Spectrum Organics Leads The Charge For Palm Fruit Oil With Integrity; Partnership With Grower/Producer Daabon Promotes Healthier People And A Healthier Planet

Petaluma, CA - Spectrum Organic Products, the producer of Spectrum Naturals Organic Shortening, wants its customers and the community to clearly understand the health benefits of high-quality, organic palm fruit oil and the sustainable agricultural practices employed by its supplier Daabon.

Introduced in 2000, Spectrum Naturals Organic Shortening was the first all-vegetable shortening to contain no hydrogenated oils and zero trans-fats. It is 100 percent certified organic, expeller-pressed palm fruit oil, which is in a naturally solid state at room temperature (72 degrees F). Vegetable oils such as soybean and cottonseed are naturally liquid at room temperature so they must be hydrogenated to create a solid fat at room temperature.

With the spotlight on the detrimental health effects of trans-fats from hydrogenated oils, palm fruit oil has emerged as a healthier alternative. Palm fruit oil contains a balance of healthy fats, with 50% of the fat content as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Richard M. Delany, M.D., F.A.C.C., founder of Personalized Preventative Medicine, a clinical practice focusing on Cardiology, Internal Health and Nutrition, notes, "Clinical studies have shown that palm fruit oil consumption with its unique fatty acid composition actually lowers the "bad" LDL cholesterol and raises the "good" HDL cholesterol when it is used as a replacement for trans fats and saturated fats."(1)(2)

As expected, the more companies and consumers learn about the benefits of palm fruit oil, the greater the demand for the product. Palm fruit oil is now second only to soybean oil in terms of global demand, accounting for 28 per cent of total edible vegetable oil sales.

With this increase in demand have come abuses in supply. Some large companies have not taken a sustainable approach to palm fruit oil cultivation, harvesting or production. They have cleared large tracts of land through burning and clear cutting, endangering native flora and fauna. Habitats harboring fragile native animal and plant species have been destroyed in Malaysia and Indonesia, the major producers of palm fruit oil.

Spectrum Organic Products is committed to being a good company from the ground up. That means working with talented, dedicated people to create the best products possible, and using processes that are gentle to both the planet and the people who inhabit it. One example of this commitment is the company's relationship with palm fruit oil grower and producer Daabon Organic (www.daabon.com). Daabon (da-bone) has provided the high-quality organic palm fruit oil that comprises Spectrum's Organic Shortening since the product was first introduced in 2000.

Founded in 1914, Daabon's farms are located along the northern Caribbean coast of Colombia on the western slopes of the Santa Marta mountain range. All fields are certified in accordance with international third party certifying agencies and have obtained social and environmental certification through such organizations as S.A. 8000, Eco-Cert, ProForest and Bio Suisse.

Spectrum's President and CEO Neil Blomquist explains, "Liquid oils cannot produce the qualities that consumers have come to expect in their pastries, crackers, cookies and other products. Liquid oils simply do not create the 'mouth feel' or the prolonged shelf life that we get from hard fats. Spectrum is able to healthfully and responsibly answer the market demand for an alternative to hydrogenated oils. We encourage other companies to embrace the natural qualities of palm fruit oil as a healthful alternative to hydrogenated oils."

SOURCE: Spectrum Organic Products