QUALITALY

DEC. JAN. 2018

XIV

is not counterbalanced by a sufficient

presence of beneficial polyunsaturated

fats, to enable it to be considered a

balanced food.

It is understandable that using extra

virgin olive oil or other higher quality

products would entail higher costs,

but the health of consumers could

reap the benefit, as well as companies

that are trying to avoid this ingredient.

environmental damage

But the health factor is not the only

‘sin’ of palm oil. Unfortunately there

is also a huge problem related to the

environment.

Palm oil, says ilfattoalimentare.

it , is synonymous with “robbery of

land and the deportation of millions

of African and Asian families (land

grabbing). It is also the primary cause

of deforestation of wooded areas

(the first cause of CO2 emissions in

Southeast Asia) and of the devastation

of natural habitats to make room for

monocultures such as that of oil palm.

The conversion of forests for palm

oil production today appears to be

the main cause of deforestation in

Indonesia, responsible for about a

quarter of the loss of forested areas

between 2009 and 2011 and now also

in Africa.

This is clearly stated in a Greenpeace

report entitled Certifying Destruction

which blames industry certification

standards for not being able to stop

forest destruction.

The cultivation of oil palms is

removing land from priceless

forests, including ancient rainforests

characterised by the presence of

unique ecosystems in the world.

There is even a line of scientific

research that attributes a significant

role in the spread of the Ebola

infection to the phenomenon of

deforestation. Even a report just

published by the World Health

Organization seems to validate the

hypothesis that this devastation of

habitat has contributed to the spread

of the virus.

Researchers at the University of

Minnesota, FAO and other institutions

have suggested that due to serious

alterations in forest ecosystems, a

balance has been broken that keeps

the virus in the deep forest, far from

human settlements. The destruction of

virgin forests and the substitution of

vast monocultures may have facilitated

the passage of the virus from wildlife

to human hosts.

THE OPINION OF NUTRITIONISTS

Eliminating palm oil is the goal.

In many, however, the question

arises whether butter can be a valid

alternative.

Butter is a fat of animal origin (this

could be a point to its disadvantage)

and 100 g of butter contains about

0.250 g of cholesterol (another

unfavourable point) but:

- butter is not only made of fat, it

also contains 18% of water, 1% of

milk protein and 1% of lactose (milk

sugar)

- the advantage of butter is that in

every 100g of product, only 80g of

pure fat is eaten of which 0.25g of

cholesterol.

PALM OIL

It is too rich in saturated fatty acids

(changed into cholesterol for the

arteries); 100 g of palm oil contains

100g of fat, of which 53.2g is saturated

fat and is nothing but raw cholesterol.

From a caloric point of view it is

deductible that butter has fewer

calories because it has 20% of non-

fatty substance.

A valid alternative that does not have

contraindications? Extra virgin olive

oil or soy oil to season and peanut oil

to fry.

PROS AND CONS

The history of palm oil is a good

example of how complex it is to assess

whether a food is healthy or not when

one considers all the factors at stake.

True, palm oil is not the healthiest fat

that exists, but it doesn’t seem to be

the worst. Many products that show

the word “palm oil” on the package

contain coconut oil or cocoa butter,

which are just as harmful as palm oil

to other health aspects that are not

directly linked to the development

of tumours. Finally, even from an

environmental point of view, coconut

and cocoa are considered to be risky

because, to cultivate them, local

populations abandon other, more

useful or more environmentally

friendly food production. The most

reasonable strategy is to change their

food sources, avoiding abuse in the

use of palm oil products.

AT PAGE 50

IN THE PANTRY

Acrylamide: the enemy

to avoid

A very dangerous substance for the

health. From April, a new regulation

requires measures to reduce its

formation in food, which must also

be adhered to by restaurateurs

By Elena Consonni

There are new pbligations on the

horizon: starting from the 11th April,

EU Regulation 2158/2017 will enter

into force which establishes mitigation

measures and limits for the reduction

of the presence of acrylamide in food.

What is acrylamide? “Acrylamide” -

explains food technologist Roberta De

Noia, - “is a genotoxic and carcinogenic

substance and is considered a

chemical hazard in the food chain.

This substance is formed from some

commonly-found elements: the amino

acid asparagine and sugars. For it to

form, the food must be heat-treated (or

cooked) at temperatures above 120°C

and with a low degree of humidity.

The foods most at risk are those that

have a high carbohydrate content, in

particular cereals, potatoes and coffee

beans, when they are baked or fried.”

In fact, there are many foods which

fall within the scope of the regulation:

French fries produced from fresh

produce, potato chips, baked goods

including bread, crackers, biscuits,

biscuits and coffee.

The danger of acrylamide is

scientifically recognised: EFSA, the

European Food Safety Authority, has

dedicated itself to investigating the

subject. “In 2015” - De Noia continues

- “the EFSA adopted a position on

acrylamide in food, confirming the

conclusions of previous evaluations

and highlighting the concern for

the spread of this contaminant in

commonly-used food, particularly

MAGAZINE