A Dangerous Ingredient In Your Food
By Anna
@LadyDuck (458067)
Switzerland
May 13, 2016 1:40am CST
Some European governments, are finally moving to ban the use of a dangerous ingredient, the palm oil.
This oil is extracted from the palm seeds, it is inexpensive, and its large use in the food industry is the main cause for large-scale deforestation. If this were not enough, it's also dangerous for our health.
France's Senate has approved to triple tax all products containing this fat This made unhappy all those who love a very famous chocolate spread, that is now a lot more expensive.
The major supermarkets in Italy, Switzerland and France are removing from the shelves all the products containing palm oil.
Let's see why it's considered dangerous.
It's high in saturated fats, major responsible of obesity, diabetes and some cancers.
It could boost your appetite.
It is very bad for our environment.
Do you read the labels before buying food?
Have a look, you will be surprised to see how many products contain palm oil.
61 people like this
63 responses
@LadyDuck (458067)
• Switzerland
13 May 16
You are right, everything high in saturated fat is not healthy.It seems that in our day the money is more important than the health of people, not to mention that the deforestation is the main cause of the climate change and we have to thank the use of the palm oil.
6 people like this
@Fleura (29129)
• United Kingdom
13 May 16
@LadyDuck Putting money before consumers' health certainly isn't a new thing, you only have to look at all the ways foods were adulterated in previous centuries before food standards were introduced. I have an interesting old book of 'household hints' and it lists all sorts of ways for the housewife to check whether the foods she has bought (such as milk) really are what they are meant to be!
5 people like this
@allknowing (130066)
• India
13 May 16
If anyone is affected by eating wrong food their parameters will show. One should periodically have tests done.
5 people like this
@allknowing (130066)
• India
13 May 16
@LadyDuck We all need to keep a vigil when things go haywire which most do not care about. It is not just palm oil there are countless causes for anyone to be obese and to have diabetes.
4 people like this
@LadyDuck (458067)
• Switzerland
13 May 16
@allknowing People eat too much and they do not care to eat healthy.
4 people like this
@Inlemay (17714)
• South Africa
13 May 16
that is interesting to know - normally in SA the standards regarding foods is quite high - we take heed from the Austrians and Swiss.
I always read my sables as so many things have added additives that I am allergic to. Like certain brands of Worcestershire sauce have anchovy - FISH is deadly to me - And also oyster sauce
5 people like this
@Inlemay (17714)
• South Africa
13 May 16
@hereandthere No - I will die, very allergic
3 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
13 May 16
I do read labels and have not found palm oil.
4 people like this
@pgntwo (22408)
• Derry, Northern Ireland
13 May 16
@LadyDuck @ElizabethWallace And you would not believe how difficult it is to get peanut butter without palm oil added - surely peanuts have enough of their own oil...? OK, a little salt and/or sugar is sometimes added, but palm oil is just used to make the peanuts go farther...
Compare one of the brands I use, Sun Pat Crunchy, witht he Planter's brands in the photo attached:
Ingredients:
Peanuts 95%, Stabiliser: E471, Cane Sugar, Peanut Oil 1%, Sea Salt
4 people like this
@crazyhorseladycx (39515)
• United States
13 May 16
i'm glad to see that some countries're makin' that move. the u.s., 'n the other hand, seems to be blind to many thingies'f this nature :(
i don't consume any prepared foods myself, but stick with real foods. companies'f gotten by with sellin' their garbage too long. lil care's to where their ingredients come from, what destruction's left 'hind. the long-term effects'f such.
4 people like this
@crazyhorseladycx (39515)
• United States
13 May 16
@LadyDuck i know :( too many folks don't pay much mind to the "ingredients" 'n believe what they're told - how good't 's fer 'em 'n how "convenient" 
1 person likes this
@just4him (306121)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
13 May 16
I'll have to start reading labels for it. Most of what I buy, and I've greatly reduced that as well, is boxed food. I don't know if those would have palm oil in them. I'm trying to eliminate the preservative factor from my diet and go back to scratch.
2 people like this
@JESSY3236 (18923)
• United States
13 May 16
I sometimes look the label. For now on I'll look more closely.
3 people like this
@ridingbet (66857)
• Philippines
14 May 16
hmm, but i thought palm oils are low in cholesterol and it is suited for frying. i better take a look again.
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (458067)
• Switzerland
14 May 16
@ridingbet Well butter is also a saturated fat, animal fat is not very good, but palm and coconut oils are also full of saturated fats. The olive oil has only a 9% of saturated fats, while the palm oil has the 35% and the coconut oil the 60% 
2 people like this
@ridingbet (66857)
• Philippines
14 May 16
@LadyDuck yes and the nutritionist of the hospital even told me that palm oils are good, even better than animal oils.
2 people like this
@Shiva49 (26200)
• Singapore
14 May 16
@LadyDuck It has been a while the harmful nature of palm oil has been highlighted. But it was exported to poor countries knowingly.
It is time we take unilateral action so that we invite better karma than with a view some lives are expendable - siva
2 people like this
@annierose (18926)
• Philippines
13 May 16
@LadyDuck Palm oil is expensive in our supermarket here. We have the vegetable oil as the cheapest. I am also not aware that palm oil is bad for our health. Perhaps canola oil is good, right?
2 people like this
@youless (112112)
• Guangzhou, China
13 May 16
In fact I always don't look at so much when I buy the food. It is important for me that it is still in the valid time. As to the palm oil, I don't know much about it. But it seems that it is mainly used in the fast food. I heard that the instant noodles also use it. Perhaps this is why it is unhealthy?
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (458067)
• Switzerland
13 May 16
It is unhealthy because it is a saturated fat and it's the major responsible of obesity, diabetes and some forms of cancer. It is used not only in fast food, but canned soups, sauces, some ice creams, cheap chocolate, chocolate spreads, some ready made cakes and cookies. Read the labels and you will see.
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (458067)
• Switzerland
14 May 16
When something cheap can help the big companies to make more money, there is misinformation. Many even thought that this oil was good for our health. I believe that there is something serious that has been discovered if the big grocery chains in Europe have moved so fast.
1 person likes this
