AAK Secures Sustainably Produced Palm Oil

PORT NEWARK, N.J.AAK, a manufacturer of specialty oils and fats, has secured North Americas first shipment of sustainably produced palm oil. The palm oil is currently making its way to AAKs refinery in Port Newark, NJ, from Malaysia, where it has been produced according to Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) sustainability criteria. The certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO) will be available to AAK customers from the beginning of June 2010.

The arrival of the USAs first shipment of sustainably produced palm oil is an important milestone for AAK, said Jean-Marc Rotsaert, President of AAK US. It means, for the first time, that our customers have the opportunity to purchase palm oil which has been independently verified as having been sustainably produced. They can then be among the first to claim that their business uses sustainably produced palm oil.

Palm oil is an important and versatile raw material for both food and non-food industries. The fact that it provides a healthier alternative to animal and trans fats has fueled a sharp increase in global demand, resulting in a 43% increase in the area under palm oil cultivation since the 1990s. Consumption of palm oil in North America has quadrupled in the last six years, as manufacturers begin to choose palm oil ingredients for a wide range of products, including margarine, pastry and baked goods.

For customers who are unable to buy CSPO, due to supply chain or processing restrictions, AAK is offering GreenPalm certificates as a way to offset their use of palm oil. AAK worked with the RSPO to develop GreenPalm, a certificate trading program that enables businesses to support sustainable production by buying certificates from producers who have passed their RSPO sustainability audits. In just over 18 months, GreenPalm has enabled sustainable producers to earn over $4M of additional revenue in return for operating sustainably. More information about GreenPalm can be found at: www.greenpalm.org.