National News

Iceland responds to criticism over selling products containing palm oil

By Reem Makari

      ICELAND_mixdown

Iceland is continuing to sell up to 28 products containing palm oil in stores, despite pledging in 2018 to stop doing so in response to the devastating effect that its use in large quantities has over the environment.

In a statement Lotti Swanwick, the manager of media relations for Iceland, said:

“We committed to stop using palm oil as an ingredient in Iceland own label food by the end of 2018, and this promise has been fulfilled. No lines produced after 31 December 2018 contain it as an ingredient.”

This new initiative by Iceland has had a positive response and will hopefully set an example to other big organisations. By taking the step to stop selling products that contain palm oil, many places will then follow and eventually help reduce the risks it has.

Chris Redston, the Executive Director of Rainforest Trust UK, said: “A change like this can’t happen overnight. It takes time for things like this to take effect. Selling products already sitting in their warehouse even if they do contain palm oil is surely better than dumping it into a landfill. But perhaps the question you should be asking is why haven’t other leading supermarket chains followed Iceland’s lead and committed to going palm oil free for the sake of the rainforest, biodiversity, and the climate?”

The products that are still in store that have not run out of stock will still be sold as they can not be donated to food banks or FairShare. Since most of these products fall into frozen food and dessert categories, they have a longer shelf life and will take longer to run out.

Palm oil in itself is not a harmful ingredient but the use of it in large quantities can harm the environment. It contributes to deforestation, biodiversity loss, and land and water pollution. 85% of palm oil production alone comes from Indonesia and Malaysia, two rainforest rich countries that also have the highest percentages of biodiversity.

Professor Will Pope, the Chair of Society for the Environment which is the body responsible for the registration of environmental professionals, said: “It’s so easy to say ‘oh I can’t do anything about it’ and we must not say that. It’s absolutely all our responsibility to do what we can about it.”

All new stock coming into stores made after 31st December 2018 will be marked with a ‘No Palm Oil’ flash.