History Of Oil Palm

The oil palm tree, scientifically known as Elaeis guineensis, is a member of the family Palmae and the subfamily Cocoideae, which also includes the coconut plant. The genus contains two main species, E. guineensis, which is known as the African oil palm, and E. melanococca, also known as the American oil palm. However, the latter is only valuable for hybridization. The male and female flower clusters occur on the same tree thus making it a monoecious plant. Though, the sexes are only differentiated approximately two years after plantation. This is subjective by moisture and temperate conditions, fertilization and other ecological factors (Verheye 2009).
The history of palm oil dates back thousands of years, with the oldest record of its use dating to 3,000 BCE. There is evidence of people buried with casks of palm oil in Egypt, which can show the great societal significance accredited to the product. Furthermore, Palm oil from Elaeis guineensis has long been a staple in Western and Central African countries. As well, it has been a highly sought after commodity by

Palm oil and palm kernel oil are some of the world’s most resourceful raw materials. Their practical properties and uses are one of the main reasons behind the rise in demand for palm oil since 1980. Palm kernel and palm oil uses are widely varied because they can be processed and to produce a broad range of products with diverse characteristics. This can be seen on ingredient labels on many products that may have names as follows: vegetable oil, vegetable fat, palm kernel, palm kernel oil, palm fruit oil, palmate, palmitate, palm olien, glyceryl, stearate, and many