Palm Oils
Palm Oil is derived from the pulp or fleshy portion of the palm fruit, and is high in palmitic acid (32-47 percent). Due to a near total absence of unsaturated fats, palm oil is very stable at high temperatures.
Edible uses of palm oil include the manufacture of margarine, cooking/frying oil, shortening and non-dairy creamers. The largest non-edible use for palm oil is in the manufacture of soaps and detergents, where it produces a clearer textured soap which is less prone to cracking than that derived from tallow.
Malaysia is the largest producer of palm oil, and its industry has been one of the fastest growing in the world. However, in an effort to increase its market even further, Malaysia began splitting or fractionating the oil. This is a two-step process and yields two different products – palm olein and palm stearin.
Palm Olein specifications fall within a narrow range. It is used both as a frying oil as well as the liquid component in margarine blends.
Palm Stearin can be made to various specifications for different applications. It can be used as an emulsifier, in a surfactant, in margarine or to alter the melt point of other oils.
Both products are best used in blends with other laurics, palm oil or even soybean oil.