OUR STANCE ON PALM OIL

The production and use of palm oil is - quite rightly - a hot topic, but the issue is not straightforward.

Here you can learn more about the reality behind this ingredient and our considered approach to its use.

We only use RSPO palm oil (Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil).

Here's why...

First and foremost, let us assure you that we only use RSPO palm oil (Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil).
 
The first time we were asked about the palm oil issue, we had to educate ourselves on why we use palm oil and if there was a viable alternative. The following is what we found.
 
Palm oil or hard fat is an essential ingredient in the bread making process. We use small quantities of palm oil in order to improve the quality of our traditional breads. It is an ingredient lubricant, emulsifier, flavour additive, and imparts moisture. With the addition of palm oil at 2.5% on flour weight we achieve improved volume. The fat coats the gluten proteins and starch granules, strengthening the gluten matrix to allow for more gas retention, resulting in an increase in the oven spring. The addition of palm oil also decreases the bread density and crumb porosity.
 
Hard fats have been traditionally used in bread production for many years, but modern labelling laws dictate that component parts of vegetable oils are now declared. Previously, bakers would have used shortening (primarily made up of partially hydrogenated vegetable oil) or animal lard. Both have their own health- or ethical issues.
 
We acknowledge that we have a role to play in making sustainable palm oil the norm. Whilst palm oil is used in the production of many foodstuffs, global palm oil cultivation is leading to deforestation, problems for wildlife and infringements of the rights of local communities. As a result, we only use Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).
 
The RSPO was established in 2004 to promote the production and use of sustainable palm oil for people, planet, and prosperity. To minimize the destruction of the environment from enlarging palm oil plantations due to increasing demand, the Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) have third parties to certify sustainable palm oil and trace the supply chain. So, in order to be RSPO-certified, growers must adhere to eight principles:

1. Commitment to transparency;
2. Compliance with applicable laws and regulations;
3. Commitment to long-term economic and financial viability;
4. Use of appropriate best practices by growers and millers;
5. Environmental responsibility and conservation of natural resources and biodiversity;
6. Responsible consideration of employees, and of individuals and communities affected by growers and mills;
7. Responsible development of new plantings; and
8. Commitment to continuous improvement in key areas of activity.

 
As required by labelling standards, we clearly differentiate between types of oils in the ingredients list of our products, including palm oil. However, we do not believe that eliminating palm oil and palm-based ingredients from products is the best way to solve the problems that are associated with the industry. This is a view shared by organisations such as WWF and the Orangutan Land Trust.
 
The latest evidence suggests that the outcome of eliminating palm oil from products and replacing it with other vegetable oils could simply displace tropical deforestation to new locations, resulting in little or no overall benefit for biodiversity or for the climate. This is because a palm oil crop produces about 4-10 times more oil per hectare than any comparable crop, and so is very efficient. A switch to using less productive oil crops would require more land overall to meet the world’s demand for vegetable oils and could cause at least as much deforestation in other tropical and biodiverse areas.
 
Similarly, switching to other oils would not help address human rights issues in the palm oil industry. Most of the certified sustainable palm oil produced is sold in Europe or North America, but together these only accounted for around 16% of the global palm oil market in 2014. Because of this, removing palm oil from products wouldn’t lead to changes in its production in countries such as Indonesia or Malaysia. Instead, palm oil would be sold in other markets that may place lower or no ethical and sustainability demands on the way that it is produced.
 
Millions of people and smallholder farmers work in the palm oil sector, which plays an important role in economic development and the reduction of poverty. In Indonesia and Malaysia, over 4 million people earn their living from palm oil production. Stopping the production of palm oil altogether would create problems for these people who support their families by working in this industry.
 
I hope this goes someway to reassure you that we here at Krusty Loaf have considered our role within this matter. In addition, we do produce a selection of breads that do not contain any palm oil - these include multiseed, spelt & honey, ciabatta, sourdough, focaccia and South African seed bread, to name but a few. Along with this, all our rolls are free from palm oil.