What’s up with the palm oil in your almond butter? Is it bad for me? Is it bad for the environment? Why do you use it?

Palm fruit oil is a non-hydrogenated, healthy alternative for creating natural almond butter with less oil separation that is shelf-stable and does not require refrigeration. Its widespread use has been around since long before Julia Child starting swinging a pan! It is grown in tropical regions (largely Indonesia and Malaysia) and is widely used as a culinary oil in many countries.

We add a small amount of natural palm fruit oil to help keep the nut oil from separating from the solid part of the nut. Adding the palm oil results in nut butter that typically does not need to be stirred, refrigerated, and spreads more easily.

Palm fruit oil comes in many different forms, with different melting points and applications. The palm oil we use is sustainably sourced but not yet certified 100% sustainable. This is something we are working on every day. We do know that the palm oil we buy comes from palm oil field-grown exclusively for harvesting (similar to a Christmas tree farm where you cut down your own tree). We do not buy palm oil from areas where there are natural Orangutan habitats, therefore our palm oil does not have a negative impact on those ecosystems and inhabitants. Barney Butter uses RSPO-Mixed (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) certified palm oil and is committed to delivering you a product that is both good for your health and for the health of our planet! 

*There is sometimes confusion between Palm Fruit Oil and Palm Kernel Oil. Palm Fruit Oil is not bad for you; it is a vegetable oil similar to olive oil. Palm Kernel Oil is the one you need to avoid (because it is heavily composed of palmitic acid, a heavy saturated fat).