Palm kernel and palm fruit oil
Palm Kernel Oil (PKO)
Source: endosperm/kernel (seed) of Elaeis guineensis.
Synonyms/fractions: crude PKO → RBD PKO (refined–bleached–deodorized); fractions: PK olein (more fluid), PK stearin (harder).
Definition
A lauric vegetable oil obtained by pressing/extracting the kernel, distinct from palm oil from the mesocarp. After refining it is light-colored, neutral in flavor, highly saturated, with a relatively low melting range and fast crystallization.
Caloric value
≈ 884 kcal per 100 g (pure lipid).
Typical fatty-acid profile (% of total FA)
SFA ~80–82%: lauric C12:0 ~45–52%, myristic 14–18%, palmitic 7–9%, stearic 2–5%
MUFA ~13–16%: oleic 12–16%
PUFA ~2–3%: linoleic 1–2%
Physicochemical properties (RBD, indicative)
Appearance: white–ivory solid/semi-solid at 20–25 °C; melts ~24–30 °C (grade-dependent)
Smoke point: ~220–230 °C
Saponification value: ~240–260 mg KOH/g (high; lauric oil)
Oxidative stability: good (very low PUFA)
Functionality & uses
Foods: glazes, fillings, compound coatings/lauric confectionery fats, biscuits/wafer creams, spreads (snap/firmness).
Frying: thermally robust but used less than palm olein.
Personal care/chemicals: base for soaps (rich foam), lauric fatty acids, fatty alcohols, and surfactants (e.g., SLES feedstock).
Structuring: rapid crystallization; valuable as hard-stock or in interesterification to tune SFC curves.
Quality & safety notes
RBD refining with control of 3-MCPD and glycidyl esters (keep ALARA).
No inherent major allergens; manage cross-contact.
Storage
Cool, dry, dark; 12–24 months if well protected from oxygen/light.
Palm Fruit Oil (PO)
Source: mesocarp (flesh) of the same fruit.
Synonyms/fractions: CPO (crude), RBD palm oil; fractionation → palm olein (liquid; frying) and palm stearin (solid; structuring); red palm oil retains carotenoids.
Definition
A semi-solid palmitic/oleic oil expressed from the fruit pulp. RBD grade is pale and neutral; physical fractionation tailors solid content for frying (olein) or shortening/plastic fats (stearin).
Caloric value
≈ 884 kcal per 100 g.
Typical fatty-acid profile (% of total FA)
SFA ~48–52%: palmitic ~43–47%, stearic 4–6%
MUFA ~38–42%: oleic ~37–40%
PUFA ~8–12%: linoleic ~9–11%, ALA ≤0.5%
Unsaponifiables: tocopherols/tocotrienols, phytosterols; carotenoids in red palm oil.
Physicochemical properties (RBD, indicative)
Appearance: pale yellow semi-solid at 20–25 °C; slip point ~31–34 °C
Smoke point: ~230–235 °C
Saponification value: ~195–205 mg KOH/g
Oxidative stability: good (low PUFA; natural tocols)
Functionality & uses
Frying: palm olein has low foaming and good stability.
Structuring: palm stearin for shortenings, margarines, lamination fats (β′ polymorph preferred with proper tempering).
Confectionery/spreads: fine crystal network and spreadability; replacement for partially hydrogenated fats.
Personal care: emollient; feedstock for esters, fatty alcohols, and surfactants.
Quality & safety notes
Control 3-MCPD/glycidyl esters during deodorization; specs on FFA, peroxide, anisidine.
Red palm oil: high β-carotene and tocotrienols (nutritional positioning).
Storage
Cool, dry, dark; 12–24 months (shorter for red palm oil).
Quick comparison: Palm Kernel Oil vs Palm Fruit Oil
Plant part
PKO: kernel/seed.
PO: mesocarp/pulp.
Fatty acids & structure
PKO: lauric profile (C12 high) → very high SFA, rapid crystallization, sharp snap; excellent for coatings and soapmaking.
PO: palmitic/oleic balance → mix of SFA/MUFA; fractionable into olein (frying) and stearin (hard-stock).
Sensory/processing
PKO: neutral taste; melts ~25–30 °C; high saponification value; great aeration/snap in confectionery fats.
PO: neutral (RBD); semi-solid with β′-friendly crystallization; versatile plasticity for bakery fats.
Typical applications
PKO: compound chocolate/coatings, cream fillings, soaps/surfactants (lauric derivatives).
PO: deep-frying (olein), shortenings/margarines/lamination (stearin), spreads, personal care.
Nutrition
PKO: higher total SFA (lauric/myristic).
PO: SFA high but more MUFA; red PO adds carotenoids/tocotrienols.
Refining contaminants & compliance
Both require minimization of 3-MCPD esters and glycidyl esters and adherence to quality specs.
Sustainability
For both, prioritize suppliers with NDPE policies, RSPO or equivalent certification, traceability to plantation, and smallholder inclusion.
Conclusion
Choose PKO when you need lauric, fast-crystallizing hard-stock properties (coatings, soaps, lauric derivatives). Choose PO for versatility: stable frying (olein) and structuring for bakery/confectionery (stearin). Final selection should reflect target SFC curve, processing, sensory goals, and sustainability requirements.
Palm oil is obtained from the pulp of the plant by a process of breaking the plant and squeezing the marrow.
Nutritional Profile (per 100 grams).
- Calories Approximately 884 kcal, typical for vegetable oils.
- Protein Negligible, as with most oils.
- Fat About 100 grams, with a significant presence of saturated fats, but also contains monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
- Carbohydrates None.
- Fiber None.
- Vitamins and Minerals Rich in vitamin E, particularly tocotrienols, powerful antioxidants. May also contain small amounts of other fat-soluble vitamins and minerals.
There are two oil extraction systems:
- dry: mechanical presses are used to crush the plant
- wet: hot water is used to filter the oil
The resulting product is impure, as there are plant residues, cellular debris and fibrous material. Then the hot water is inserted so as to form a barrier in which the solids fall towards the bottom of the container, releasing the oil that will pass through sieves.
The mixture thus obtained and liberated from extraneous substances is boiled for an hour or two and the palm oil, lighter than the water, rises to the surface and is decanted.
Then the oil goes to another stage where it is still heated and skimmed by impurities that will be used either for saponification or for fuel. The ashes have a high potassium content and are therefore useful for fertilizing.
Due to its low cost, this oil is a widespread nutritional source in developing countries.
It contains a high content of saturated fats and palmitic acid.
In the food industry it is used for two reasons:
- it's cheap
- preserves for longer the foods in which it is added
Studies
However, recent studies have shown that a connection has been established between this oil and certain cardiovascular disorders (1) especially when this oil is heated (2).
Since its inception in food, this oil was first challenged for the deforestation it produces as farmers and companies producing it tend to clear forests and woodlands to extract it, given the high demand. Later, however, as early as 1991, attention was paid to the health issue with studies finding it difficult to interpret the evidence for this oil unambiguously with respect to coronary heart disease and cancer (3).
Studies from 2004 drew attention to the risk that this oil could create, if oxidized and that is, not fresh, with the creation of a negative lipid profile, toxicity to kidney, lung, liver and heart, while red palm oil, by virtue of its beta carotene content could protect against vitamin A deficiency and some forms of cancer (4).
There is a strong component of saturated fatty acids in palm oil, particularly palmitic acid, and these ldel 2014 studies confirm this (5).
Another 2015 study reiterates the high saturated fat content and provides not encouraging findings on the increase in harmful LDL cholesterol (6).
At the level of comparison, between palm oil and sunflower oil, it is confirmed that palm oil as a highly saturated vegetable oil can induce dysfunction of liver lipid metabolism before touching serum lipid levels. Sunflower oil, on the other hand, a highly unsaturated vegetable oil, has been shown to be well metabolized in the liver (7).
All these studies agree in attributing to palm oil a high saturated fat content and, in a long and articulate examination of the biological and nutritional properties of this oil by a group of researchers at the University of Naples, controversial results from a health perspective (8).
A study aimed at detecting the mutations produced in palm oil, used as frying oil for potato chips, found that, at temperatures of 150, 165 and 180° thermo-oxidative alterations, changes in fatty acid composition and color alteration are produced. In summary, the higher the temperature, the more the oxidation of palm oil increases (9).
Another problem related to palm oil is the increasing deforestation carried out to plant huge quantities of palm trees.
There is also a "red" palm oil on the market with slightly better physical characteristics and taste.
