Palm Oil
Decode Label flags Palm Oil as a moderate concern in food and drink (cardiovascular). It appears in 181 of the 893 published products we have analysed (20.3%).
The concern
High in saturated fat — cardiovascular concern with regular high intake
Palm oil is very high in saturated fatty acids (~50%), which raise LDL cholesterol and increase cardiovascular risk with regular high consumption. Refined palm oil can also carry processing contaminants (glycidyl esters and 3-MCPD esters), which EFSA assessed in 2016.
Most relevant to
Cited authority
WHO; Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; EFSA CONTAM opinion (2016)
Linked sources: EU →
How common it is in this catalogue
Measured across every product Decode Label has analysed — not estimated, and not taken from anyone else's dataset.
By category
Hazard classification
The concern is a REFINING contaminant (glycidyl and 3-MCPD esters), not palm oil as a fat. Levels depend on processing.
The concern is a REFINING contaminant (glycidyl and 3-MCPD esters), not palm oil as a fat. Levels depend on processing.
Identity
- Canonical name
- Refined palm oil (process contaminants)
Also appears on labels as
Questions
Is Palm Oil safe?
EU: EFSA CONTAM opinion (2016) — glycidyl esters. Why it is flagged: High in saturated fat — cardiovascular concern with regular high intake. Decode Label treats it as a moderate concern in food and drink. It appears in 181 of the 893 published products we have analysed (20.3%).
How common is Palm Oil in Indian packaged products?
Decode Label found Palm Oil in 181 of 893 published products (20.3%), most often in Food.
Which authorities have classified Palm Oil?
EU — EFSA CONTAM opinion (2016) — glycidyl esters.
Who should be most careful with Palm Oil?
People with heart conditions; Anyone eating this regularly.
Products containing Palm Oil
181 published products, each with its own full analysis.
…and 61 more.
Related ingredients
Other entries in the register with the same kind of concern.
Method and limits
- Prevalence counts published products whose decoded ingredient list matches this substance or one of its label synonyms, using the same matching the score itself uses. It describes our catalogue of 893 products, not the Indian market as a whole.
- Presence is not dose. An ingredient list gives order, not quantity, unless the pack declares a percentage. Nothing here estimates how much of this substance any product contains.
- A classification is not a verdict on a product. An agency classifies a substance under defined conditions of exposure; whether that matters in a given food or cosmetic depends on route, concentration and use.
- No regulatory rows. This substance is not matched in our regulatory warehouse, so the concern above rests on the cited authority alone.
- Last updated. This register entry was last changed on 7 October 2026.
- Corrections. Every figure here is reproducible from the sources named. If something is wrong, tell us and we will correct it and say what changed.