To be disappointed that COOK use palm oil?

[clairemcnam]

I but meals from COOK when I can't be bothered cooking. The initial selling point of COOK was that they only used ingredients you would find in your own kitchen. I went there today and chose a main meal, and went to choose a pudding. I chose one but there seemed to be a lot of ingredients, so read them, and was surprised to read palm oil.
COOK really need to up their game. I said to the assistant that I didn't know they used palm oil, and he confirmed yes they did.

So AIBU to have expected better of COOK?

On positive side came home and have started to make a rhubarb crumble instead.

I disagree re: no such thing as sustainable farm oil. Palm oil farmed responsibility is less environmentally damaging than other similar crops because it yields a high amount of product for a smaller amount of area.
It’s true that when the RSPO was originally set up it was useless but it adopted new rules about deforestation in 2018 which makes it a much more reliable indicator of sustainability.

There’s nothing wrong with saturated fat - it’s an essential part of the diet. Lots of African people use palm oil. It’s nutritious and it is far better than the highly processed polyunsaturated oils such as rapeseed (“vegetable oil”) and the margarines that are touted as healthy here.
Environment aside if it was purely for health I’d rather eat palm oil than rank seed oils with poor fatty acid profiles

I forgot to mention in my last post, even if COOK didn't use palm oil, it still wouldn't make sense to buy their ready meals for environmental reasons as they are packaged in single use plastic.

They sell meat and soy products, which are both far more environmentally damaging than palm oil.

Always find it strange when people get all wound up about the latest hot button topic while ignoring the other issues.

I know what to look for that does not have palm oil food wise. Plenty of options. Just avoid junk like crisps, biscuits, cakes. Plenty of choccie and biscuits without it - I cannot go without some junk!

There are shampoo bars available.

I also eat less meat as I'm aware that a lot of land is cleared for cattle to be farmed.

I want a planet for future generations.

YANBU and we need to listen to the youth who are taking action.

gamerwidow I have read academic research about this. The so called sustainable palm oil is no better for the environment than other palm oil.

Yes I know ready made meals are not great for the environment and I cook nearly everything from scratch. But sometimes I am just tired, or want a break. And yes I used COOK because it has in the past always said it uses things you would use in your own kitchen, and when I first started shopping there, I found it to be true. I try and avoid very processed food.

Buccanarab Fine you don't care about palm oil, plenty of people do.

That is such a shame. Especially given their target market as other have said.

I’ve got bigger problems than to be giving palm oil a thought

No you haven’t. You literally haven’t. Assuming you have children and you want some kind of future for them you actually don’t have a bigger problem.

As an aside I notice that Gü chocolate spread, which is palm oil free, is available in Aldi at the moment.

You do know that palm oil can be obtained from sustainable resources OP? Palm Oil doesn’t have to be a dirty word. Have you bothered to find out where Cook source their Palm Oil from OP?

clairemcnam
How recently because even Greenpeace are coming round to the idea of sustainable palm oil now the new legislation is in place?

There is no such thing as sustainable palm oil. I have read research on this which I talk about upthread.

What research have you read? Just out of interest

An academic study.

This is what Greenpeace day about palm oil here: www.greenpeace.org.uk/iceland-ditches-palm-oil-mean/

**Is the solution to ban palm oil?
It’s fair to say if you’re reading this, you’re probably not keen on the idea of using products containing ingredients that drive deforestation, cause wildlife to suffer and ultimately threaten the planet by accelerating climate change.

But if all consumer goods companies stopped using palm oil, demand would switch to another vegetable oil – perhaps soy, rapeseed or sunflower. When grown in vast quantities all of these alternative oils have serious environmental problems, including rainforest destruction. The reason palm oil’s popularity rocketed in the first place was due to it being a very land-efficient crop. You get a lot of oil per hectare, it requires relatively few pesticides and it’s highly versatile. It’s used in everything from lipstick to soap, toothpaste to chocolate.**

If you want to help the planet the answer is to consume less of everything as the alternatives simply displace the problem.

I don't think there's any single truth out there, I think we all have to keep on reading - from diverse sources - and learning.

As it happens I don't buy ready meals, not because of any superior high ground, but just because of where I live and my lifestyle. I'm a long way from shops but work from home, so batch cooking suits me. I buy my produce locally from farmers' markets and independent shops because when I factor in travel costs, they're not much more expensive, but are more convenient and as a rule everything lasts longer or is of better quality. That said I will do a big shop at a supermarket and fill my boots with bargains when I can.

I know mass crops have an environmental impact but buy local rapeseed oil on the basis that it's being grown anyway and so it's less food miles while supporting local producers.

Not everyone can make the same choices and not all academic studies are equal.

Which academic study though.
I’m not saying you are wrong, I am in no way an expert, but I would like to read it too because I am interested

They sell meat and soy products, which are both far more environmentally damaging than palm oil. Always find it strange when people get all wound up about the latest hot button topic while ignoring the other issues

I think Buccanarab makes a very valid point. I don't think that comment is dismissive of palm oil at all.

There is no such thing as sustainable palm oil

Bollocks

OP can you share the study that found there is no such thing as sustainable palm oil?

As others have said, most wildlife conservation organisations (WWF, IUCN, s several NGOs working directing with orangutans and to restore forests) support sustainable palm oil and don’t advocate a boycott, which displaces the problem to other less efficient oils and doesn’t encourage the industry to be better. All these organisations have teams of scientists looking at multiple studies to come to their positions.

It tastes shit as well. I’ve started buying palm oil free margarine in sains and it tastes great. Fatty but not greasy iyswim.

gamerwidow I read it on the online academic library I have access to for work. I don't know if you can find the abstract on google scholar? It compared palm oil and so called sustainable palm oil and concluded that although there were differences, overall sustainable palm oil was no better for the environment than palm oil.
Palm oil extracted from trees in someone's backyard as someone said her family did is fine though. But in the west this is not how we consume palm oil.

Can you give me a link showing sustainable palm oil is fine from a reputable academic study or organisation?

There is no sustainable way to destroy rainforests. RSPO is a corrupt self-regulated organisation. Greenpeace have an article about it:

www.greenpeace.org/archive-italy/Global/italy/report/2018/foreste/Final_Countdown_Pages_LR_Greenpeace_19092018.pdf

Orangutan Alliance have a certification programme for palm oil-free products. I would urge you all to support these brands.

Food: orangutanalliance.org/certified-products-2
Cosmetics: orangutanalliance.org/products

The link I posted was from www.worldwildlife.org/about/history OP and you may, or may not judge them to be reputable.

I'm interested to read your academic study evidence though, as others have also requested.

Not sure why the atmosphere within the thread when broadly speaking posters are all on the same side Surely we're all learning all the time?