Value Added Edible Food Products Developed Using Palm Oil and Its Fractions

Oil palm is a perennial crop, which produces high oil yield compared to other vegetable oils. Oil palm fruit yields two types of oil, crude palm oil (CPO) and palm kernel oil (PKO). Palm oil contains an equal amount of unsaturated and saturated fatty acids; this property is unique among all vegetable oils and fats. This balance of saturated and unsaturated fats contributes to palm oil's stability, versatility, and its ability to give products a longer shelf life. Oil palm is valuable not just for its high oil output, but also for the byproducts it produces. Due to its low cost about 80% of palm oil find its way into food products. Palm oil can be used in cooking and in producing many food products like shortening, margarine, Transe-free vanaspati, cheese and yogurt, and bakery products etc.