I’ve sent them an email to ask for clarity and will update with their response.

Having a read of the food labeling standards (https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/food-standards-code/legislation) 1.2.2, 2.4, and schedule 10-2 any edible oil is only required to be identified as follows:

(a) The statement of ingredients must declare:

(i) whether the source is animal or vegetable; and

if the food is a dairy product, including ice cream—the specific source of animal fats or oils.

(b) This generic name must not be used for >diacylglycerol oil.

As such it turns out anything labelled as vegetable oil could contain palm oil, which is relatively likely given it’s ~36% of global oil trade and the number 1 producer. https://ourworldindata.org/palm-oil

So I recommend that unless you have specific knowledge, if anything has a thick texture at room temp and claims not to be hydrogenated you should assume it is palm oil. Especially if it’s quite low in saturated and polyunsaturated fats which is a bit of a coconut oil tell.

RIP to a delicious one.

  • A former sinner
  • NaevaTheRat@vegantheoryclub.orgOPMEnglish
    1·
    3 days ago

    Are you asking if it’s practicable to avoid everything that contains vegetable oil, as that may contain palm oil? Because, no, I wouldn’t consider that practicable.

    No, as per my post

    So I recommend that unless you have specific knowledge, if anything has a thick texture at room temp and claims not to be hydrogenated you should assume it is palm oil. Especially if it’s quite low in saturated and polyunsaturated fats which is a bit of a coconut oil tell.

    I agree with the vegan society that systemic change is needed. I am actually broadly a defender of the theoretical goodness of palm oil but global economic issues coupled with crap regulation make it very much not a great thing to use at the moment. There are no rules, the only person following you around in life and judging what you do is you. If you buy and use nuttlex because you saw it as an ethical option that minimises animal harm then, like me, knowing it has palm oil and they didn’t tell you because they think you’re a sucker might change that impression.

    It’s an oily spread to make sandwiches tastier, there are other options. Shit you can straight up not use it, there is a non palm oil version sold by the same company.