards. You can spend less time cleaning just as you spent less time slaving over a hot stove. Oh wait! Make that no time slaving over a hot stove. Once clean up is complete you can get back to enjoying the sun set, chasing the lightening bugs with your little ones, or waiting for the first star.

While there will never be a one size fits all best cooking method, crock pot cooking comes very close. If you have a crock pot collecting dust somewhere in the back of your pantry it is time to get it out, dust if off, and dig up some great summertime crock pot cooking recipes.

www.benzeneinternational.com

Cooking

2010-01-19T01:43:00.000-08:00

Gluten Free Cooking

When it comes to cooking, there are many dietary restrictions that will be encountered along the way. One restriction that is gaining some degree of notoriety in recent years is the need for a gluten free diet. Gluten is a substance that is commonly found in flour products that a decent sized portion of the population has a negative reaction to in some form or another. For these people, gluten free isn't a choice it is absolutely necessary.

Gluten free cooking does impose many restrictions and often makes it quite difficult to enjoy something the vast majority of us take for granted-dining out. The good news from those who require gluten free cooking is that more and more restaurants are beginning to acknowledge this condition and offer some selections that are gluten free. It takes time, just as it did with low carb craze for the demand for these products to make it worth the industries while to make adjustments in their way of preparing foods.

While on the one hand it is frustrating to not have the option of dining out, there is some challenge to finding new and tasty foods and combinations for cooking each and every night without falling into a rut of the same old foods that you know you can eat without worry. Consider cooking gluten free a challenge rather than a chore and you may find that the process is much more enjoyable. You might even find that you appreciate the meals you've worked hard to prepare even better because of the great sense of accomplishment.

There are many resources available for those who need to eat gluten free foods. There are even more and more 'convenience' or prepackaged foods that are designated for gluten free cooking. This means that those who once had no option but creating meals from scratch do now have the occasional shortcut available to them. We are even finding cookie and cake mixes that are now gluten free in order to enjoy some of the finer things in life for those who would have been completely deprived only a few short years ago.

Changes are being made and resources are being shared through the Internet that help not only adults that require special gluten free cooking and diets but also support for the parents of children who must have gluten free diets. Cooking for children in the best of circumstances is often difficult. It is even more difficult when there are excessive dietary restrictions that often eliminate the possibility of our children enjoying childhood favorites. That is why it is so important to seek out the many resources and recipes that are available for gluten free cooking.

If you require a gluten free diet and have no idea where to start or what you should be cooking you should check out the many websites and blogs online that address the issues and needs that are faced by those requiring gluten restrictions. You will probably be amazed at the wealth of information that is available. Also, if you have a Trader Joes or Whole Foods store in your area, most of them either offer or will order gluten free products for your cooking needs.

Gluten free cooking does not have to be the chore many of us think it must be and all gluten free food doesn't taste like cardboard. Take the time to get to know the wonderful gluten free recipes that abound and incorporate them one at a time into your cooking repertoire. You will be amazed at how wonderful you feel as well as how great the food tastes.

Sub-standard Bleding of Palm Oil

2010-01-03T20:02:00.000-08:00

.R. Subramani

Chennai, Feb. 24 RBD (Refined, deodorised and bleached) palmolein rules at Rs 32,600 a tonne in the domestic edible oil market. In contrast, refined sunflower oil costs Rs 44,500, refined soyabean oil Rs 43,000 and refined groundnut oil Rs 55,000 a tonne.

In these circumstances, a consumer will naturally tend to go for an edible oil that costs less. What if an edible oil producer offers groundnut oil at, say, Rs 40,000 a tonne? Surely, it is costlier than RBD palmolein, but given consumers’ reservation over the palm group of oils, one would naturally tend to go for groundnut oil that is being offered at Rs 40,000 a tonne. But are you sure that the groundnut oil being sold at a price lower than the one prevailing in the market is a pure one?

If one were to go by the latest letter of the Solvent Extractors’ Association of India to its members, some manufacturers’ are resorting to “unethical blending” of edible oils.

“The price of most of the edible oils is ruling very low. RBD palmolein has become the cheapest oil in the market, pulling down the prices of other oils.

The wide price difference between domestically produced oils and RBD palmolein is creating a serious problem, as unofficially it is blended into other oils on a large-scale and sold as domestic oil,” said the association President, Mr Ashok Sethia, in the letter.

“This unethical blending pushes the honest manufacturers to the brink and we should strongly oppose this malpractice as it does not benefit anyone,” he said.

Percentage of blending

When contacted the association Executive Director, Mr B.V. Mehta, told Business Line that edible oil producers are allowed to blend different oils but they would have to declare how much percentage of blending of other oil has taken place in a particular brand of oil.

For example, if a producer sells edible oil as vegetable oil, he has to mandatorily declare in the pack what oils are blended to make up the consumer pack. Usually, RBD palmolein is blended with sunflower, mustard or soyabean oil.

Industry insiders say the problem with some producers is that they mix oils, for example, say, groundnut oil with RBD palmolein, and then sell it as groundnut oil.

“We are concerned over this unethical blending since besides manufacturers, even farmers are affected by this trend,” Mr Mehta said.

What this “unethical blending” does is that it forces manufacturers, who do not indulge in such practices, to lower their price and face losses.

Impose duty on all

Mr Sethia in his letter said that the practice could end if the Centre brings all edible oils under the duty regime, which could narrow the difference in price of domestic and imported vegetable oils.

Currently, the Centre imposes a Customs duty of 20 per cent on degummed or crude soyabean oil. This duty was imposed in November after early last year the Union Government had made it zero to tackle surging inflation and soaring edible oil prices. Until the third quarter of last year, edible oil prices ruled higher in the global market on supply shortage and raging crude prices, which have now declined by over two-thirds to around $40 a barrel.

Interestingly, refined soyabean oil attracts only 7.5 per cent duty as also other refined ones such as RBD palmolein, sunflower oil and rapeseed oil.

Record imports

Other crude vegetable oils such as sunflower and palm oil are still imported at zero duty. Crude palm stearin and crude palm kernel oil, which are imported for industrial purpose, attract 19.57 per cent and 17.37 per cent duty respectively, while palm fatty acid distillate, palm kernel fatty acid distillate and split palm kernel fatty acid can be imported at 32.76 per cent duty.

“One of the industry’s concerns is that record vegetable oils import has taken place in the first three months of the current oil year that began in November. The problem is that these imports have taken place during peak arrivals of kharif oilseeds,” said Mr Mehta.

During the current oil year, kharif oilseeds production has been estimated at 164.1 lakh tonnes (lt) compared with 164.9 lt during the same period a year ago. The production estimate is on the heels of a record soyabean crop of 98.9 lt (94.6 lt last year), while other oilseeds, such as groundnut, have witnessed a decline (45.2 lt versus 48.7 lt).

According to industry sources, the Centre has been urged to raise the duty on imports of vegetable oils, but so far nothing has been heard in this regard.

By. Subramani- Source- The Hinduonline.com

Sub-Standard Edible Oil

2010-01-03T20:00:00.000-08:00

The mystery surrounding India's excessive imports of vegetable oils during the crop year 2008-09 may possibly be unravelling to the embarrassment of the industry and the Government alike, if one goes by anecdotal evidence from the country's food processing industry.

Short-changed

Institutional and household consumers seem to have been short-changed by what may be an organised attempt by the edible oil industry to supply sub-standard material. Cooking oil is a vital input for the food processing industry for frying purposes and often, the quality of oil determines the organoleptic (flavour, taste and texture) profile of the cooked food.

Buyers of cooking oil in food processing companies complain that refiners or suppliers of cooking oil (items such as refined palmolein) do not guarantee the quality of oil.

According to the food industry representatives, most of the suppliers sell the oil ex-factory gate without any quality commitment. “The quality variation is so high that we end up rejecting the consignment at our end frequently,” fumed an irate bulk buyer.

Nil import duty effect

Since April 1, 2008, crude oils attract ‘nil' rate of customs duty and refined oils 7.5 per cent.

Rising food inflation forced the Government to drastically downgrade the duty structure.

The country imported an unprecedented volume of 82 lakh tonnes (lt) of various oils in 2008-09, an increase of over 25 lt from the previous year's 56 lt.

India's incremental imports are usually between 3 lt and 5 lt a year, depending on various market factors, including domestic and international prices, as also customs tariff. Unjustified excessive imports ought to have raised eyebrows; and at the least, someone in the Government should have investigated.

Wanting to justify such large imports, some analysts were quick to make unsubstantiated claim that India's edible oil consumption increased substantially because of rising incomes and lower prices.

HOLLOW CLAIM

Almost everyone knows, this hollow claim is simply not borne out by facts on the ground. It was also believed that India's excess imports were largely stock transfer from producing countries (Indonesia and Malaysia) in order to pare down burdensome inventory at the origin.

Probe by Business Line resulted in startling revelations. A significant part of crude palm oil imported was substantially processed (neutralised, bleached and deodourised) so as to be close to the quality specifications for refined oil, but not quite meeting the specifications of refined oil precisely, and falling a little short. If the imported oil does not meet refined oil specifications, it would be treated as crude oil and would, therefore, bear no customs duty.

Such oil cleared at zero duty with quality specifications nearly that of refined (but not exactly so) would be blended locally with refined oil and marketed as refined oil.

Quality testing may reveal that the oil would not qualify to be called refined; but nevertheless, it is marketed as refined oil.

No wonder, refiners and suppliers of refined oils refuse to provide quality certificate to buyers, often makers of snack foods and so on.

A sharp increase in import of refined palmolein adds further credence to the suspicion that substandard or incorrectly described oil being palmed off on a very large scale in the country.

India's refined palmolein imports jumped 70 per cent to 12.4 lt during 2008-09 (7.3 lt previous year).

Institutional buyers

In addition to the organised food processing industry, a sizeable part of imported palm oil goes to institutional consumers such as restaurants, caterers and sweetmeat makers.

These users often do not insist on quality assurance but are willing buyers if the price is right.

Household consumers who may have purchased the so-called ‘refined palm oil' are also short-changed in terms of quality. All this goes to show how blatantly the country's vegetable oil industry can flout quality norms and still get away.

Equally culpable is the Government, which has turned a blind eye to such activities in the edible oil market and whose food laws seem to be followed more in the breach.

By G.Chandrasekar Source- The Hinduonline.com

Palm Oil Prices goes up.

2009-11-19T01:02:00.000-08:00

Wholesale prices of select edible oils - palmolein and crude palm, rose up to Rs 30 per quintal in the national capital on Wednesday largely on the back of firming global trend.
Elsewhere, other edible and non-edible oils continued to trade in a tight range in the absence of any worthwhile activity and settled around previous levels.

Marketmen said rising trend in overseas market mainly supported the uptrend in palmolein and crude palm oil prices.

Meanwhile, palm oil futures for February-delivery gained 1.2 per cent to 2,369 ringgit (703 dollar) a metric tonne on the Malaysia Derivatives Exchange.

In the national capital, palmolein (RBD) and crude palm (ex-kandla) oils rose by Rs 30 and Rs 20 to settle at Rs 3,850 and Rs 3,220 per quintal.

Source- http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Crude-palm-oil-extends-gains-in-futures-trade/543217/

Blending Palm Oil

2009-10-27T02:43:00.000-07:00

Chennai, Oct. 26 A record 85 lakh tonnes (lt) of vegetable oils are estimated to have been imported during the current oil season ending this month. A feature of this is rising shipments of RBD (refined, bleached and deodourised) palmolein.

“Import of RBD palmolein is rising very fast as the effective import duty is low. The main reason for the rise in imports is low international price, coupled with nominal import duty,” said Mr Ashok Sethia, President of the Solvent Extractors Association of India.

Meagre imports

Till September during the current season, 11.52 lt of RBD palmolein were imported – a record.

“RBD palmolein imports until a few years ago were hardly one lakh tonnes. But in the recent past there has been a flood of imports,” said Dr B.V. Mehta, Executive Director of the association.

2 reasons

Two reasons are being attributed to the rise in RBD palmolein imports. One is that the industry is buying more palmolein for blending with other oils such as groundnut oil. “In fact, some manufacturers are indulging in unethical blending,” said industry sources.

The second reason is imports by Government agencies such as State Trading Corporation. These agencies are buying RBD palmolein for the Centre so that the cooking oil can be distributed through ration shops.

Vegetable oil imports in general and RBD palmolein imports in particular have been soaring since April 1 last year when the Centre allowed duty-free import of crude vegetable oils, while cutting Customs duty on refined oils to 7.5 per cent.

The Customs duty was cut to control inflation and negate the rising edibel oil prices in the global and domestic markets. Since then, vegetable oil prices in the global oil have dropped but the Centre has kept the low duty rates intact.

“The effective duty on import of RBD palmolein is 5 per cent only,” said Mr Mehta.

Customs duty on vegetable oils is levied on a base import price fixed by the Government.

For example, the base import price or tariff value of RBD palmolein is $484 a tonne. This was fixed in December 2006 and has remain unchanged in view of higher global prices for edible oils.

Currently, RBD palmolein in the spot market for delivery in November and December is quoted at $705 a tonne.

RBD palmolein primarily comes from Malaysia and the palm group of oils, including crude palm oil, make up about 85 per cent of vegetable oil imports.

Stocks uncrushed

“The domestic crushing industry has been hurt by these large-scale imports. In fact, a large quantity of rapeseed/mustard is still not crushed from last year’s crop and the carry-foward stocks will be over 20 lt,” said Mr Sethia.

Dr Mehta said: “We are not able to utilise our capacity to the optimum due to these imports. About 30-40 per cent of the capacity is lying idle.”

Source- http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/10/27/stories/2009102751021700.htm
By M.R. Subramani

Anti-palm oil lobby baseless

2009-10-01T03:08:00.000-07:00

NGO: Palm oil industry highly sustainable in developing economies

PETALING JAYA: Palm oil, which accounts for 60% of the global vegetable oil trade, has come under fire from Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth. The non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are pressuring processors and consumers to boycott the oil and European Union (EU) governments to block its import based on the contention that palm oil damages the environment.

But, according to a report by World Growth entitled Palm Oil – The Sustainable Oil, palm oil uses less land than crop-based oilseeds.

“Only 0.26ha is required to produce a tonne of palm oil while soybean, sunflower and rapeseed need 2.2ha, 2ha and 1.5ha respectively to produce the same amount of oil,” said the report.

The proposed restriction may also hurt the export trade of developing countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia that collectively produce 87% of the world’s palm oil.

The report said the palm oil industry was a highly sustainable development tool in the economies of many developing countries.

World Growth chairman Alan Oxley said the campaign by environmental groups to prevent conversion of forest land to other more productive purposes would deny developing countries the opportunity to use palm oil as a development tool.

“The World Bank and the Asian Development Bank have rated palm oil in Indonesia and Malaysia respectively as a very high quality development tool for reducing poverty,” he told StarBiz via email.

In Malaysia, the world’s second largest palm oil producer, the industry currently employed 570,000 people with export earnings of more than RM68bil last year, said the report.

World Growth said the EU import demand for palm oil had also grown as some countries there had resorted to using it as a feedstock for bio-diesel production.

“But the proposed EU Renewable Energy Directive includes a condition that will restrict the availability of palm oil,” it said.

On the industry’s impact on the environment, the report said it had not destroyed forests’ biodiversity in developing countries.

“For example, palm oil is restricted to only 20% of the total land in Malaysia allocated for agricultural purposes.

“And in Indonesia, palm oil is only cultivated in areas set aside for commercial production,” it said.

Oxley added that biodiversity in forests was protected by establishing forest conservation areas which contained representative strands of natural forests, not by imposing a blanket ban on conversion of forest land for other purposes.

“And well-managed oil palm plantations are more effective in absorbing greenhouse gases than natural forests,” he said.

Moreover, said the report, the technical understanding of carbon footprint of oil palm, other plantations and forest industries was still weak.

World Growth is a non-profit NGO established to bring balance to the debate over trade, globalisation and sustainable development.

By SHARIDAN M.ALI
sOURCE- http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/10/1/business/4808530&sec=business

Anti Palm Oil Groups

2009-09-30T02:51:00.000-07:00

By D. Arul Rajoo

BANGKOK, Sept 29 (Bernama) -- The anti-palm oil campaign by environmental groups is unlikely to have immediate effect on leading Malaysian and Indonesian exporters but could lead to trade and aid restrictions in future, the crop's pro-campaign group said Tuesday.

Alan Oxley, chairman of the World Growth International, a US-based non-governmental organisation, said despite the smear campaign in Europe and restrictions on renewal energy there, palm oil's major markets are China and India.

Despite the vigorous campaign to link palm oil to deforestation and increasing greenhouse gas emissions, it may not be sufficient to be included in the new climate change treaty being negotiated here and likely to be finalised in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December.

"I don't think it will be part of the forest component when negotiators finalise the deal. All of these claims are questionable or at best severely exaggerated," he told reporters on the sidelines of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change talk here leading up to the Copenhagen meeting.

Oxley said major palm oil producers should be wary as some groups like Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace were campaigning to pressure processors and consumers to boycott the commodity and the European Union to block import.

In fact, the EU Renewable Energy Directive restricts the availability of palm oil, he said, adding that the World Growth had launched "Palm Oil Green Development" campaign to correct the myths, misconceptions and falsehoods perpetuated by these groups.

"Even if they cannot succeed in stopping palm oil expansion through the treaty, they can restrict trade and aid to countries that converts forest land to oil palm estates," he said, adding that such a move was contrary to the Bali Agreement which states that climatic change strategies should support and not undermine economic development.

Oxley said one reason for the smear campaign is because palm oil has become a strong competitor to other edible oil such as soyabean and rapeseed, accounting for 32 per cent of global production and 59 per cent annual export.

"Demand for palm oil has increased dramatically over the years. It has a number of advantages over competitor products. When new products have an impact on markets, there is a natural process of adjustment," he said.

He said palm oil cultivation has proven to be an effective tool in combating poverty, citing Malaysia and Indonesia where 40 per cent are owned by smallholders, and similar efforts are being taken to introduce the crop in Africa, Papua New Guinea, Brazil and Laos.

"It has become a substantial export and a key contributor to poverty alleviation and higher living standards. In the 80s when palm oil was grown in Malaysia, the World Bank rated palm oil cultivation as one of the most effective ways to resolve poverty," he said.

He also said oil palm uses less land than crop-based oilseeds, using only 0.26 hectares of land to produce one tonne of oil palm, while soyabean, sunflower and rapeseed need 2.2, 2 and 1.5 hectares, respectively.

On claims that the oil palm industry was destroying forest biodiversity in developing countries, Oxley said in Malaysia, world's second largest producer, the crop was restricted to 20 per cent of the state land allocated for agricultural purposes.

"Both Malaysia and Indonesia have set aside 55 per cent and 25 per cent respectively for forest conservation while the European average is 25 per cent.

"Both countries are also important contributors to programmes to protect endangered species such as the Orang Utan," he said.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation had stated that deforestation was largely due to human settlement and not commercial crop, he added.

-- BERNAMA
http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news_lite.php?id=443024
Source -

Palm oil import to increase, become costlier

2009-09-29T02:01:00.000-07:00

KARACHI: Country’s palm oil products import bill for September-October 2009 will increase by around 10 percent on higher demand and rupee-dollar parity, importers said Monday.

“We imported around 227,875 metric tonne palm oil products during July-August 2009 for around $166.53 million”, a senior member of Pakistan Vegetable Oil Mills Association (PVOMA), Nasir Ibrahim said.

He said palm oil prices would rise as shortage in the world’s cheapest edible oil is harder to remedy than the current shortage of soyabeans.

Malaysia, the second-largest producer of palm oil is likely to miss the 2009 production forecast after rains affected pollination in the eastern state of Sabah, which accounts for more than one-quarter of the country’s output.

Nasir said the country’s demand for palm oil usually increases by around 6 percent during October-January every year on higher demand due to cold weather and increase in use of palm oil products.

The international price of RBD reached $780 per metric tonne while the price of palm oil touched around $800 per metric tonne.

He asked the government to rationalise the customs duty and other taxes on imported edible oil.

He said due to higher import cost, the manufacturers of vegetable ghee and cooking oil were unable to pass on the maximum benefit in case of any slight decline as they were facing multiple problems including power and gas loadshedding and production loss.

He said the ITP duty should be increased or decreased in proportion to the changes in the price of imported edible oils in the international market.

Ibrahim said the rates of sales tax levied at 16 percent and withholding and FED tax charged at the rate of 2 percent on the imported palm oil should also be lessen.

Presently, he said the total duties and taxes paid by vanaspati manufacturers were around Rs 28,500 per tonne.

The PVMA proposes the government to fix the FED on imported edible oils at the level of C&F prices of RBD palm olein as July 2006.

“The impact of increase around $100 per metric tonne in international price of palm oil products has affected the local prices of oil and ghee”, Ibrahim said.

Imports are made under Malaysian Palm Oil Concessionary Trade Agreement (MPOCTA), like free-trade agreement (FTA), he added.

Pakistan imports mostly Malaysian palm oil and olein to meet domestic demand of 2.01 million tonnes, as locally produced cottonseed meets around 0.59 million tonnes of the demand. Edible oil import costs more than $1.1 billion.

By Razi Syed
Source- http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009%5C09%5C29%5Cstory_29-9-2009_pg5_10

Economics of Palm Cultivation

2009-08-25T04:06:00.000-07:00

DAVANAGERE: Of the 14 states, Karnataka stands second in palm cultivation, said planning manager G Virupakashappa, Simhapuri Agritech Company,
Davanagere, at a campaign on palm cultivation in Vasana village in Harihar taluk. The government has implemented the scheme in the 18 selected districts of Karnataka.

It is possible to get the yield of oil, ranging from 1,500 kg to 2,000 kg, from the palm cultivation per acre. But, in case of groundnuts, sunflower, soybeans, the yield of oil per acre is found to be 600 kg, 500 kg and 400 kg, respectively, he said. Therefore, it is wiser to switch over to the palm cultivation as it is more economical. Since, subsidies are available for the palm cultivation from both government and the company, the farmers of irrigated lands can come forward to take up the cultivation of palm, he said.

Source- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/city/hubli/Palm-cultivation-more-economical-/articleshow/4929943.cms

2009-08-19T02:35:00.000-07:00

FOOD-OILS/RISK (ANALYSIS)
* Long-term price drivers still in place

* Funds look to agricultural commods as inflation hedge

* Pricier oils should benefit as economies pick up

By Catherine Hornby

AMSTERDAM, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Less than two years after a surge in global food prices caused panic and riots around the world, investors are starting to return to vegetable oil markets and raising the spectre of renewed food price inflation.

Billions of dollars change hands annually in the markets for palm, soybean and other vegetable oils, which are used in cooking oil as well as products ranging from margarine to soap and for biofuel.

Prices of vegetable oils plummeted with other commodities at the end of 2008, many halving in value on concerns about demand in the global economic downturn, as funds that had fuelled the earlier surge in prices baled out of markets.

But analysts expect large investors to move back into vegetable oil markets in anticipation of a pick-up in demand for food in emerging markets, as well as greater competitiveness of biodiesel for fuel if crude oil prices rebound.

"Over the last couple of months, more and more pension funds are looking for a hedge against inflation," said Dirk Jan Kennes from Rabobank's Food & Agribusiness Research and Advisory unit, when discussing the outlook for vegetable oils.

"They've calculated strong inflation figures over the mid to long term and see agricultural commodities as a hedge for that."

But traders were divided as to whether the funds are likely to move the markets as much now as they did in 2007/08.

"The impact and the volume from funds may become less important," said one vegetable oils trader.

"Many funds have lost a lot of money, and the banks, which own a lot of these funds, can no longer afford to go and simply speculate after asking the authorities to intervene and give support," he said.

Others said the funds were likely to resume similar patterns of speculation in markets if regulation was not toughened up and expected increased volatility going forward.

"If we still continue with a lack of regulation, funds are very likely to come back and speculate heavily," said Ernesto Zamudio, a UK-based trading manager at oils and fats manufacturer AarhusKarlshamn (AAK)

MARKET NERVES

Analysts said that despite the recent price setback, the long-term fundamental drivers that caused vegetable oil prices to rise last year were still supportive.

"If economies recover, there is a potential that demand growth catches up very quickly and supply will have trouble meeting demand. We then expect nervousness in the market and see a chance for a boom as seen in 2007/08," said Kennes.

Prices of palm, rapeseed and soybean oil surged to record peaks in early 2008, as funds speculated on rising demand for commodities, adding to panic around the world about rising food prices and competition from an expanding biofuels industry.

While rapeseed and soybean harvests could pressure markets in the short term, prices may start rising strongly again as early as the start of 2010, market experts said.

A recovery in the price of crude oil would make vegetable oil-based biodiesel a more competitive form of fuel.

"When we have an economic recovery, you will first see it in crude oil prices, and when crude oil prices go up then demand for green energy kicks in: for biodiesel, and for co-generation," one vegetable oils trader said.

But some were sceptical about whether debt-laden governments would be able to give the industry the support it needs, as the focus also shifts to non-food based feedstocks for biofuels.

ASIA DEMAND

Demand for vegetable oil as food is on the rise in the long-term too. Demand for cooking oil in Asia could resume its recent high rates as economies get back on track.

"It will all depend on the emerging markets like China and India. If we are facing an economic recovery, these emerging markets will continue growing at the same rate as they have in the past," Zamudio said.

In Europe, demand for vegetable oils has declined slightly in the economic downturn, though not as drastically as demand for big ticket items such as cars, with people still continuing to buy essential items in the recession.

Some traders said that while cheaper oils such as palm oil were favoured during the downturn, the more expensive oils may benefit from renewed demand as economies start to recover.

"When people stop looking at the cost they may be looking at better qualities and healthier blends," said Zamudio, adding that this could help oils such as rapeseed and sunflower oil, which contain relatively lower levels of saturated fat.

For a factbox on palm oil output forecasts in Southeast Asia click on

(Reporting by Catherine Hornby, Editing by Peter Blackburn)
http://www.forexyard.com/en/reuters_inner.tpl?action=2009-08-18T155202Z_01_LU451930_RTRIDST_0_FOOD-OILS-RISK-ANALYSIS
Source-

Welcome Ramadhan.. Shopping done already

2009-08-19T02:05:00.000-07:00

MIDDLE Eastern countries have bought 70 per cent of an extra 70,000 tonnes of palm oil cargoes needed for the Muslim holy month of fasting that begins in the third week of August, Southeast Asian traders said today.

Countries in the region usually buy an additional 150,000 tonnes for the Ramadan fasting observance, where fasting in the day is followed by elaborate feasts at night, but have cut down on orders because of ample port stocks and a recent run-up in prices.

“Our people in Saudi and other neighbouring countries have estimated that additional Ramadan demand is about 70,000 tonnes and it’s nearly all covered,” a local broker said. “We expect orders to slow down in September.”

Outside Ramadan months, the region buys 60,000-70,000 tonnes a month of refined, bleached and deodorised (RBD) palm olein, which is used as cooking oil, and to make margarine and sweets.

Another trader confirmed the deals and said that cargoes of up to 50,000 tonnes were purchased .

“The Middle Eastern buyers were cautious and waiting for the market to fall another US$50 to US$60 per tonne but news of tight stocks in Malaysia has seen them pick up whatever they can get, regardless of the higher prices,” said the trader.

“Now, there may be some buying interest to meet all of the Ramadan requirements after benchmark Malaysian prices fell sharply this week.”

Malaysian crude palm oil futures, which determine the cash prices of refined palm products, have been struggling to recover this week after a sell-off driven by higher vegetable oil stocks coming from U.S. soyoil and weaker equity markets.

Source -http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/20090819123121/Article/index_html

Cadbuyr's Bows or the Loss to Palm Oil Planters

2009-08-18T19:12:00.000-07:00

In the name of saving the Borneo rainforest, Cadbury's NZ has advised that Cocoa Butter would be used henceforth instead of Palm oil fats. As reported in NZ media...pls read on..

Weeks of angry consumer backlash have forced chocolate giant Cadbury to drop its unfortunate experiment using palm oil, and go back to the old cocoa butter recipe.

It is a major back down, but Cadbury has been forced to ditch its “new and improved” chocolate recipe, and go back to basics.

“Consumers have spoken,” says Matthew Oldham of Cadbury New Zealand.

“They have told us very loudly and clearly that they do not want the added vegetable fat in Cadbury Dairy Milk, and so we are going to take that out.”

Cadbury added palm oil to its chocolate, making it softer to bite. But the blunder prompted hundreds of letters, emails, and even the creation of Facebook pages in protest.

Documentary filmmaker Judith Curran campaigned against the switch. She has been working with orphaned orangutans in Borneo, and was concerned about the environmental aspects of palm oil.

“I’ve seen with my own eyes the massive tracts of rainforest as far as the eye can see that have just been absolutely destroyed… smoking after being burnt and cleared.”

She says the back down by Cadbuy is courageous.

“Nobody every thought that they would do this, it’s just unheard of for multi-national companies to backtrack like this,” she says.

“I think it’s a sign of things to come.”

Auckland Zoo is home to six orangutans and says palm oil production is one of the biggest threats to their survival.

The zoo pulled Cadbury products from sale after the changes, but will be happy to stock the new blocks.

“Another thing that Cadbury need to be congratulated for is the fact they did listen, they did come to us and talk to us directly about the issue,” says Jonathan Wilcken of Auckland Zoo.

“I think they have taken account of people’s concerns.”

Cadbury will not say how much the change hurt sales, but the blunder has boosted local competitors like Whittakers, which has seen a huge increase in its sales.

There has also been a greater focus on the cocoa content of chocolate, with many brands proudly proclaiming their cocoa levels as consumers shop around.

Ukrainian sunflower oil controls to ease this year, JRC

2009-08-16T00:13:00.001-07:00

Ukrainian sunflower oil controls to ease this year, JRC

Shared via AddThis

India's import slows down

2009-08-14T03:09:00.000-07:00

India's vegetable oil import rose marginally by 4 per cent to 5.96 lakh tonnes in July, compared with 5.71 lakh tonnes in a year-ago period, the Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA) said today.

The erratic monsoon and dip in Kharif oilseeds crop may further push import during the festival months of September and October, it said in a statement.

In July, India, the world's second largest consumer of edible oil, imported 5.57 lakh tonnes of edible oil and 38,601 tonnes of non-edible oil, according to SEA data.

Among edible oils, import of palm group of oils has a share of 75 per cent at 4.15 lakh tonnes, while the shipment of soft oils including soyabean and sunflower were at 1.41 lakh tonnes in the review period, it said.

For the first time since 2001, India imported a parcel of about 5,000 tonnes of cottonseed oil in July, SEA said.

According to industry experts, vegetable oil imports in July were rather down as compared to May and June, due to congestion at ports. The shipment of fertiliser inputs were more frequent in July, the peak period for sowing of major Kharif crops.

Import of vegetable oil were significantly high in May and June at 7.51 lakh tonnes and 7.80 lakh tonnes respectively. The erratic monsoon and a possible fall in Kharif oilseeds crop may further increase import in September and October, SEA noted.

Total vegetable oil imports may tough 80 lakh tonnes during 2008-09 edible oil year, it said.

The edible oil year runs from September to October. "Drought-like conditions have spread further and are meanwhile affecting one third of the country. As on August 6, groundnut acreage is worst affected.Oilseeds production will depend on how monsoon behaves in August and September," the Association said.

It is feared that production of kharif crops will suffer a major setback this year as dryness has partly prevented plantings and will also curb the yield potential massively, it added.

"This is likely to lead to lower production of oilseeds and reduced domestic oil availability in the next oil year," SEA said.

Source -Press Trust of India / New Delhi

Pakistan Import faces higher cost for Edible Oil

2009-08-12T02:51:00.000-07:00

By Razi SyedKARACHI:

The increase in the prices of palm oil products in the international market and increasing import price has pushed the local manufacturers of edible oil and ghee to adjust their products’ price.A spokesman of the All Pakistan Banaspati Manufacturers Association (APBMA) said the members of the body have to adjust the price of their respective products according to grade and quality.

He said a tin of 16 kg of vegetable ghee is priced Rs 1,725 after increase of Rs 35 while increase in edible oil is Rs 20 for 16 kg tin, which is now priced at Rs 1,640 for same weight. The Pakistan Vegetable Oil Mills Association, Pakistan Edible Oil Refines Association and owners of various branded ghee and oil mills said the adjustments have been made to cope with the rise in international prices. “The impact of an increase of $200 per metric tonne in international price of palm oil products has affected the local producers of oil and ghee,” a senior member of PVMA, Nasir Ibrahim said.

The international price of RBD reached $675 per metric tonne while the price of palm oil touched around $715 per metric tonne. The dollar-rupee parity has further contributed in increasing the price.Pakistan imports mostly Malaysian palm oil and olein to meet domestic demand of 2 million tonnes, as locally produced cottonseed meets around 0.65 million tonnes of the demand. Edible oil import costs more than $1.15 billion annually.

Exports of Malaysian palm oil products for August 1-10 fell 12.6 percent to 366,352 tonnes from 419,100 tonnes shipped between July 1 and 10, cargo surveyor Intertek Testing Services said. The Malaysian palm oil products for August 1-10 rose 3.5 percent to 400,871 tonnes from 387,379 tonnes. The industry regulator Malaysian Palm Oil Board said the country’s crude palm oil stocks in July fell 5.67 percent to 1,328,440 tonnes from a revised 1,408,317 tonnes in June, The drop in stocks beat market expectations for a 3.7 percent decline to 1.35 million tones.

The Malaysian palm oil products export also witnessed an increase around 747,575 metric tonnne (1 percent) during June to July 2009 on increase local demand of edible oil due to Ramadhan besides normal increase in consumption during winter period in the country, Ibrahim added. He proposed the government to fix the FED on imported edible oils at the level of C&F prices of RBD palm olein as July 2006.

He said the local price of vegetable ghee and cooking oil would come down if the government levy regulatory duty instead of present fixed customs duty on imported edible oil. He asked the government to rationalise the customs duty and other taxes on imported edible oil. He said due to higher import cost, the manufacturers of vegetable ghee and cooking oil were unable to pass on the maximum benefit in case of any slight decline as they were facing multiple problems including power and gas loadshedding and production loss. He said the ITP duty should be increased or decreased in proportion to the changes in the price of imported edible oils in the international market.

The PVMA proposes for a reduction of Rs 3,500-4,000 per tonne in the customs duty on the RBD palm oil/ palm olein, which is around Rs 9,600 per tonne. Presently, he said the total duties and taxes paid by vanaspati manufacturers were around Rs 29,000 per tonne. The custom duty should be from Rs 10,900 per tonne to around Rs 16,700 per tonne on vegetable ghee import.

Imports are made under Malaysian Palm Oil Concessionary Trade Agreement (MPOCTA), like free-trade agreement (FTA), he added.

Source -http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009%5C08%5C12%5Cstory_12-8-2009_pg5_13

2009-08-09T15:39:00.000-07:00

By DR TEE E SIONG
The Codex alimentarius is an FAO/WHO joint food standard programme that aims to protect the health of consumers.

THE annual meeting of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) was held in Rome during the first week of July at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). This 32nd session of CAC was attended by over 463 delegates representing 125 member countries, one member organisation, and 33 international governmental and non-governmental organisations.

The Codex committee on nutrition and foods for special dietary uses is a general subject committee. Together with the Codex committee on food labelling, another general subject committee, Codex standards on nutrition labeling and nutrition and health claims have been developed.

As part of the Malaysian delegation to this meeting, I would like to share with you some highlights of the meeting. Developments in CAC sessions are keenly followed by governments and the food industry as it is in these sessions that Codex standards are finalised and the progress of other draft standards monitored.

Codex standards have important implications on local food regulations as countries are encouraged to harmonise local legislation with international standards.
First, let’s look at the background of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, its objectives, the standard setting procedure, and the food code itself. I will then summarise the highlights of the 32nd CAC session.

Throughout most parts of the world, an increasing number of consumers and governments are becoming aware of food quality and safety issues. More consumers are demanding that their governments take legislative action to ensure that only safe food of acceptable quality is sold and that the risk of foodborne health hazards is minimised.

With this realisation, the 16th World Health Assembly officially approved the establishment of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and World Health Organisation (WHO) Joint Programme on Food Standards – the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), in 1963. The CAC is an intergovernmental organisation. The Joint Food Standards Programme is aimed at protecting the health of consumers and ensuring fair trade practices in the food trade.
It also aims to promote the coordination of all food standards work undertaken by international governmental and non-governmental organisations.

“Codex alimentarius” is a Latin term, meaning food law or food code. It is therefore a collection of standards, codes of practice, guidelines, and other recommendations that serve to provide guidance to governments for their respective national food control systems. It aims to achieve international harmonisation in food quality and safety requirements.

After almost 50 years, the programme has established more than 200 specific commodity standards for individual foods or groups of foods. The commodities included in the Codex cover all the major items of importance to human nutrition, e.g. cereals, legumes, and their products; fats and oils; fish and fishery products; fresh fruit and vegetable products; meat and meat products; milk and milk products; sugars, cocoa, chocolate, and other miscellaneous products.
In addition, a number of horizontal standards have been published to cover general topics. The Codex general standard for the labelling of prepackaged foods covers the labeling requirements of all prepackaged food products. The Codex standard for food additives and veterinary drugs provides guidance on the chemicals permitted for use in foods and their levels. Standards on contaminants and pesticide residues specify the maximum amounts that may be permitted to remain in foods. Other general subject standards are in relation to food hygiene, food analysis and sampling.

These standards are generally referred to as Codex Standards and are available from the Codex website.

How the Codex system works
The statutes and rules of procedure of the CAC were established to ensure that the organisation pursues its clearly defined objectives in a disciplined, dispassionate, and scientific manner.
The statutes provide the legal basis for the work of the CAC and formally reflect the concepts behind, and the reasons for, the establishment as well as the terms of reference and objectives. Membership of the commission is open to all member nations and associate members of FAO and WHO.

By June 2009, 99% of the world’s population were represented in the Commission through 180 member countries and one member organisation (European Community).
The rules of procedure of the CAC describe and formalise working procedures appropriate to an intergovernmental body. The Codex step procedures for preparing standards are well defined, open, and transparent. It starts from consideration of a proposal to the executive committee in step 1 through to several stages of government comments before finally being adopted by the commission at step 8. Most standards take a number of years to develop.

Once adopted by the commission, a Codex standard is added to the Codex Alimentarius.
The Codex standard elaboration process is undertaken by Codex committees. Each committee is hosted by a member country, which is chiefly responsible for the cost of the committee’s maintenance and administration and for providing its chairperson.

The commodity committees take care of elaboration of standards for the commodities listed previously. The general subject committees develop general principles or concepts or horizontal standards and guides for all foods. The Codex committee on nutrition and foods for special dietary uses is a general subject committee. Together with the Codex committee on food labelling, another general subject committee, Codex standards on nutrition labeling and nutrition and health claims have been developed.

Codex and the international food trade
It would, of course, be ideal if all countries harmonised their food laws and adopted internationally agreed standards. In this way, there would be fewer barriers to trade and freer movement of food products among countries. However, Codex standards and guidelines only serve as guides to governments, i.e. they are not mandatory for governments to adopt fully into national regulations.

Recognising that measures adopted by national governments to protect the health of their consumers, animals, and plants could become disguised barriers to trade, as well as discriminatory, the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Agreements became part of the agreements of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Both agreements acknowledge the importance of harmonising standards internationally so as to minimise or eliminate the risk of sanitary, phytosanitary, and other technical standards becoming barriers to trade.

Subsequently, Codex standards and guidelines were adopted as scientifically justified norms for the purpose of these agreements. They have become accepted as the benchmark against which national measures and regulations are evaluated and became used as the benchmark in international trade disputes.

As a result of these developments, attendance and participation at Codex meetings, especially by developing countries, has markedly increased. The process of harmonisation has also been gaining impetus by virtue of the strong international desire to facilitate trade and the desire of consumers around the world to have access to safe and nutritious foods.

An increasing number of countries are aligning their national food standards, or parts of them (especially those relating to safety), with those of the Codex Alimentarius. This is particularly so in the case of additives, contaminants, and residues.

At the 32nd session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, three commodity standards forwarded by the Asia coordinating committee were adopted – for ginseng products, gochujang (a savoury, fermented Korean condiment), and fermented soybean paste.
The 32nd session of the CAC

At the 32nd Session of the CAC in Rome last month, two items discussed in relation to amendments to the procedural manual are noteworthy. One was the proposed amendments to the guidelines to chairpersons of Codex committees, especially to contribute to ensuring transparency in consensus building. The second issue was in relation to the proposed amendment to the Terms of Reference of the Committee on General Principles.
The CAC adopted many standards at step 8 of the procedure. Three commodity standards forwarded by the Asia Coordinating Committee were adopted, namely draft regional standard for gochujang (a savoury, fermented Korean condiment to flavor stews and marinate meat), ginseng products, and fermented soybean paste.

Three nutrition related standards were adopted. These were: conditions for nutrient content claim for dietary fibre (and the definition of dietary fibre); nutritional risk analysis principles and guidelines for application to the work of the committee on nutrition and foods for the special dietary uses; and recommendations on the scientific basis of health claims.
Several other commodity standards were also adopted, as well as maximum residue limits for pesticides and veterinary drugs, several codes of practice and guidelines, and food additive provisions of the General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA).

Several other standards were adopted at step 5 of the procedure and will continue to be discussed within the respective committees. Two standards pertinent to Malaysia’s lead in fats and oils are the proposed criteria to assess the acceptability of substances for inclusion in a list of acceptable previous cargoes for the storage and transport of edible fats and oils in bulk, and draft amendment to the standard for named vegetable oil: inclusion of palm kernel olein and palm kernel stearin. An important document adopted in relation to international trade is the proposed draft revised code of ethics for international trade in foods.

An issue that has been discussed for over a decade and finally resolved in this session of the CAC is the use of the lactoperoxydase system for milk and milk products in international trade. The system is only allowed to be used for trade based on mutual agreement between countries.
One agenda item deliberated at length is in relation to participation of developing countries in Codex work. Several recommendations were made regarding the Codex trust fund, which is intended to increase participation of developing countries in Codex meetings. It was also emphasised that it is also important to improve the capacity of developing countries so as to ensure effective participation.

Malaysia participates actively in Codex activities
Malaysia has participated in Codex activities since the 1960s. Since 1996, the Food Safety and Quality Division of the Ministry of Health has been the Codex secretariat for Malaysia. Over the years, Malaysia has contributed actively to various Codex activities. We have successfully hosted several Codex meetings and working groups.

Malaysia was also the Vice-Chairperson of the CAC for the third term (2005-2008). In 2005, Malaysia successfully bid to host the Codex Committee on Fats and Oils.

In February this year, we successfully organised the first session of this committee, proving to the CAC that Malaysia is capable of providing not just the resources and facillities, but also a capable technical team, including chairperson for this international meeting.
We have realised over the years that it is important for Malaysia to participate effectively in these meetings to ensure that the interest of the nation is taken care of. Before each Codex committee meeting, a series of discussions are held in the country among relevant government departments, professional bodies, the food industry and consumer organisations to develop national positions.

As in previous years, Malaysia has presented its view points on various agenda items in this session of CAC.

Our positions in the various issues I have highlighted above have helped shape decisions made in the meeting. Malaysia will continue to participate in the Codex standard setting process to ensure such standards and policy decisions gain greater general acceptance globally.
NutriScene is a fortnightly column by Dr Tee E Siong, who pens his thoughts as a nutritionist with over 30 years of experience in the research and public health arena.

The information provided is for educational and communication purposes only and it should not be construed as personal medical advice. Information published in this article is not intended to replace, supplant or augment a consultation with a health professional regarding the reader’s own medical care. The Star does not give any warranty on accuracy, completeness, functionality, usefulness or other assurances as to the content appearing in this column. The Star disclaims all responsibility for any losses, damage to property or personal injury suffered directly or indirectly from reliance on such information

source- http://www.thestar.com.my/

Oil Prices on Uptrend in India

2009-08-04T03:17:00.000-07:00

Despite bearish prospects in the medium to long term, edible oils such as soya and palm have rallied over the past few days on cues from overseas exchanges such as Chicago Board of Trade and Bursa Malaysia. In Mumbai, the ex-factory price of palm olein, excluding local taxes, is up by Rs 3 per kg at Rs 38 per kg, while refined soyabean oil is up by Rs 1.50-2 per kg to Rs 44-45 per kg. Market participants on these bourses covered their short (sell) positions as the commodities were perceived to be oversold.

This led to the prices rising in the local spot markets. Support was also extended by demand from China and an increase in crude oil prices to $71 from $68 per barrel levels last week.

Edible oils are diverted for making bio diesel when the price of crude goes up. However, according to SMC global securities analyst Ajeet Kumar, sentiment remains bearish in the edible oils counter over the medium to long-term following good soyabean acreage in America and India and the onset of arrivals in September. Locally, festive demand and indications of government imposing import duty are also providing support. According to recent government estimates, acreage for soybean increased to 90.7 lakh hectares till July in comparison to 87.8 in corresponding period last year.

A Mumbai-based edible oil traderfrom a prominent company said a price rise under the circumstances was a temporary phenomenon and would correct as imports of mainly palm and soya oil picked up and stocks lying at ports began to arrive in the market. He said that government might also step in to restrict the upside by selling oil through ration shops.

On agri bourse NCDEX, soyabean August contract gained over 10% since July 29 to close at Rs 2362 a quintal on Monday, while the soya oil August contract has risen by 7% to Rs 475 per 10 kg. Globally, after tanking to a three-and-a-half month low in mid-July to below $10 per bushel, soyabean August contract on CBOT witnessed an upside of 11% over the past week to $11.34 level. August soya oil prices are also on rise and closed 13 cents up settling at 35.06 cents a pound on July 31. Even crude palm oil (CPO) on Bursa Malaysia Exchange increased by close to 6% in a week, to close at 2,295 Malaysian Ringgit per tonne on Monday.

Source -http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Markets/Commodities/Edible-oil-prices-soar-on-cues-from-Malaysia-Chicago/articleshow/4854052.cms

Fats we live with

2009-08-01T02:16:00.000-07:00

An interesting blog from pocketburgers.com

We need a little fat in our diets for good health, and some fats are better for you than others. Fatty acids, the building blocks for fat, are divided into three chemical classes according to their hydrogen content: saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated.

Here’s a rundown.
Saturated Fatty AcidsSaturated fats are the main culprit in raising low- density lipoproteins (LDL, or “bad” cholesterol). They are found primarily in meats and dairy products. Many of these foods also contain cholesterol. Cutting down on saturated fat means going easy on beef, veal, lamb, pork, beef and poultry fat, butter, cream, whole milk, and cheeses as well as other dairy products made from whole milk. Saturated fatty acids are also found in plant-based products, including palm and coconut oils and cocoa butter. The American Heart Association recommends that you limit your saturated fat intake to less than 10 percent of total calories each day. The less the better. This is a “bad” fat.

Polyunsaturated Fats

These are typically found in the liquid oils that come from vegetables. Common sources include sesame, sunflower, and safflower oils; sunflower seeds; and corn and soybeans and their oils. Only the polyunsaturated fats are considered “essential,” meaning they cannot be manufactured by the body. Like minerals and vitamins, they must be ingested as food. If we don’t eat enough, then we won’t get enough. And that would be unfortunate, for these compounds—principally linoleic acid and linolenic acid— are vital to the maintenance of cell membranes and to the manufacture of potent chemical messengers that regulate everything from blood pressure to the firing of nerves.

When essential fatty acids are in short supply, the body compensates by substituting other types of fatty acids that have a less supple biochemical structure. As polyunsaturates are replaced by these other compounds, cell membranes become more rigid, leading to progressive hardening of the arterial walls. Polyunsaturated fats should make up 10 percent or less of your total daily calories. They are “good” fats.

I should also emphasize another type of essential polyunsaturated fat: omega- 3 fatty acids. These are found in fatty fish, like salmon, tuna, and trout, as well as in canola oil and flaxseed. Known as eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA, and docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, they help maintain and protect your heart, blood vessels, and brain function. Two fish meals a week will supply you with the right amount of these fats.

Monounsaturated Fatty Acids

Monounsaturated fats come from avocados and olive, canola, and peanut oils, as well as from nuts. For more than thirty- five years, studies have shown that diets containing monounsaturated fats, such as the traditional Mediterranean diet, are good for the heart. These fats can help lower cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels.

The Mediterranean diet is moderately high in fat (about 30 percent of fat calories mostly from olive oil) and emphasizes fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and a high intake of fish and little red meat. If your HDL (high- density lipoprotein, or “good”) cholesterol is low (35 or less), add a daily serving or two of canola or olive oil, nuts, avocado, or fatty fish (like salmon). In exchange, subtract a serving or two of sweets or refined bread, pasta, crackers, or cereal.

These “good” fats should make up about 15 percent of your total calories. Both polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are better than saturated fats because they may aid in lowering cholesterol. But remember they are fats and should still be used sparingly. They are not a license to add oil; their calories do count.

Trans FatsOne type of bad fat to eliminate entirely is trans fat, also known as partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Trans fats are formed during a process called hydrogenation, which transforms liquid oil into shelf- stable solid fat. Trans fats clog arteries, and are found in many packaged cookies, crackers, snacks, and other processed foods.

Excerpted from:Diet Myths That Keep Us Fat by Nancy Snyderman, M.D.© 2009, Crown.
Get more weight-loss truths.

Source -http://www.pocketburgers.com/2009/07/all-fats-are-not-created-equal.html

Flickr

2009-07-29T09:02:00.001-07:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Palm Oil gets a Boost after Monsoon fails in India

2009-07-28T04:56:00.000-07:00

India, the world’s largest vegetable oil buyer after China, may produce fewer oilseeds as dry weather in the biggest growing areas reduced monsoon sowing of peanuts, soybeans and sesame seeds.

Production may be less than the 15.07 million metric tons estimated by the industry’s largest trade group for the monsoon crop last year, Govindlal G. Patel, director of Dipak Enterprises, said in an interview yesterday. Patel, 70, has been trading oilseeds for more than four decades.

India’s cooking oil imports may be 8.4 million tons in the year starting November, 5 percent more than estimated for this year, Patel said. Higher purchases by the South Asian nation may help arrest a slide in the price of palm oil, which has declined 24 percent since reaching a nine-month high in May. The tropical oil accounts for 90 percent of India’s edible oil bought abroad.

Oilseeds were planted on 10.7 million hectares (26.4 million acres) as of July 16, down from 11.03 million hectares at the same time last year, the agriculture ministry said last week. Farmers may pare area by as much as 800,000 hectares from 18.44 million hectares sown for the monsoon crop last year, because of inadequate rains, Patel said.

Showers have been below average so far in Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, the nation’s biggest growers of peanuts, and in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, India’s three biggest growers of soybeans, according to the India Meteorological Department.

“Everything depends on rains in August and September,” said Davish Jain, president of the Central Organization for Oil Industry and Trade, India’s biggest group of processors.

Monsoon Crop

The monsoon crop, which provides more than 60 percent of the oilseeds, is sown in June and harvested in mid-September.

October-delivery palm oil gained 1.9 percent to 2,122 ringgit ($599) a ton on the Malaysia Derivatives Exchange at 11:48 a.m. in Kuala Lumpur. The contract yesterday dropped 2.8 percent, the largest decline in four days.

India’s imports of crude palm oil jumped 66 percent to 3.49 million tons in the eight months ended June, while purchases of soybean oil climbed 86 percent to 660,504 tons, the Mumbai-based Solvent Extractors’ Association of India said July 14.

The country relies on imports to meet half its cooking oil demand. It buys palm oil from Indonesia and Malaysia, and soybean oil from Argentina and Brazil.

The June-September monsoon rains, which account for four- fifths of the nation’s annual rainfall, were 27 less than normal from June 1 to July 15, with showers being deficient in 22 of 36 weather divisions, the weather office said last week.

Peanuts were sown on 2.57 million hectares as of July 16, down from 2.76 million hectares, the farm ministry said July 17. Soybeans have been planted to 7.14 million hectares, compared with 7.24 million hectares a year earlier, the ministry said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Pratik Parija in New Delhi at pparija@bloomberg.net;

Choosing Cooking Oil

2009-07-22T03:41:00.000-07:00

Over the past few months, we have addressed the various food groups in MyPyramid. Today we will look at oils in the diet. Oils are fats that are liquid at room temperature. Fat is an essential nutrient. But many people consume much more fat than is needed and specifically too much saturated fat.

Fats and oils are actually a mixture of saturated fatty acids and unsaturated fatty acids Most oils are high in monounsaturated and/or polyunsaturated fats and low in saturated fat. Solid fats contain more saturated fats and/or trans fats than oil. It is the saturated fats, trans fats and cholesterol in the diet that tend to raise the LDL (bad) cholesterol in the blood. This can increase the risk of heart disease.

Oils come from many different plants and some fish. Commonly used oils are canola, corn, cottonseed, olive safflower, soybean and sunflower. Some oils, such as walnut oil and sesame oil, are primarily used as flavorings in cooking.
Oils of plant origin do not contain cholesterol. However, there are a few oils of plant origin including coconut oil and palm oil that are high in saturated fat and should be considered solid fats for nutritional purposes.

Most of the fats consumed should be monounsaturated or polyunsaturated. Oils are the main source of these fats. Since these oils contain essential fatty acids, there is an allowance for them in MyPyramid. These essential fatty acids are important for a healthy nervous system and for healthy skin. They are the main source of vitamin E in the typical American diet. And the omega-3 fatty acids in fatty fish also have health benefits.

Some foods such as nuts, olives, some fish and avocados are naturally high in oil. There are many prepared foods such as mayonnaise, many salad dressings and soft tub or liquid margarines with no trans fatty acids that are sources of oil. The Nutrition Facts label will provide information pertaining to fat content.

Solid fats are solid at room temperature. These fats can be of animal origin, such as butter, beef fat (tallow or suet), chicken fat or pork fat (lard). Solid fats can be made from vegetable oils through a process of hydrogenation. Examples of hydrogenated fats are stick margarine and shortening. Solid fats are not counted as oils. Instead they are counted as discretionary calories, not as healthy oils.

Make the most of the fat in the diet by choosing fats from the vegetable oils, fish and nuts. Limit solid fats such as butter, stick margarine, shortening and lard as well as foods that contain these fats. Learn to check the Nutrition Facts label to see what kinds of fats are contained in products. Keep saturated fat and trans fat intake low.

The recommended amount of fat intake daily depends on age, gender, height, weight, level of physical activity and individual health needs. MyPyramid offers recommendation for fat intake based on calorie levels.

For example, a 2,000- calorie diet would include 6 teaspoons of oil daily. And there are lots of good ways to get oils in the diet. A little oil can be used to saute ingredients such as garlic and onion to be used in a recipe. Oil can be used to stir-fry many dishes. Sometimes just a small amount of oil can be used to season vegetables. One of my favorites is fresh asparagus, lightly basted with sesame oil and broiled until tender. Oils are also a great base for salad dressings. We have a wonderful olive oil-based salad dressing that is simple to fix and quite delicious served on any salad greens.

By Beck Varner

Source- http://newsok.com/choosing-correct-oils-to-use-important-for-healthy-diet/article/3386915

Banglaesh Exempts Palm Oil and Bitumen from Advance Import Tax

2009-07-21T03:28:00.000-07:00

Dhaka, Jul 12, 2009 (Asia Pulse Data Source via COMTEX) -- The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has exempted 215 items from paying advance income tax (AIT) during import and recently issued an SRO to this effect.The items mainly belonged to Information and Communication Technology (ICT), pisciculture, fertilizer, sugar, edible oil, fuel oil, leather, MS Rod, aviation and capital machinery, which enjoy concessionary rate of import duty.?The government made the changes responding to the pleas of the trade bodies,? an NBR official told UNB.He said the government thought that the complications in paying the AIT at the import stage might create obstacles in flourishing the sectors to which the items belonged.

The NBR official said that patronizing the sectors would facilitate the country to have more employment generation - the main focus of the present government as pledged in their election manifesto.The major items that will enjoy the AIT exemption include live pure breeding bovine animals, live ducks, live trout, live eels fry, live carp fry, live fry of shrimps and prawns, live fry of crabs, lentils, onions, garlic, peas, chickpeas, dried chilies, ginger, turmeric, wheat, maize seeds, rice, soya beans, crude soya bean oil, refined soya bean oil, crude palm oil, refined sunflower oil, iron ore, petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals and crude Oil.

Source- http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2009/07/13/4268889.htm

2009-07-21T02:22:00.000-07:00

This Article tries to tell that Palm Oil derivatives are safer even for Babies.

Enfamil, a baby Milk product contains palm Olein Oil.

Nonfat milkStraight cow milk is great for lil' Bessie, but not for little Bradley. Human newborns can't use that particular fat efficiently: Up to 50 percent goes right through them. What's more, bovine proteins can wreak havoc in the infant gut, leading to allergies. Heat-treating these proteins is the first step in turning cow milk into faux human milk.
LactoseHuman milk contains more natural sugar than cow milk. To sweeten the deal, formula makers add extra lactose, which breaks down into the simpler carbohydrates glucose and galactose.

Palm olein oilPalmitic acid makes up 20 to 24 percent of the fat in human milk, so Enfamil supplements its formula with palm olein oil. The slightly different arrangement of triglycerides causes constipation in many formula-fed babies. Palm olein also tends to produce the infamous yellow poop.

Mortierella alpina oilExtracted from Mortierella fungus, this oil supplies arachidonic acid. Bodybuilders use AA to bulk up their muscles. Infants use it to bulk up their neurons, because AA is the principal omega-6 fatty acid in the brain. It's also a precursor of eicosanoids, hormones that play a role in numerous functions, including blood clotting.

NucleotidesWhen cells are damaged, they can release these compounds, cueing the immune system to start cleaning house. Adding them to infant formula jump-starts a baby's antibody response to immunization. Plus, they may help put the kid to sleep.

Ferrous sulfateFeSO4 is among the best-absorbed iron compounds, but it has to be balanced precisely: Too much leads to the infamous green poop.

L-carnitineIn adults, this nutrient shows potential to treat heart conditions and boost sperm count. In babies, it helps metabolize fats.

Crypthecodinium cohnii oilThis oil is rich in docosahexaenoic acid, which until recently US infant formulas lacked. The long-chain fatty acid is essential to eyesight development and seems to increase information processing in infants.

InositolIt's an enzyme activator, a cell growth factor, and a component of cell membranes. Breast milk is loaded with the stuff, so it makes sense to put inositol in formula. But studies of premies show that the formula version doesn't last as long in the bloodstream.

Source- http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/magazine/17-08/st_whatsinside

Phillipines Goes the Palm Oil Way

2009-07-20T03:51:00.000-07:00

World's Largest exporter of Coconut Oils Succumbs

Philippines, the world largest producer and exporter of Coconut oil has changed their progrmame or replating a larger area for Cocounut trees and have agreed to buy Indonesian Palm Oil.

The cocount oil, traditionally used for cooking , although has high cholestrol, it is a very good and natural ointment for Human skins. Further it can be used for cosmetic purposes..

However,, pls read on..

THE CIIF Oil Mills Group has so far invested around P800 million for a farm-development program that seeks to assist coconut farmers.

CIIF president and chief executive officer Jesus Arranza said that as of July 13, the government-owned and -controlled corporation funded the planting and replanting of seedlings in 223,000 hectares.

CIIF has also funded intercropping initiatives for farmers tilling 2,460 hectares of coconut farmlands.
“This program is the initiative of the President and is being undertaken through the Department of Agriculture. The goal is to extend help to coconut farmers and give them other sources of livelihood,” Arranza told reporters in an interview.

The coconut-farm development program launched in September 2007 called for developing 1.3 million hectares of coconut farmlands through planting, replanting and salt fertilization.
Meanwhile, Arranza announced that Indonesian firm PT Smart Tbk. has started distributing in the Philippines the palm olein-based cooking oil marketed under the brand Mitra. Minola is one of the oil companies under CIIF.

PT Smart Tbk. signed a memorandum of agreement with Minola Refining Corp. for the distribution of the Mitra cooking oil last year.

Cindyanto Tjong, county representative of PT Smart Tbk., said the Mitra cooking oil is “100-percent palm oil and is cholesterol-free.” Tjong noted that PT SmartTbk. has a 26-percent share in the vegetable oil market in Indonesia.

Source- www.businessmirror.com.ph

Alfa Range of Products

2009-07-20T03:09:00.000-07:00

Vegetable Oil Plant

2009-07-20T02:41:00.000-07:00

Vegetable oil extraction sub-sector of the economy is one of the fastest growing in the country today. The reasons are simple - man can’t eat his meal without oil in it. The seeds from which oil is extracted are abundantly available. These seeds include palm kernels, groundnuts, sunflower, castor, Soya beans, cotton, walnut, eucalyptus, corn, sheanut, coconut etc. The same machinery and equipment (with slight modification for specific seeds) are used for the extraction processes of each seed.

In this write-up, therefore, though reference is made to sesame seeds, it equally applies to all of the above seeds.The extraction and marketing of vegetable oil and its by-products have not been consciously developed on a large commercial scale and yet these hold the key to the supply of one of the best oils in the world for both domestic and industrial uses. Currently, the seeds are mostly exported without any value being added to them. This is a colossal loss. Sesame seed is very versatile and is grown in many states of the country.

A good substitute for olive oil, it is excellent cooking oil heavily patronised for salad dressings, sauces, marinades, stir frying, regular cooking and other healthy culinary creations.It contains vitamins A, B1, B2 and E, protein, high level of methionine and low level of lycine, anti-oxidants, niacin, high level of unsaturated acids (over 85 per cent). Sesame oil is very good for soap and cosmetics production because of its ability to maintain the integrity of the skin due to its richness in essential fatty acids. Nutritionally sesame is very rich in minerals, copper, magnesium, iron, calcium, zinc and manganese hence its recommendation as a good health food.The residual cake or waste, which is very rich in protein, is ideal for livestock feeds, snacks and soup ingredient formulations.

The market for the products of the project - oil and cake - is mainly domestic because local supply scarcely meets demand. They are consumed by households, food, pharmaceutical and soap industries and livestock feeds makers. The market is large.Raw and packaging materialsFor the processed oil packaging, tin or plastic containers of appropriate sizes (depending on the target market) will be used. For the de-oiled residual cake, jute and /or polypropylene sacks can be used to package it hygienically for sale.

Technical considerationsTo extract oil from seeds, one needs the following plant, machinery and accessories: cleaning device, vibrating screen with blower, expeller with kettles, filter press, baby boiler, oil storage tanks, weighing scale and other miscellaneous equipment.All these can be locally fabricated. The capacity of the plant to be installed will very much depend on the desire of the prospective investor. The project can be implemented on cottage, small scale or medium scale. Whichever way he decides, the investor will find the plant he needs and the relevant costs and other details will be furnished him to help him take off.

For a cottage entrepreneur, he needs only the following equipment: toaster, oil expeller and filter press, storage tanks and other miscellaneous equipment. These will cost between N200, 000 and N400, 000 depending on their source. In one year, these will give him about 150 MT of oil and 300 MT of residual, de-oiled cake. A small scale plant on the other hand will cost between N1,000,000 and N1,600,000 while a medium plant will cost between N40 million and N46 million.Presently one MT each of sesame seed oil and cake retails for N165, 000 and N127, 000 respectively. For a cottage operator, this means that he will earn a gross income respectively N24,750,000 from oil and N38,100,000 from cake residue before deducting the production, administrative and marketing expenses.

An entrepreneur can extract oil and sell to big oil refineries or refine it himself if he has the facility. Those currently into oil extraction (whether sesame, palm kernel, groundnut and other nut oils) can add the refining section as a part of a strategic expansion scheme. They can also contract the refining process to big companies under mutually agreed and beneficial terms.Oil extraction processesThese include manual or mechanical removal of dust and unwanted foreign materials, drying, cleaning, de-hulling and separation. Prior to processing in the expeller, the seeds may be subjected to cooking and then to conditioning i.e. bringing them to proper moisture content. Oil extraction follows and this involves using the expeller to press and press again until maximum oil is extracted. Filtration using the filter press is done.

At this juncture the entrepreneur can sell his oil, but if he has the refining facility he can proceed thereafter to remove free fatty acids, phosphates, pigments, volatile components and other undesirable materials. Other refining steps could include alkali refining, hydrogenation, fractional crystallisation, etc. Depending on the method used, the average oil recovery rate is between 30 per cent and 35 per cent (press) and 99 per cent (solvent extraction). The end product is packaged in chosen media and sold to users while the de-oiled residual cake which comes as a by-product is packaged and sold to animal feeds manufacturers.Labour requirement and cost Staff have to be recruited to cover the various functional areas in purchasing and supply, production, administration and sales and marketing.

Their precise number, skills, costs and other remunerations will be established at the time of packaging the feasibility report a promoter needs to implement the project. Skilled and experienced staff must be recruited and trained for this project.Viability Review shows that operating it at 50 percent capacity on a small scale due to the growing peculiarities of our infrastructural facilities it can yield 60,000 litres of oil and 75,000 MT of cake in one year from which it will make net sales of N19,425,000 and net profit after tax of N7,770,000. Return on sales is 40 per cent and about 129.7 per cent on investment while the payback period is one year.

The cost/benefit ratio is more than 1, the net present worth positive and the marginal efficiency of capital high. Also the major raw and packaging materials and processing equipment are always available locally.Altogether the viability/performance indicators are encouraging, any interested investor is advised to research very well the project before dabbling into it. An experienced industrial development Consultant’s guidance is needed for advice, feasibility report preparation, finance and equipment sourcing, staff recruitment and training. A copy of the detailed industrial profile on this project will be yours for the asking.

Source - www.businessdailyonline.com

Russia Replacing Palm Oil with Sunflower Oil

2009-07-17T04:47:00.000-07:00

Russia: Aston intends to force out Cargill as a provider of oil for PepsiCo
One of the largest producers of sunflower oil in Russia, “Aston”, intends by the year 2012 completely replace the palm oil, supplied by the American food giant Cargill to the Russian plants PepsiCo that produce salt snacks by sunflower oil, produced in the region, informed Vadim Vikulov, president of the company.

The representative of Rostov‘s plant PepsiCo, which is planned to be launched in September, confirmed the information about the plans of company’s plants replacement from palm to sunflower oil. He informed that Rostov plant needs about 15 thsd. tons of oil in year. But he found difficulty in saying the needs of another plant of the company placed in Cashir.
To that day we have invested $13.5 mln. in that program including a technology of producing high olein sunflower oil comparable by its characteristic with olive oil and have already began its production, - said V. Vikulov.

According to his words “Aston” with the framework of concluded contract with PepsiCo has already directed first cars with oil to the plant in Cashir. By the end of the year “Aston” should supply Cashir plant with about 3 thsd. tones of their production.
“By the end of 2011 at two pants of PepsiCo we can completely replace palm oil provided by Corgill Company to our oil” – mentioned V. Vikulov.

He also stressed that project requires additional investment for widening fleet of special cars. We will have to increase the fleet of cars, which allows transporting oil under pressure of nitrogen – form 2 to 10, five times more, but the price of one car is 9.5 mln. rub, - marked V. Vikulov.
We haven’t received any comments from Cargill Company yet.

Source- www.agrimarket.info

A Discussion on Coconut Oil

2009-07-17T04:39:00.000-07:00

Coconut Oil: Good or bad?

The controversy about the health effects of coconut oil has been going on for decades. The question still remains: Is coconut oil ingestion beneficial or harmful to our body?

The Philippines is the world’s largest exporter of coconut oil, accounting for 7% of its total export income. Those who are promoting the sale of coconut and coconut oil hail the products as a healthy food ingredient across the board. However, those in the scientific community carefully make a clear distinction between regular hydrogenated coconut oil and virgin (non-hydrogenated) coconut oil.

Coconut oil and “gata” extracted from coconut, are high in fats (92% saturated fats), commonly used for baking, cooking and in cosmetics. In cosmetics, coconut oil is undisputed for being excellent, especially for the hair. No question or debate there. But for cooking, baking, regular coconut oil is unhealthy because of the saturated fats and trans fats it predominantly contains. On the other hand, virgin coconut oil, which has not undergone hydrogenation (or any processing that uses chemicals), is free of trans fats.

Saturated fats (pork, beef and other red meats, eggs, coconuts) have been proven to cause hardening of the artery, and the resultant cholesterol deposits on the walls of the artery block the blood supply to organs (like the heart, brain, major blood vessels, leading to heart attack, stroke, etc). Saturated fats have also been linked to obesity and cancer.

What are the false claims?In view of this, the common coconut oil has gained the bad reputation of being unhealthy for regular or frequent consumption. The marketing and commercials on coconut oil, however, have misrepresented the facts. They apparently advertise coconut/coconut oil as healthy food items that lower cholesterol, increase metabolism, aid in weight control, and have some anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal action.

And what is the truth?Some scientific studies suggest that the virgin (non-hydrogenated) coconut oil (with its polyphenol) possibly (?) has these good effects, and that the common regular hydrogenated, chemically-processed, coconut oil and coconut meat, which are the most commonly used form for cooking and baking, are definitely unhealthy, except for cosmetic use and, perhaps, hopefully, as bio-diesel engine fuel in the future. Actually, coconut oil has more saturated fat than butter, beef tallow, and even lard. So coconut oil raises LDL (bad) cholesterol as much – or more – and is worse than the unhealthy animal fats.

What’s the difference between the fats?Saturated fats are solid, but poly- and mono- unsaturated fats are liquid, at room temperature. Saturated fats come from animal fats, coconut oil, butter, lard, margarine, palm oil and palm kernel oil. These are linked to heart attacks, strokes, obesity, and cancer. The two types of unsaturated fats (mono and poly) are the healthier fats. Polyunsaturated fats come from safflower oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, and soybean oil. Monounsaturated fats could be derived from olive oil, canola oil, and peanut oil. Both the poly and mono unsaturated fats have been shown to lower blood cholesterol level. Although these are the better fats, they are still fats, and we should be cautious in their use, especially coconut oil, which is highly saturated fat.

The basic rule is to stay away from the saturated fats and trans fats, and moderation in the consumption of unsaturated fats. Eating fish, a lot of vegetables, especially the green leafy ones, and nuts and grains --- a low-fat, low-cholesterol, low-carbohydrate and high-fiber diet --- is the key to better health and longevity.

Source - http://www.thenewstoday.info/2009/07/17/coconut.oil.good.or.bad.html

Palm Oil Dominates Indian imports

2009-07-16T02:32:00.001-07:00

India’s vegetable oils import has increased by 31%. The import data compiled by the Solvent Extractors Association (SEA) for the import of vegetable oils for first eight months of the oil year 2008-09, beginning with November 2008 shows an unusual increase in import volume. The data which published today by the SEA shows that overall import of vegetable oil during November 2008 to June 2009 jumped by 79% to 5,823,864 tons from 3,567,123 tons for the same period of last year. Import during June 2009 is reported at 780,679 tons compared to 593,730 tons for June 2008 up by 31%.

According to SEA, international vegetable oil prices are once again sliding down to November 2008 level (when market had crashed) heading for bearish scenario. Favorable weather condition in the U.S. Midwest as well as weak trend of vegetable oil prices on the world market and plummeting crude mineral oil prices are contributing to price setback in international and domestic market. Current International prices of palm/soy oils are nearly half compared to July 2008.

The large scale unabated import in last few months and no action taken in Union Budget to impose import duty coupled with low prices will encourage larger import in coming months. The erratic monsoon and likely lower oilseeds crop will further push the import in September or October months and overall import likely to be about 8000000 tons (7500,000 edible oil plus 500,000 non edible oil) for the current oil year ending October 2009 compared to 6300,000 tons import during last year.

Import of Refined Oil during November 2008 to June 2009 is reported at 818,595 tons (15%) compared to 205,199 (7%) and Crude Oil is reported at 4714,482 tons (85%) compared to 2891357 tons (93%) for the same period of last year.

Palm products are dominating with import share nearly 4/5th of the total import. Import of Palm Oil in first eight months (Nov’08-June’09) is reported at 4,387,722 tons compared to 2,732,411 tons. Soft Oil is reported at 1,145,355 tons consist of 438,000 of sunflower oil and 660,500 tons of crude soybean oil compared to 364,145 tons during the same period of last year.

Source- Foodbizdaily.com

TCB Channels Palm Oil Import to Local Suppliers

2009-07-15T04:29:00.000-07:00

Two local firms will supply 25,000 tonnes of edible oil to the state-owned Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) ahead of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan to hold down prices, a TCB official said on Wednesday.

Ampang Food Industries would supply 12,500 tonnes of American refined edible soybean oil at $835 per tonne, he said.

Another firm, Prime Edible Oil Limited, will supply the same volume of Malaysian or Indonesian palm oil at 57,000 taka per tonne.Demand for edible oil rises sharply during Ramadan, which will begin in late August, officials and traders said.

The supplies will be available by mid-August, the TCB official said. "It will help rein in prices in the domestic market during the holy month of Ramadan and prevent any artificial crisis," he said.

However, TCB has cancelled a tender to import 12,500 tonnes of refined edible soybean oil or palm olein because of high prices quoted by bidders, the official said without giving details.
"At the moment, we have no plan to float any fresh tender to import edible oil as the 25,000 tonnes stock of soy and palm oil would be sufficient to meet the demand for the month of Ramadan," he said.

Bangladesh's edible oil requirements of 1.5 million tonnes are met mostly by imports. Palm oil makes up about 80 percent of total demand while refined soyoil makes up the bulk of the rest. ($1=69.06 taka) (Reporting by Ruma Paul; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

Source-Reuters.

Pakistan less Hungry for Palm Oil.. Ramadhan Approaching

2009-07-10T02:09:00.000-07:00

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan’s June palm oil imports slid below 100,000 tonnes on a lack of demand and an uncertain international market, but buying has picked up in July, an industry official said on Thursday.Demand had been been in a lull for the past three months, particularly in the northwest, where troops were battling Taliban militants, Rasheed Janmohammad, vice-chairman of the Pakistan Edible Oil Refiners’ Association, said.In addition, low intake in rural areas during the wheat harvesting season and a lack of confidence in the global market accounted for the slower buying, he said.

“There has been less buying of palm oil crude, RBD palm oil and palm olein...it was less than 100,000 tonnes (in June).” Pakistan’s palm oil imports fell 15.49 percent to 126,951 tonnes in May from the same month in 2008, and were 25 percent lower than April, official data showed.

Pakistan, the world’s fourth-largest importer of vegetable oil, buys a mix of refined and crude palm oil from Malaysia and Indonesia, the world’s biggest producers.It consumes about 3 million tonnes of edible oil a year, but produces only 500,000-800,000 tonnes of cottonseed, rapeseed and sunflower, relying on imports to meet about 80 percent of demand.Price fluctuations in the international market had also been keeping Pakistani buyers away, Janmohammad said.

“The international market remained so uncertain that there was no confidence in Pakistanis to take positions,” he said. Malaysian crude palm oil futures tumbled 4.2 pc to a 14-week low on Wednesday on fears global economic recovery could stall in the second half of the year.Pakistani traders are, however, seeing demand picking up in July, with up to 100,000 tonnes of edible oil already contracted and buying still going on. Janmohammad said he anticipated buying in August to be higher than in July, although traditionally demand eases before the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which is due to begin in the third week of August.Demand tends to rise during Ramadan when people traditionally consume more fried food when they break their fast after sunset.

Palm Oil - Perspective from India

2009-07-09T02:13:00.000-07:00

RBD Palmolein

Palm oil is extracted from the mature fresh fruit bunches (FFBs) of oil palm plantations. One hectare of oil palm yields approximately 20 FFBs, which when crushed yields 6 tons of oil (including the kernel oil, which is used both for edible and industrial purposes). Crude Palm Oil (CPO), Crude Palmolein, RBD (refined, bleached, deodorized) Palm Oil, RBD Palmolein and Crude Plam Kernel Oil (CPKO) are the various edible forms of palm oil traded in the market. While Oil is the stable derivative (saturated fat, solid at room temperature) of fresh fruit crushed, Olein is relatively unstable (unsaturated fat, liquid at room temperature, but low cholesterol).

With a share of over 54% (18 million tons), palm oil dominates the global vegetable oil export trade. India, China, Pakistan, the Middle-East countries and the European Union are the major importers of the commodity.

Production of the commodity stands at 23-24 million tons (over 20% of the global vegetable oil), with Malaysia and Indonesia producing the lion's share- 11-12 and 8-9 million tons respectively. While the production has been growing at the rate of 7%, its consumption has been growing slightly faster at 7.15%. Acreage under the plantation has been growing at the fastest rate of 6.47%, substantially higher than its arch rival/competitor soybean (3.36%). Malaysian and Indonesian Government's have been working in the direction of increasing the yield levels of the plantations.

The Kuala Lumpur-based Malaysian Derivatives Exchange (MDEX) could be considered as the 'price maker' of oilseed and edible oils traded Worldover. This Futures Exchange trades only in CPO. It is one of the most vibrant futures Exchange, which factors in all the fundamental and technical factors influencing oilseed complex globally. The Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT where soy oil is traded) and the MDEX are closely interlinked in terms of price movement. It value of the unit of CPO traded at MDEX is expressed in terms of Malaysian Ringgit per ton. For instance, the futures price (September '03 contract) on 16th July 2003 was 1419 Ringgit/ton.

The Indian Scene
India, which is one of the largest importer and consumer of edible oils in the World, imports nearly 3 million tons of palm oil annually (mainly from Malaysia, followed by Indonesia). This implies that the country is dependent on palm oil imports for over 25% of its annual edible requirement. There has been a sharp rise in the imports of palm oil into the country during the post 1998 period.

The composition of the Indian palm oil import basket has also undergone a observable change during the past 5 years. Crude oil has almost replaced refined oil imports owing to the differential duty between the two. The table below depicts the duty structure for various forms of palm oil imported into India.

Tariff Value/Base import price refers to the price on which the Government of India levies (calculates) the import duty payable by a palm oil importer at a given point of time. This was introduce by the Government last year with the objective of curtailing large-scale under invoicing that was being done by a few unscrupulous importers. The value keeps changing in line with the fluctuation in CPO prices in Malaysia.

Palm oil imported into India is used in various forms- consumed directly as 'palm oil' after refining, used in the manufacture of Vanaspati, for blending with other vegetable oil, crude oil and kernel oil for industrial purposes, etc. It is imported mainly through the ports of Kandla, Kolkata, Mangalore, Mundra, Mumbai and Chennai.

Imported crude oil/olein is traded at the cities of the importing ports in the form of RBD palmolein and RBD palm oil (60-70% of palm oil is imported by organised players in the industry i.e. By large refiners/corporates who own brands). Since 100% of the palm oil traded in the country is 'imported' from Malaysia and Indonesia, the prices in the main trading centres of Mumbai, Chennai, Kandla, Kakinada, etc. depend mainly on the futures prices of CPO at MDEX.
'Volatility' is at 'its highest' in case of palm oil. Being the sole oil dominating the international edible oil trade, it almost 'makes' the price of vegetable oils traded across the globe; more so for India owing to its high dependence.

As mentioned earlier, palm oil factors in all the fundamental and technical factors influencing oilseed complex World over, making the prices highly volatile in line with the frequent fluctuation in the supply/demand complex. Hence, it becomes quintessential for any farmer or processor or trader dealing with oilseed/oil/oil meal, brokers, speculators and all others involved in the supply and value chain of oilseed complex to hedge against their price risk by participating in futures trading.

The Price Trend and Volatility of CPO and RBD Plamolein at the spot markets of Kandla at Kakinada enunciates the vitality of futures trading for hedging price risk in CPO and RBD Plamolein in specific, and other oils/oilseeds in general. The volatility also stands as a testimony to the 'trading opportunity' that the commodities (CPO and RBD palmolein) extend.

Source- 5PAISE.COM

Import Duty on Palm Oil

2009-07-06T23:59:00.000-07:00

With inflation ruling in the negative zone, the industry expects the Centre to slap import duty on the edible oils in the Budget and says the government may garner revenue worth Rs5,000 crore a year with this move.

The government had withdrawn import duty in April 2008 when there was high inflation. But now that inflation has turned negative, the situation is perfect for the duty to be reimposed.

Moreover, the government can earn a whopping Rs5,000 crore from such move,” Mumbai-based Solvent Extractors’ Association (SEA) executive director B V Mehta told the agency.

The SEA has suggested imposing at least 20% duty on crude palm oil, 30% on RBD palmolein, 25% on crude soyabean oil and 20% on sunflower oil.

Source - livemint.com

RBD Palm Olein Drags it feet

2009-07-04T03:18:00.001-07:00

Select edible oil remains up on fresh buying in mixed trade
New Delhi (PTI): An upward trend continued unabated in select edible oil on the wholesale oil and oilseeds market in the national capital past week as buying by retailers picked up.

However, soyabean and palmolein (RBD)oil came under pressure largely because of subdued trend in global markets and reduced off take by vanaspati units.

Palm oil futures declined this week as buyers held off purchases on speculation supply will rise this quarter, damping prices. The most active September delivery contract had lost 6.2 per cent to close at 2,175 ringgit (USD 617) a metric tonne during the week on the Malaysia Derivatives Exchange.

Meanwhile, government decided to keep base prices of edible oil unchanged for the first fortnight of July.

In the national capital, groundnut mill delivery oil ended Rs 100 higher at Rs 5,800 per quintal because of rise in demand, while groundnut solvent refined gained Rs 20 at Rs 950-990 per tin or 15 litres.

Demand for mustard expeller oil also increased by Rs 20 to Rs 4,820 per quintal because of rise in local demand, while sesame mill delivery oil prices went up by Rs 100 to Rs 5,800 per quintal.

Source - The Hindu

India Plan Massive Import

2009-06-30T02:45:00.000-07:00

India is planning to again build up its public stocks of imported cooking oil as prices are expected to creep up in the coming festival months. The
oil would be sold in one-litre packs through ration shops to families below the poverty line. ( Watch )

There is concern with in the government that a weak monsoon could affect sowing of soyabeans and groundnut, two major kharif oilseeds, in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat. This could lower availability of indigenous oil, which usually acts as a cap on imports and reduces India's dependence on cooking oil from Malaysia, Indonesia and Brazil.

Though the move would be consumer friendly at a time when food inflation is refusing to budge from 10%, it may depress margins for large private sector players in vegetable oils that are banking on rising local prices for making money in a business that traditionally yields just 2% net profit.

According to a fresh proposal before Cabinet, the government plans to ask state-owned trading companies - STC, MMTC and PEC, to import up to 1 million tonnes over the next one year, said a food ministry official on condition of anonymity.

These companies would have to import crude palm oil, the world's cheapest oil, and get it refined and packed locally for sale to state governments, which in turn will deliver it to ration shops. For this the Central government is willing to pay a subsidy of Rs 15/kg to make good any losses that these companies incur while selling the oil to states.

This is the second time the Central government has shown willingness to supply cooking oil through ration shops. An earlier scheme for importing 1 mn t oil, that began in April 2008, had to be dropped midway due to a decline in international cooking oil prices, which made it affordable for consumers in the open market.

"Only 3.6 lakh t oil was imported under the earlier scheme despite a sanction for 10 lakh t, because states were unwilling to place orders with PSUs. But if prices again zoom in the coming months, consumers may return to ration shops for cooking oil,'' the official said.

Though the government may be concerned about food inflation, neither private companies nor government-owned trading companies are likely to appreciate the move. If government starts supplying oil at below market prices to ration shops, diversion of demand and leakage of subsidized oil into the open market would tend to depress the entire price table and also discourage private importers from placing contracts, said a trader at a Mumbai-based cooking oil company.

Currently, crude palm oil is available at Indore for around Rs 35/kg while refined palmolein is available for Rs 40.50/kg plus VAT. At these prices, cooking oil is still fairly affordable for most families.

Source- http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Markets/Commodities/Govt-plans-to-import-up-to-1-mn-tonnes-crude-palm-oil/articleshow/4716740.cms

Tax On Veg Oil

2009-06-25T03:56:00.000-07:00

India, the world's biggest vegetable oil buyer after China, should tax imports of cooking fat to check a surge in overseas purchases, a leading trade body said on Wednesday.
India's vegetable oil imports more than doubled in May to 751,097 tonnes as traders tried to encash the friendly tax regime. See [ID:nDEL435336]

"We have strongly recommended to the government to revisit the import duty structure," Ashok Sethia, president of the Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA), said in a statement.

India does not tax crude edible oil imports, while it levies a 7.5 percent tax on refined oils.

The SEA said the government should slap an import tax of at least 20 percent on crude palm oil, 30 percent on RBD palmolein, 25 percent on crude soyoil.

India buys palm oil from Indonesia and Malaysia and soyoil from Argentina and Brazil. (Reporting by Ratnajyoti Dutta; editing by James Jukwey

Source - http://in.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idINDEL47723920090624

Duty on Edible Oil

2009-06-17T21:37:00.000-07:00

New Delhi: The edible oil industry expects the government will levy “some” duty on imported oils in the forthcoming Budget to send positive signals to farmers amid the Kharif sowing season.
“We expect that the government will impose some duty on crude edible oils as it is free of electoral compulsion,” Solvent Extractors Association executive director B.V. Mehta said.
He said imposition of duty in the Budget would send a positive message to the farmers who have just started sowing the oilseeds.
The acreage of soyabean and groundnut, two major oilseeds grown in Kharif season, is lower than last the corresponding period last year, according to the initial government report.
Besides, the government could not forego a revenue of about Rs7,000 crore, which was coming when customs duty was there on crude edible oils, he added.
Mehta also said domestic prices of edible oils are currently lower than a year-ago period.
The Centre in April last year had abolished customs duty on crude palm oil and crude soyabean oil from a level of 40-45%. However, a 20% duty on crude soya oil was imposed later on for about four months.
The duty on refined vegetable oils was also brought down to 7.5% from over 50%.
The vanaspati industry, on the other hand, opposes any duty on imported edible oils as crude palm oil is the major ingredient for making hydrogenated vegetable oil.
At present, refined soyabean oil is available at about Rs50-54 a litre while RBD palmolein costs less than Rs50 a litre, thanks to the zero import duty. Vanaspati is selling at Rs46-48 a kg.
The edible oil prices were as high as Rs80 a litre in March 2008.
Industry observers said that the imports may drop significantly if the government imposes any duty on edible oils in the Budget.
If the Centres continues with the present duty structure, the domestic prices may fall as importers have huge stocks accumulated in last seven months in the hope of selling at a higher rate once duty is imposed, they added.
The import of vegetable oils by India, the second largest buyer in the world after China, has surged to 50.43 lakh tonnes during November-May 2008-09 oil year against 29.73 lakh tonnes in the year-ago period.
The total import of vegetable oils was a record 63 lakh tonnes during 2007-08 season (November to October).

http://www.livemint.com/2009/06/16154119/Industry-expects-govt-to-impos.html?h=B
Source -

Alfa Brand Cooking Oil

2009-06-16T23:51:00.001-07:00

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

Alfa Brand Cooking Oil

View more Microsoft Word documents from Ellango Narayanan.

Vegetable Oil Going Up

2009-06-16T02:07:00.000-07:00

The deluge of vegetable oil imports continued in May, with shipments into the country more than doubling compared with the same period a year ago. Imports were also at a three-month high, according to data from the Solvent Extractors’ Association of India.

Imports totalled 7.51 lakh tonnes (lt) in May against 3.61 lt during the same period a year ago and 6.99 lt in April this year. Of the total imports, edible oils made up 6.96 lt and non-edible for industrial use comprised the rest.

For the oil year to October, total imports are up 70 per cent compared with the same period a year ago. Shipments of vegetable oils into the country during November-May are estimated at 50.43 lt against 29.73 lt. Of this, edible oil imports were 47.9 lt (25.46 lt).

Since November, after which imports have been constantly above 6 lt, prices of the palm group of oils have increased over $230 a tonne. But they are still attractive, as crude vegetable oils do not attract Customs duty.

“Imports are likely to continue for the rest of the season mainly in view of non-crushing period and shipments of palm group of oils themselves are likely to be over 5 lt. With 1.5 lt of soft oils, total imports until October are likely to be 6.5-7 lt every month,” the Solvent Extractors’ Association said in a statement.

Reasons for import

When asked about the reason for the flooding of vegetable oil imports, Mr B.V. Mehta, Executive Director of the association, said one of the reasons was that edible oils were cheaper compared with the same period a year ago.

“Consumption of edible oils has also gone up,” he said, adding that there could be 10-12 lakh tonnes of vegetable oils’s stock in the country.

“Some 5-6 lt could be in the ports and a similar amount should be in the pipeline,” he said.

The Solvent Exctractors Association, in its statement, said imports this season could be around 75 lt of edible oil and another 5 lt of non-edible oils.

“This is mainly due to lower than expected domestic production of oilseeds,” it said.

Palm group dominates

Between April and May when imports increased, global prices increased by $48 for RBD palmolein, $70 for crude palm oil, $57 for crude soyabean oil and $45 for sunflower oil.

Palm group of oils continue to dominate the import basket, making up 86 per cent, with soft oils such as soyabean, sunflower and rapeseed making up the rest. For the oil season, palm group of oils make up 83 per cent and soft oils the rest.

May saw imports of sunflower oil slowing to 30,100 tonnes against 66,730 tonnes in April, while soyabean oil shipments were up at 48,102 tonnes against 26,206 tonnes a month ago.

Last year, during the same period, imports of these oils were negligible.

But imports of RBD palmolein increased to 1.42 lt from 1.03 lt in April and a meagre 19,000 tonnes in May last year.

Crude palm oil imports were up at 4.45 lt against 4.31 lt this April and 2.65 lt in May last year.

Source- The Hindu

India Import Palm Oil

2009-06-10T02:36:00.000-07:00

Indian state-run trading firm MMTC Ltd bought 12,000 tonnes of RBD palmolein at $778.48 per tonne in an import tender for June delivery, trade and government sources said Tuesday.

The firm has placed an order on behalf of the southern state of Andhra Pradesh and would receive cargoes at the eastern port of Kakinada, they said.

Five global trading firms had bid in the tender that closed on Tuesday.

On May 25, MMTC had bought 6,000 tonnes of RBD palmolein at $799 per tonne for June delivery.

source
http://in.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idINBMA00310020090609

Edible Oil Prices

2009-06-09T02:33:00.000-07:00

Edible oil prices fell up to Rs 140 per quintal on the wholesale oils and oilseeds market in the national capital on Monday due to subdued demand against increased stocks and weakening global cues.

Non-edible oils, however, held unchanged on scattered enquiries from consuming industries.

Trading sentiment in edible oils turned bearish as palm oil futures in Malaysia declined for the fifth day on speculation that orders from India, the second-largest buyer, may slow after the country built up record stockpiles of cooking oils.

Marketmen said apart from weak global cues, off-season demand and soaring mercury also put pressure on the edible oil prices.

On the Malaysia Derivatives Exchange August-delivery palm oil dropped 2.4 per cent to 699 dollar a tonne.

In the edible section, crude palm oil (ex-Kandla) suffered the most by losing Rs 140 to Rs 3,580, while palmolein (rbd) lost Rs 120 to Rs 4,330 per quintal respectively.

Soyabean mill delivery and soyabean degum (Delhi) oils also lost Rs 50 each at Rs 4,950 and Rs 4,750 per quintal respectively.

Mustard expeller oil dropped by Rs 70 to Rs 4,700, rice bran (physical) by Rs 100 to Rs 3,700 per quintal, while cottonseed mill delivery oil shed Rs 50 at Rs 4,400 per quintal.

Source- The Hindu ( PTI)

Palm Oil & India's Reliance

2009-05-27T02:05:00.000-07:00

The country’s dependence on global edible oil market is likely to rise 20 per cent this year due to lower domestic output and rising consumption following a drastic price slump.

- India may import record 7.5 million tonnes of veg oil by Oct
- PEC to import 24,000 tonne of crude palm oil
- Vegetable oil imports rise 28% in March
- Soybean arrivals double in a fortnight
- Vegetable oil imports may rise 35%
- Adani Wilmar to double refining capacity over 3-year period

During 2007-08 oil year (November-October), the country met 46 per cent, or 6.2 million tonnes of its estimated consumption of 13.5 million tonnes, through imports. Poor domestic market performance restricted the supply to 54 per cent or 7.3 million tonnes.

The year 2008-09 has been another bad year for oilseed crops, resulting in estimated oil output of 6.6 million tonnes. On the other hand, consumers’ overwhelming response to lower global prices may raise the domestic consumption to a little over 15 million tonnes this oil year. Consequently, imports are likely to increase to 8.5 million tonnes, thereby leading to an import reliance of over 56 per cent.
The Break-up
Import dynamics (November - October) in '000 tonnes
2008-09 2007-08 2006-07
Soya oil 1,000 750 1,335
Palm 6,750 5,270 3,665
Sun oil 500 30 200
Lauric oils 200 200 200
Vanaspati 50 50 215
Total 8,500 6,300 5,615

According to DN Pathak, Director of Central Organisation for Oil Industry & Trade (COOIT), the kharif crop will depend mainly on spread and time of monsoon rains. The output of soybean, the major crop in the kharif oilseed season, would be bumper only when rains were evenly distributed throughout the growing area, Pathak said.

He added farmers were awaiting rains for sowing soy seeds. There was great enthusiasm among farmers for the next season’s soybean crop, he said.

Meanwhile, a recent paper presented by Dorab Mistry, director of Godrej International, estimated that India’s per capita consumption of edible oil will increase by 12 per cent to 12.78 kg this year from 11.40 kg last year.

Meanwhile, Indian importers have already stocked the required quantity of edible oil (both crude and refined) apprehending that the government of Indonesia and the recently-elected government in New Delhi may levy export and import taxes.

If these taxes are imposed, the price of the commodity will increase more than the levy, said an analyst.

The Indonesian government has proposed 3 per cent export duty on crude palm oil, which India imports in enormous quantities. Indonesia had scrapped a 7.5 per cent tax last November after prices tumbled amid the global recession. Apprehensions are that India may levy an import duty of 10-20 per cent soon in order to raise direct tax collections.

In Rotterdam, palm oil has surged 43 per cent this year after falling 46 per cent in 2008 on expectation that the demand may rise on signs of recovery in the global economy. The new levy in Indonesia was based on an average price in Rotterdam of $774.93 a tonne between April 20 and May 19.

India’s imports of vegetable oil (edible and non-edible) increased 59 per cent to 3.6 million tonnes in the five-month period ending March 2009 as compared to 2.3 million tonnes in the corresponding period last year.

During the period, refined soyoil fell marginally to Rs 450 from Rs 463 per 10 kg while refined sunflower oil and groundnut oil slipped to Rs 475 per 10 kg and Rs 558 per 10 kg from Rs 640 per 10 kg and Rs 610 per 10 kg, respectively. In contrast, prices of RBD palmolein jumped to Rs 410 per 10 kg from Rs 328 per 10 kg.

Source - Business Times

2008-12-23T01:06:00.001-08:00

An interesting and education website for bitumen.

http://ping.fm/wiqzx

Coconut Oil

2008-07-20T08:15:00.001-07:00

FFA : 0.04%
Moisture & Volatile Matter : 0.01%
Iodine Value : 8.05
Saponification Value : 261.72%
Peroxide Value : 0.04 meg O2 / Kg
Slipmelting Point : 29.5oC
Unsaponifiable Matter : 0.22%
Refractive Index : 1.4549
Fatty Acid Composition :
Caproic Acid : 0.60%
Caprilic Acid : 8.19%
Caprilc Acid : 6.45%
Lauric Acid : 48.60%
Myristic Acid : 17.73%
Palmitic Acid : 8.52%
Stearic Acid : 2.59%
Oleic Acid : 5.91%
Linoneic Acid : 1.42%
Linolenic Acid : 0%
Arechidic Acid : 0%

COCO de Montana

The Virgin Coconut Oil is organically grown with No Additives and No Preservatives:

100% Pure Virgin Coconut Oil, Cold Processed centrifuged

DIETARY SUPPLEMENT

For thousands of years, coconut oil (CNO) has proven itself as a reliable dietary supplement. Its health benefits were recognized by various cultures living in tropical climates around the world. Today, its recognition as a practical nutritional supplement has never been stronger

The important of fats in one's diet cannot be overlooked. Medical research agrees that persons should obtain a minimum of 30% of our daily caloric intake from fats. This amount allows for critical metabolic functions to take place throughout the body. However, choosing fats that are physiologically beneficial can be a difficult task. There are saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fat sources to choose from. Their hydrogenated derivatives are also of great concern. With so many oils that hold complex biological properties, who really has time to research all of these oils and fats, right? Many dietitians recommend extra virgin olive oil, organic or raw butters, and organic coconut oils. Yet, coconut oil may be the most beneficial choice for maintaining and improving one's overall health and vitality.

Coconut Oil represents one of the highest sources of "good" saturated fats. By labeling coconut oil as a "good" fat, it is important to realize that nearly 62% of its entire fat content is of the medium chain variety. Medium chain triglycerides contain many beneficial constituents, such as lauric and capric acids. In fact, the presence of lauric acid in coconut oil is so abundant, only mother's milk is richer in this nutrient. All other commonly ingested dietary oils are absent in these medium chain fatty acids. Compared to all other oils and fats, organic coconut oil remains superior.

Replacing one's normal dietary intake of typical fats and oils with the coconut variety has been shown to create a more favorable HDL/LDL ratio. And unlike other oils, coconut

oils also exhibit no signs of rancidity. Benefits for using virgin coconut oils include; energy production, weight loss, thyroid-stimulation, anti-aging, anti-cancer, antimicrobial, antiviral, and antibacterial agent. Coconut oil has, undoubtedly, been reaccepted as a beneficial functional food and is now considered a legitimate ingredient in a healthy diet.

The product is produced and made in the Philippine, and authorized by the Philippines Bureau of Food and Health Authority. Bulk orders are available on request and distributors are welcomed.
Please note that for deliveries cost please email us and we will advise cost for shipments.

NO CHEMICALS ARE USED IN THE GROWING OR MANUFACTURING OF OUR PURE VIRIGIN COCONUT OIL

Nutritional Facts

· Easy digestibility and absorbability

· Contains Vitamin E

· Composed mainly of short and medium chain fatty acids which have desirable qualities and functions

· Does not contain cholesterol

· Reduced fat accumulation in body

· Easily oxidized and therefore a preferred energy source

· Requires no transport system to absorb, digest and metabolize

· Very low content of Omega 6 fatty acid

· Helps maintain healthy ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 fatty acids when consumed as a part of diet

· Rich content of lauric acid, the source of disease fighting fatty acid derivative monolaurin

· inhibitory effect against certain chemical carcinogens

· Superior antigenotoxic activity

Compatitive study of Cooking Oils

2008-07-20T08:10:00.000-07:00

Compative Study - Oil Properties
Properties	Corn Oil	Rice Bran Oil	Cotton Seed Oil	Soya Oil	Canola Oil	Palm Oil	Sun Flower
Appearence @ Room Temperature	Clear and Brilliant	Clear and Brilliant	Clear and Brilliant	Clear and Brilliant	Clear and Brilliant		Clear And Brilliant
Lovibond Color Red max/ 5.25 inch Cell	3	3.5 max	3.5 max	1.5	1.5R / 15Y	3R + 3Y	3 Y / 0.4 R
Free Fatty Acid % Max.	0.08	0.05	0.05	0.04	0.05	0.1 max.	0.05
Flavor / Odor (Bland / None) min.	Pleasing	7	5.0 min	Bland	Bland	Nuetral
Peroxide Value Meq/kg max	1	1	1.0 meq / kg max.	1	1	-	0.5 (Max)
Iodine Value, min.	120	99-108	105 to 115	125-140	120	56 min.	130 - 135
Cold Tst/ AOM Stability hrs. min.	20	25	20	5.5	18
Moisture & Impurities	0.1 max	0.05 max	0.1 max	0.1 max	0.1 max	0.1 max	0.1 max
Slip Melting Point (AOCS Cc3-25)			27 deg C			24 deg C

Others	Palmitic 11.3%	Smoke Point 450 deg F	Solids @ 50 deg F-10%		Saturates 8%	Cloud Point 13 deg C	Smoke Point 480 deg F
	Stearic 1.9%	Flash Point 620 deg F	Solids @ 70 deg F - 5%		Monosaturates 59%		Flash Point 660 deg F
	Oleic 24.9%	Fire point 670 deg F	Solids @ 80 deg F- 2%		Poly Unsaturates 33%		Fire point 680 deg F
	Linoleic 59.8%

Palm Oil

2008-07-20T07:23:00.000-07:00

The oil palm is a tropical palm tree. There are two well known species of palm oil, the better known one is the one originating from

Guinea, Africa and was first illustrated by Nicholaas Jacquin in 1763, hence its name, Elaeis Guinnesis Jacq.. The oil palm originated in West Africa but has since been planted succesfully in tropical regions within 20 degrees of the equator.

Palm oil is a form of edible vegetable oil obtained from the flesh of the fruit of the oil palm tree. The fruit is reddish, about the size of a large plum and grows in large bunches. A bunch of fruits can weight between 10 to 40 kilograms each. Each fruit contains a single seed (the palm kernel). Oil is extracted from both the pulp of the fruit (becoming palm oil) and the kernel (palm kernel oil). Palm oil itself is reddish and contains a high amount of carotenoids. Palm Oil itself is reddish because it contains a high amount of betacarotene. It is used as cooking oil, to make margarine and is a component of many processed foods. Boiling it for a few minutes destroys the carotenoids and the oil becomes white. Palm Oil is one of the few vegetable oils relatively high in saturated fats (such as coconut oil) and thus semi-solid at room temperature.

Palm Oil has surpassed soybean oil in the worldwide production and usage and it is the most widely produced vegetable oil in the world. Since its introduction, is now a leading agricultural crop. Increased planting, cultivation and refinement have led to the introduction of a wide range of processed products.

Malaysia and Indonesia are producing about 80% of the world's supply of palm oil. Singapore Companies like Benzene International ( http://www.benzeneinternational.com/) are cultivating, harvesting, crushing and refining palm oil and are exporting to the world.

Palm oil is sometimes confused with , but in fact it is quite different compositionally. comes from the mesocarp (flesh of the fruit) and the lauric from the kernel at the fruit's core. The two oils are separated in the oil palm bunches by the thick shell of palm kernel. Palm oil is physically refined without the use of chemical solvents, thereby reducing the risk of residue contamination.

OMEGA 9

Omega-9 is a family of fatty acids classified by their chemical structure. Specifically, fatty acids in this group have a "gap" nine carbons from the end of the fatty acid chain. This family includes two major fatty acids called stearic acid and oleic acid. Stearic acid is one of the most abundant fatty acids found in animal fats. Although this fatty acid is a saturated fat, it is a "short chain" fatty acid .

Therefore, stearic acid is more likely to be used as energy than to be stored as fat. Also, it is readily converted to another omega-9 fatty acid, oleic acid, which is monounsaturated. Oleic acid is also the most abundant fatty acid found in nature, and is the primary oil produced by skin glands. Although supplementation is not necessary since oleic acid is a nonessential fat , food sources rich in oleic acid include olive and almond oils, avocados, and peanut, pecan, cashew, and macadamia oils.

OMEGA 6

Omega-6 fatty acids belong to a group of "good" fats called polyunsaturated fatty acids. Unlike such "bad" fats as cholesterol and saturated fatty acids , omega-6s can actually be beneficial to your health.

Omega-6 fatty acids are one of two types of essential fatty acids (EFAs) that people need to consume to stay healthy. Omega-3s are the other. Both are considered "essential" because the body can't produce them on its own; it can only get them through foods.

Omega-3s, which have been found to reduce the risks of heart problems, lower high blood pressure, and help autoimmune diseases and mood disorders.

Omega-6 fatty acids are beneficial as well. The most healthful of the omega-6s are those that contain linoleic acid. These convert in the body to gamma linoleic acid (GLA) and ultimately to prostaglandins, hormonelike molecules that help regulate inflammation and blood pressure as well as heart, gastrointestinal, and kidney functions.

PROVITAMIN A

Pre-formed vitamin A which is often in the form of retinol or retinal, is found in foods of animal origin such as liver and butter. Provitamin A is the name given to around 50 compounds in a group of plant pigments known as carotenes , with beta carotene being the best known of these. This is because these compounds can be turned into vitamin A in the body.

Both pre-formed vitamin A and provitamin A are fat soluble. Vitamin A is essential to the human body, either directly or indirectly, for the function of all the organs in your body and is particularly important for growth and development. Despite the fact that vitamin A was the first vitamin to be discovered, its actions in the cells of our bodies are not well understood at a chemical level.

Benefits

Maintenance of normal vision - Our eyes need vitamin A to function effectively as vitamin A is involved in the production of a chemical called visual purple, which helps us to see in dim light.

Health of epithelial cells - Vitamin A is vital for the formation of healthy epithelial cells. These cells cover the internal and external surfaces of the body and are found in the skin, lungs, developing teeth, inner ear, cornea of the eye, sex organs, glands and their ducts, gums, nose, cervix and other areas.

Pregnancy and fetal development - Because of its vital role in cell development and differentiation, adequate vitamin A helps to ensure that the changes which occur in the cells and tissues during fetal development take place normally.

Protection against infection - Known as 'the anti-infective vitamin', vitamin A plays an essential role in protecting your body from infection. It keeps body surfaces healthy so they can act as barriers to invading micro-organisms.

Other actions - Laboratory experiments have shown vitamin A to have antiviral activity. Vitamin A also has antioxidant activity and has a role in protecting against free radical damage which contributes to many common diseases.

Absorption and metabolism - The presence of fat and bile in the intestines is necessary for vitamin A absorption. Around 80 to 90 per cent of vitamin A in the diet is absorbed, although this is reduced in older people and those who have trouble absorbing fat, such as pancreatitis, celiac disease and cystic fibrosis sufferers, who may run the risk of vitamin A deficiency.

Palm oil is used besides as cooking oil, to make margerine and is a component of some processed foods. The oil is high in Olefins, a potentially valuable chemical group that can be processed into many non-food products as well..

The most important characteristic of a fat used for frying is its ability to withstand the high temperature used, without excessive chemical change. Frying is usually carried out at a temperature of about 180°C. At this temperature, the more unsaturated oils tend to oxidize and either breakdown or polymerize quite rapidly.

Oils containing significant levels of linoelic acid are not recommended for frying, unless they have been hydrogenated to reduce the content of these labile components.

Palm oil, with its moderate linoelic acid content and high level of natural antioxidants, is suitable for direct use in most frying applications, and frying is a major use of palm oil worldwide.

Palm oil used domestically, in restaurants, fast food outlets and in large-scale preparation of fried potato products and other snack foods in large-scale food manufacture.

Resources

http://www.benzeneinternational.com/

http://palmoils.blogspot.com/

http://bitumenexporter.blogspot.com/

http://www.bitumenexchange.com

Bio Diesel from Palm Oil

2008-07-02T07:08:00.000-07:00

Bio diesel ( Palm Oil Based)

Much has been talked about the use of edible oil for the production of bio-diesel is a major concern for the price of cooking oil to shoot up in the last few years. Although, this article does not support Bush Administration plans for alternative energy to take cue from the bio-fuels, at the cost of under- developed and developing nation, the advantages and disadantages are listed herein before , proceeding further.

Palm oil producer Malaysia is now refocusing it's attention to the production of palm oil based biodiesel to cater to the huge demand from European countries. Indonesia on the other hand is raising the export tax to 20 % for the crude palm oil if the price range hovers above usd 1300/mt and below which is still applicable at 15% . More encouragement is coming from the policymakers themselves to build of more biodiesel plants. However, the higher prices of fuel and increasing demand for alternative sources of energy drives the crude palm oil prices higher.

Strong demand is expected for biodiesel from Europe as well as Colombia, India, South Korea and Turkey as more countries seek to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels. Out of the 4.1 million tons produced, Europe consumed 57% of it and Germany took the lion share of 46% of the entire Europe's biodiesel share. Mercedes Benze is testing for the last 6 years with palm oil based bio-diesel and has came out with flying colors.

Advantages

Non-toxic & High cetane number
High flash point & High solvency
Oxygenated fuel – cleaner burning
High lubricity & Low sulfur
Free of Sulphur and other aromatic compounds
Less carbon deposits & reduce green house gas emissions
Renewable & Biodegradable
Waste vegetable oil can be renewed to Biodiesel.
Can be mixed with diesel in any proportion and better engine lubrication
1% biodiesel will increase lubricity by 65%.

US National Biodiesel Board's evaluation of biodiesel emissions findings, as given
- The overall ozone (smog) forming potential is 50% less than conventional diesel fuel.
- Sulfur emissions are eliminated.
- Substantial reductions of unburned hydrocarbons (-93%), carbon monoxide (-50%), and particulate matter (-30%).
- Substantial reductions of cancer-causing PAH (-80%) and nitrited PAH compounds (-90%).

Disadvantages

At the Cost of Edible Oil Supply / Food production
Higher pour point and Increased NOx emissions
Degradation of rubber and non-compatible with certain metals
Less efficient

Palm Oil Duty in India

2008-07-01T08:31:00.000-07:00

India left base import prices or tariff values unchanged for six palm group oils and crude soybean oil, the finance ministry said in a statement on Monday.

The tariff value of crude palm oil was kept at $447 a tonne and crude soybean oil at $580. Base import prices are used to calculate the tax.

In March, the government had scrapped import duties on some edible oils and corn, banned export of non-basmati rice and extended a ban on pulses export till 2009 to increase local supplies to tame inflation.

Earlier this month, the government said it would provide edible oils at subsidised rates through ration shops in 15 states from July to soften the impact of double-digit inflation on consumers.

Courtesy- Reuters

Cooking Oil - Packing Innovation

2008-07-01T08:25:00.001-07:00

>Benzene International Pte Ltd , Singapore has launched a new Packaging styles to fit more bottles in the Containers ( to increase the loadability and net weight) of 1,2,3,5,10,17,20,25 & 200 litres into the market.

Crude Palm Oil Prices

2008-07-01T08:22:00.000-07:00

Palm Oil

2008-06-29T10:27:00.000-07:00

Palm oil is produced from the fruit of the oil palm Elaeis Guinnesis , found in Africa, South East Asia and Latin America. Palm oil is extracted and refined through pressing and crushing and not by the use of chemical solvents.

Crude Palm oil can be further refined into
*palm olein (liquid) &
*palm stearine (solid)

Palm olein is used for frying foodstuff as it is stable in high temperatures. The manufacturing process involves deep-frying followed by rapid cooking and blast freezing. Quick crystallization of the fat used is important and for this reason, a hydrogenated palm oil of melting point 40-42°C is preferred.

The most important characteristic of a fat used for frying is its ability to withstand the high temperature used, with undue chemical change. Frying usually at about 180°C , at which temperature, the more unsaturated oils tend to oxidize and breakdown or polymerize quite rapidly. Palm oil used domestically, in restaurants, fast food outlets and in large-scale preparation of fried potato products and other snack foods in large-scale food manufacture. For the large scale frying of potato chips, palm olein or a blend of palm olein with soya or rapeseed oil is preferred. This is because the surface appearance of the finished product is improved. French fries are often purchased as part fried and deep frozen products.

Palm oil, with its moderate linoelic acid content and high level of natural antioxidants, is suitable for direct use in most frying applications, and frying is a major use of palm oil worldwide. Oils containing significant levels of linoelic acid are not recommended for frying, unless they have been hydrogenated to reduce the content of these labile components. Palm oil resists oxidation and rancidity, which means products made using palm oil have extended shelf lives.

Palm oil is solid at room temperature, has a neutral taste, and can be extracted without the use of solvents has made organic palm oil a very useful ingredient in organic food processing. Similar organic fats which are solid at room temperature are butter and coconut oil, unlike palm oil , both of which are highly saturated fats.

Palm oil contains a balance of polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and saturated fatty acids. In addition, palm oil contains essential substances such as linoleic acid and tocopherols and tocotrienols, which act as natural anti-oxidants.

Unlike other vegetable fats, palm oil is free from cholesterol. As palm oil is solid at room temperature, hydrogenation is not required , a technique which hardens liquid oil but resulting in adding trans fatty acids in the process. Studies proves that palm oil does not ordinarily raise blood cholesterol levels, and is helpful lower harmful LDL-cholesterol. Palm-oil enriched diet helps in putting blood clots away. Unrefined palm olein (red colour) is a source of carotenoids which is a cancer inhibitor and beta-carotene.

Palm stearine is used in biscuits, cakes, and non-hydrogenated margarine. Palm stearine is also used to stop peanut butter from separating.