Day 16 – a transgression?
It was Tuesday – feeling virtuous, I put the breadmaker on for my palm oil free fresh “homemade” bread, went for a run, and came back to tuck into my bread with peanut butter. Until now I’ve extolled the virtues of SunPat peanut butter, the only main brand in the shops clearly labelled with no palm oil.
Until now.
Hero or villain?
I noticed that the labelling looked different. In the 30+ years I’ve been eating it, it’s only ever been “crunchy”. Now it’s “Extra crunchy”. The ingredients had an extra couple of items this time … including “hydrogenated vegetable oil”. I would never be buying this and eating this in Lent with only that information, especially knowing so many other brands that label it more clearly include palm oil as an ingredient. So it’s quite possible that I have been consuming palm oil.
I’m not too down, and I doubt it’ll be my only transgression, if indeed it is one. Either ingredients will change in products, or I will make my own slip-ups. I want this blog to highlight (a) how palm oil is present in so many different products and (b) how difficult it is to avoid. Looks like I’m doing that more successfully than I intended
A quick google seems to suggest that Sun-Pat Extra-Crunchy and Sun-Pat Crunchy are two separate varieties – so you just need to go back to the normal one you buy … (and check the label again of course).
Me? I wouldn’t know – can’t stand the stuff
shyposter - March 4, 2010 at 10:50 pm |
I hate to depress you Neil, but even with your efforts to be palm oil free, unless you are a vegetarian and don’t drink milk either, you are probably indirectly consuming it, or other Palm products. The oil is commonly used in animal feed, as is the meal obtained by grinding the husks left after the oil has been extracted.
Still, that should not stop us doing what we can.
Angela - March 5, 2010 at 9:35 pm |
Waahahahaha, dude seriously. If the bottle says there’s ‘hydrogenated vegetable oil” then I can assure you that it has no palm in it. Why? Because palm doesn’t need to be hydrogenated which makes it transfat free. Since you don’t want palm in your diet, simply means you choose other vegetable oil which needs to be hydrogenated leading to transfat, leading to heart blockage in your arteries. By chosing against palm, you’re simply being misinformed, fooled and sadly killing yourself. All the best!
CantBelieveYoureSuchAFool - March 11, 2010 at 9:29 am |
I don’t advocate palm oil avoidance for health reasons – I make no claims on that basis. Of course, if all I ate was peanut butter, I would be headed for obesity and blocked arteries, sure!
But as a treat as part of a varied diet and my Marathon training, I want to be safe in the knowledge that I am not contributing to orangutan habitat destruction. That, as you would know if you read or understood this blog, is the point.
Clever choice of name and lack of contact details. I’m impressed!
kusasi - March 11, 2010 at 10:20 am |
A simple peanut butter solution – as many different varieties of nuts as you want to include, a dash of olive oil and some seasoning. Shove the lot in a blender. Hit go. Jar it up. It will have to be stirred every time you use it as the oil with naturally settle on the surface. Trust me, you won’t regret it!!
pongogirl - March 12, 2010 at 12:11 pm |