30/03/10 

Woolworths has taken the lead on the palm oil labelling issue, announcing that they will label palm oil on all of their private label products.

The major retailer has also committed to using 100% certified sustainable palm oil by 2015 and applying for membership on the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).

Zoos Victoria's General Manager of Community Conservation Rachel Lowry welcomes this commitment from Woolworths:  ‘Labelling palm oil in our food products will help Australian consumers make an informed choice.

‘Woolworths' policy on palm oil shows honesty, transparency and respect for the Australian consumer, and we congratulate them on taking a leadership role on this issue.

‘ We also applaud their commitment to use only certified sustainable palm oil by 2015."

Ms Lowry said shoppers for Easter treats should be checking food labelling, because many chocolate products contain palm oil, which can be labelled as ‘vegetable oil' or ‘vegetable fats' under current labelling laws.

Zoos Victoria is running a national campaign with other Australian zoos calling for the mandatory labelling of palm oil on food products.

So far, more than 100,000 Australians have signed an online petition calling on the Australian Government to introduce compulsory palm oil labelling.

At present, Australians unknowingly consume an average of 10kg of palm oil a year, as it is an ingredient in about 40% of manufactured food products.

Palm oil plantations in South-east Asia are expanding at the rate of 300 soccer fields an hour, removing the rainforest homes of wildlife species including Sumatran Tigers and orang-utans in both Sumatra and Borneo. 

With about 50 of these endangered Great Apes dying every week as a result of rainforest clearances, the species could be extinct within ten years.

As 90% of this palm oil is used in food manufacturing, accurate labelling will give consumers a choice and increase the demand for sustainable supplies.

A Bill proposing palm oil labelling is currently before the Australian Senate. 

The Truth in Labelling (Palm Oil) Bill is open for public comment until 24 April 2010. Submissions can be made at http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/inquiries/index.htm

Visit www.zoo.org.au/palmoil for more information and to sign the Don't Palm us Off petition.