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Palm Oil Free List

A list of some UK products which are palm oil free or only use sustainable palm oil, from Ethical Consumer.

Palm oil is said to be found in 50% of supermarket products, from food to cleaners to cosmetics. It is a type of vegetable oil derived from palm oil fruit. This controversial ingredient may be present in some form in nearly every room of your home. It is widely used for its properties and because it is cheap. Its low price is partly due to its high yield, but also because, as with other mass produced crops, the environmental and social costs go unaccounted for.

Its production destroys rainforests and biodiversity. The plight of orangutans has been a key feature of palm oil campaigns, due to 80% of their habitat being destroyed in the last 20 years and the serious risk they face of extinction in our lifetime.

Image: Deforestation palm oil
Deforestation caused by Palm Oil Plantations, credit: Mighty Earth.

Social impacts are also wide ranging, and economic gains are far from evenly distributed. More than 20 million people, comprising hundreds of distinct language groups, depend on Indonesia’s forests. Many traditional communities have lost their lands to plantations.

Demand for palm oil has undergone a phenomenal growth and is expected to more than double by 2030 and triple by 2050. 

Which products contain palm oil?

The following products are just some of the products likely to contain palm oil:

Spotting Palm Oil Derivatives

Much of the palm oil we consume appears in a number of processed forms, ‘derivatives’ of the oil itself.

These 500 or so different substances make up about 60% of global palm oil use. The names obscure the source, so it is hard to tell if you are consuming a product from palm oil or not.

Image: palm oil derivatives
Credit: Selva Beat

But, as palm oil campaign site Selva Beat says: “the ultimate trick to being able to spot palm-oil derivatives in most things lies in recognising the building blocks”.

Memorising four words (see graphic to left and list below) will help you spot over half of the fatty acid compounds that are often made from palm oil. These words are:

  • palm
  • stear-
  • laur-
  • glyc-

Spotting an ingredient whose name includes one of these root words does not mean it is definitely made from palm, but is a clue which can be followed up by contacting the company.

There is a long list of some of the alternative names for palm oil derivatives on the Orangutan Foundation website. Again this doesn't mean that all these ingredients are definitely palm oil, (for instance E471 may be palm oil, coconut oil, soybean oil, cottonseed oil or canola oil), but they could be.

Palm Oil Free List

We've put together a list of companies which receive our best rating for palm oil, either for being a palm oil free company or for using best practices in their sourcing.

For example, a large company must have all of the possible palm products used in its global supply chain certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) plus full disclosure of mills (and none of the very worst mills on that list) and a publicly available grievance list. It also needs to have at least 50% of palm sourced from segregated supply chains, rather than 'mass balance'.

Another way smaller companies may demonstrate engagement on this issue is by sourcing palm oil that is certified as organic.

Plus, we list the products from the best-rated companies that are palm oil free.

(Those brands rated best for palm oil are not necessarily rated best for overall corporate responsibility.)

Palm oil: buy or boycott?

In this video we discuss 10 things you need to know about the world’s most controversial ingredient.

Supermarkets

Best rating for Palm Oil:  Riverford

All Iceland own brand food used to be palm oil free but since June 2022 Iceland has begun using certified sustainable palm oil in some of its Iceland branded products due to supply issues with obtaining sunflower oil because of the Russia/Ukraine war. Iceland has said they intend to revert to sunflower oil again as soon as practical to do so.

See supermarkets guide for companies' overall rating. 

 

Biscuits

Some brands are palm oil free across their whole range, and others have some products which are palm oil free.

Palm oil free companies are only Mr Organic.

Company Palm Oil Free Products
Island Bakery All biscuits and oatcakes except Sweet FA biscuits, buy from Abel & Cole*. Oatcakes and Sweet FA range are vegan.
Amisa all biscuits - buy from Abel & Cole*
Biona all cripsbreads, spelt, corn and rice cakes - buy from Ethical Superstore*
Lazy Day all biscuits (not tiffin) palm oil free and vegan - buy from Ethical Superstore*
Mr Organic all biscuits palm oil free and vegan - buy from Abel & Cole*


Biscuits containing sustainable palm oil

The following companies get our best rating for their palm oil policy and sell biscuits containing RSPO certified sustainable, Fairtrade or organic palm oil:

  • Island Bakery, use sustainable palm oil in Sweet FA biscuits
  • Against the Grain, use organic palm oil. All biscuits vegan and gluten free
  • Doves Farm, use organic palm oil. All biscuits are organic and vegan 
  • Biona, all biscuits and cookies contain organic palm oil. All vegan except blueberry and raspberry cookies.
  • Nairn's, all contain palm oil. Everything, except cheese and salted caramel varieties, is vegan.
  • Hill's, all contain palm oil. Some are vegan.

See our biscuits product guide to see how the companies compare on their overall corporate responsibility. 

Bread

The following brands have palm oil free products: 

Company Palm Oil Free Products
Biona All bread
Weight Watchers All bread
Warburtons Danish White, all gluten free bread

The following companies also make bread that contain RSPO certified sustainable or organic palm oil:

  • Weight Watchers, all RSPO certified
  • Warburtons, all RSPO certified

See our bread product guide to see how the companies compare on their overall corporate responsibility.

Pet Food

Yora is the only company which had an explicit company-wide 'no palm oil' policy on its website, although Scrumbles informed Ethical Consumer that it did not use palm oil.

The following brands have palm oil free products: 

Palm Oil Free Pet Food

Ami, Beco, Dogmates, Inspired Pet Nutrition (Wagg, AATU, Harringtons, Barking Heads, Meowing Heads), MPM Products (Applaws and Encore), Pooch & Mutt, Power Pet Brands, Vegeco (Benevo) and Yarrah.

Some for some of these brands on Ethical Superstore website.*

See our dog food guide and cat food guide to see how the companies compare on their overall corporate responsibility.

Nut Butters

The following brands have palm oil free products: 

Company  Palm Oil Free Products
Suma   All palm oil free, all organic, some Fairtrade too
Meridian All palm oil free, some organic
Biona All palm oil free, all organic
Raw Health All palm oil free, all organic
Essential All palm oil free, all organic

All the products of the following company are palm oil free:

  • Meridian, palm oil free company 

You can buy Suma, Meridian, Biona and Essential brands from Ethical Superstore* where you can filter for palm free or sustainable palm.

Chocolate Spread

The following brands have palm oil free products: 

Company Palm Oil Free Products
Vego   All palm oil free, Fairtrade, organic and dairy free 
Mr Organic   All palm oil free and organic and dairy free 
Biona All palm oil free and organic, 

The following companies also make chocolate spread that contain RSPO certified sustainable, Fairtrade or organic palm oil:

  • Plamil, uses organic & RSPO certified
  • Essential, all RSPO certified
  • Vivani, all organic & RSPO certified

You can buy Vego, Bonsan, Plamil and Biona chocolate spreads via Ethical Superstore*, and filter for palm oil free or sustainable palm.

 

Palm Oil Free Chocolate and Gift Chocolates

All the companies below only make palm oil free chocolate.

Type of chocolate Brands 

All chocolate is palm oil free, organic, vegan and fair trade

Monchoco - Buy from their website.
Pacari - Go to their online shop
Ombar - Buy from various shops including Ethical Superstore*
Vego - Buy from health food shops and online via Ethical Superstore*
Conscious Chocolate - Buy from health food shops and online via their website.
The Raw Chocolate Company - Buy from health food shops and online via Ethical Superstore*

All chocolate is palm oil free, organic and vegan

Booja Booja - Buy from various shops or their website.
Moo Free - see their website

All chocolate is palm oil free, vegan and fair trade

MIA - see their website

All chocolate is palm oil free, organic and fair trade

Fairafric - see their website
'57 Chocolate - see their website
Cocoa Loco - Go to their online shop

All chocolate is palm oil free and fair trade

Divine - Buy from Ethical Shop or Oxfam* or from Ethical Superstore*
Tony's Chocolonely - Buy from various shops including Ethical Superstore* and Oxfam*
Chocolat Madagascar - Buy from their website

All chocolate is palm oil free and organic

Seed & Bean - Buy from their online shop, or high street shops, or from Ethical Superstore*

All chocolate is palm oil free and vegan

Plamil - Buy from their website
LoveRaw - buy from Veo* or from Ethical Superstore*

All chocolate is palm oil free

Montezuma - Go to their online shop, buy from high street shops, or online from Ethical Superstore*

 

Butter, Margarine & Spreads

The following brands have palm oil free butter and spreadable butter products: 

Company Palm Oil Free
Yeo Valley All butter and spreadable butter. Buy from Abel & Cole* 
Acorn Dairy All butter
Mouse's Favourite Vegan 'butter'. Buy from Abel & Cole*
Tiana vegan cooking 'butter' and spreadable 'butter'

Palm oil free margarines are more difficult to find.

The following company makes spreads that contain RSPO certified sustainable and organic palm oil:

  • Biona, all spreads organic & RSPO certified & vegan

Naturli' makes vegan palm oil free vegan margarine, but its parent company scores a worst rating for its use of palm oil.

Read our ethical shopping guide to spreads for companies' overall rating for corporate responsibility.

Breakfast Cereals

All the products of the following companies are palm oil free:

  • Alara
  • Hodmedod
  • MOMA
  • Rude Health

Doves Farm and Windmill (Amisa, Biofair, Biona) have palm oil free breakfast cereals, but use certified organic palm oil elsewhere in their product range.

Wholesalers Essential and Infinity both use no palm oil in their own-brand products, and sell other products containing certified palm oil.

Read our ethical shopping guide to breakfast cereals for companies' overall rating for corporate responsibility.

Buy some of the recommended and best buy brands from Ethical Superstore* and Abel & Cole*.

Shampoo


All the shampoos of the following companies are palm oil free:

  • Caurnie Soap
  • Pure Nuff Stuff
  • Ethique
  • Conscious Skincare

The following companies may use RSPO certified sustainable or organic palm oil in their shampoo:

  • Odylique
  • Friendly Soap
  • PHB Ethical Beauty
  • Badger
  • Fill Refill
  • SESI
  • Miniml
  • Lavera
  • Eco Warrior

Read our ethical shopping guide to shampoo for companies' overall rating for corporate responsibility.

Soap


All of the products of the following companies are palm oil free:

  • Lucy Bee
  • Caurnie
  • Pure Nuff Stuff
  • Conscious Skincare

The following companies may use RSPO certified sustainable or organic palm oil in their soap:

  • Odylique
  • Little Soap Company
  • Lavera
  • Eco Warrior
  • Bio D
  • Friendly Soap

Read our ethical shopping guide to soap for companies' overall rating for corporate responsibility.

Makeup

Ethique was the only palm oil free company in this guide.

The following companies got our best rating for palm oil:

  • PHB Ethical Beauty
  • Lavera
  • Odylique

Read our ethical shopping guide to make up for companies' overall rating for corporate responsibility.

Perfume

The following brands have palm oil free products: 

Company    Palm Oil Free Products  
Neal's Yard  All perfumes*
Dolma All products
Fairypants All products
Neom All products. 
Flaya All products

All of the products of the following companies are palm oil free:

  • Dolma, palm oil free company
  • Fairypants, palm oil free company
  • Neom, palm oil free company
  • Flaya, palm oil free company

The following company uses sustainable palm oil in their perfume:

  • Lush, sustainable palm oil

Read our ethical shopping guide to perfume for companies' overall rating for corporate responsibility.

Skincare


All of the products of the following companies are palm oil free:

  • Conscious Skincare
  • Caurnie
  • Pure Nuff Stuff
  • Lucy Bee
  • Queenie Organics

The following companies get our Best rating for palm oil:

  • Lavera
  • Odylique
  • Miniml
  • Badger
  • PHB Ethical Beauty
  • SESI

Read our ethical shopping guide to skincare for companies' overall rating for corporate responsibility.

Shaving Gel & Foam


All of the products of the following companies are palm oil free:

  • Friendly Soap
  • Pure Nuff Stuff
  • Conscious Skincare

The following company uses sustainable palm oil in their shaving gel & foam:

  • Lush

Shower Gel


All of the products, not just shower gel, of the following companies are palm oil free:

  • Caurnie
  • Pure Nuff Stuff
  • Conscious Skincare

The following companies may use RSPO certified sustainable or organic palm oil in their shower gel:

  • Odylique
  • Little Soap Company
  • PHB Ethical Beauty
  • Suma
  • Weleda
  • Lush
  • Nivea

Read our ethical shopping guide to shower gel for companies' overall rating for corporate responsibility.

Toothpaste

All of the products of the following companies are palm oil free:

  • Georganics
  • Truthpaste
  • Nothing Wasted

The following companies get our best rating for palm oil:

  • Lavera

Read our ethical shopping guide to toothpaste for companies' overall rating for corporate responsibility.

Deodorant

In our guide, the following brands are palm oil free:

  • Lucy Bee
  • The Natural Deodorant Co
  • Nuud
  • Ethique
  • Ku.tis

The following companies got our best rating for palm oil:

  • Odylique
  • Salt of the Earth
  • Lavera
  • Fussy

Read our ethical shopping guide to deodorant for companies' overall rating for corporate responsibility.

Sunscreen


All of the products, not just sunscreen, of the following companies are palm oil free:

  • Shade
  • Lucy Bee

The following companies only use RSPO certified sustainable or organic palm oil:

  • Odylique
  • Badger
  • Weleda
  • Nivea & Eucerin

Read our ethical shopping guide to sunscreen for companies' overall rating for corporate responsibility.

Laundry Detergents 

Company    Palm Oil Free Products  
Earth Friendly Products (ECOS brand)  all products*

All of the products of the following company are palm oil free:

  • Earth Friendly Products, palm oil free company

The following companies may use RSPO certified sustainable or organic palm oil in their laundry detergents:

  • Sodasan, certified RSPO or organic
  • Suma, all RSPO certified
  • Sonett, all RSPO certified

Read our ethical shopping guide to laundry detergents for companies' overall rating for corporate responsibility.

Dishwasher Detergent

All of the products of the following company are palm oil free:

  • Bide, palm oil free dishwasher detergents

The following companies may use RSPO certified sustainable or organic palm oil in their laundry detergents:

  • Bio- D, all RSPO certified
  • SESI dishwasher powder, all RSPO certified
  • Miniml, all RSPO certified
  • Fill Refill, all RSPO certified
  • Smol, all RSPO certified
  • Splosh, all RSPO certified
  • Sodasan, certified RSPO or organic

Read our ethical shopping guide to dishwasher detergents for companies' overall rating for corporate responsibility.

Washing-up Liquid

All of the products of the following company are palm oil free:

  • Bide, palm oil free dishwasher detergents
  • Greenscents, palm oil free dishwasher detergents
  • Planet Detox, palm oil free dishwasher detergents


The following companies may use RSPO certified sustainable or organic palm oil in their laundry detergents:

  • Bio- D, all RSPO certified
  • SESI, all RSPO certified
  • Faith in Nature, all RSPO certified
  • Miniml, all RSPO certified
  • Fill Refill, all RSPO certified
  • Smol, all RSPO certified
  • Splosh, all RSPO certified
  • Sodasan, all RSPO certified and organic

Read our ethical shopping guide to dishwasher detergents for companies' overall rating for corporate responsibility.

How we rate companies for Palm Oil policy

Large companies will get the highest rating if they use no palm ingredients at all. If they do use palm ingredients their rating will be better the more of the following criteria they satisfy: 

  • all palm ingredients are certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)
  • over 50% of their palm ingredients are certified to the more stringent RSPO standards - Segregated or Identity Preserved
  • they list their mills and producers
  • they are not using producers identified as having the most ineffective 'No Deforestation, No Peat, No Exploitation' measures
  • they publish an annual grievance list

Medium and smaller companies can also get higher ratings if they are using organic certified palm ingredients.


Consumer Power 

As consumers we need to use our power at the check out to continue to drive change in the palm oil industry. Pushing companies to buy certified sustainable palm oil is one clear way of doing this.

There is a growing recognition that even if all the big western manufacturers stopped using palm oil, the problems of unsustainable production would not go away.

India and China each consume more palm oil than the EU, and production is projected to increase 50% by 2020. At the same time, Indonesia has just increased subsidies to boost palm oil production for biofuel.

If countries with more developed consumer campaigns turn away from palm oil altogether, the most damaging forms of production may prevail.

Buy or Boycott?

Consumers increasingly want to avoid the ingredient where possible, but it's a tricky task as it's used in so many products - more than 50% of packaged supermarket products from margarine and oven chips to soaps and detergents. 

We are urging readers to boycott products from companies that aren't using 100% certified palm oil now. Promising to source responsibly in the future is no longer good enough. You may also choose to avoid products containing any palm oil, whether it be certified or not.

*We have an affiliate deal with this shop. Ethical Consumer makes a small amount of money from your purchase. This goes to fund our research and campaigning. We ethically screen all the sites we link to.

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