Spar Austria has announced that it will remove palm oil from all its private-label products by the end of 2018.
A few dozen of Spar Austria’s products contain palm oil, according to the retailer. It is one of the key ingredients in hazelnut-nougat creams, and Spar said that it has replaced palm oil with healthier oils and fats in its private-label versions.
The retailer has decided to take action due to increased demand for banning the substance, which is damaging to the environment of a number of protected plants and animals, as well as being unhealthy.
Alternatives
“Spar is constantly looking for alternatives to palm oil,” the company said. “For several years, Spar has, therefore, scrutinised every private-label product and replaced palm oil with other fats, such as sunflower and rapeseed oil or butter. In the production of the ever-popular hazelnut-nougat creams, Spar has now succeeded in completely eliminating palm oil.”
By replacing palm oil with vegetable oils, the original taste of the sweet spread remains intact, according to Spar.
The retailer now offers palm oil-free versions of its nut-nougat creams under its S-Budget, Spar, Spar Natur*pur and Spar Premium lines, which are available in all Spar, Eurospar and Interspar stores.
In the coming weeks, Spar Austria also plans to introduce an organic palm oil-free hazelnut cocoa cream.
Environmental Concerns
The harvest of palm oil damages the rainforest environment, which, in turn, endangers many protected species. It is also reported to be damaging to people’s health.
In May 2016, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) suggested that the oil could be carcinogenic, however, it has recently announced that it will re-examine its own health risks warning with regard to palm and other vegetable oils in light of a recent study expressing less concern.
Nutella-maker Ferrero hit back at the EFSA, saying that its products are safe to eat. Meanwhile, Coop Italia had previously removed over 200 products containing palm oil from its shelves.
© 2018 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Kevin Duggan. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
