Palm Oil is Banned in Ukraine. How It Will Affect Product Quality and Prices.

President Volodymyr Zelensky signed bill №5148, which restricts the use of palm oil in food products, particularly in baby food. This was reported by Member of Parliament Yaroslav Zheleznyak.

Bill №5148 limits the use of hydrogenated vegetable fats and oils (including palm oil) in the production of certain products, namely:

in traditional dairy products,

in baby food,

in confectionery products such as chocolate, ice cream, etc.

The law also introduces fines for relevant violations, as well as clear and understandable labeling of food products containing palm oil.

The maximum content of trans fatty acids in food products should be no more than 2 grams per 100 grams of the total amount of all fats in the product, and the labeling must clearly indicate what type of trans fat it contains.

The Harmfulness of Palm Oil

Member of the Ukrainian Gastroenterological Association Alla Kurylets detailed the harm of palm oil: "Palm oil contains many saturated (unhealthy) fats, which can accumulate in liver cells leading to fibrosis and then cirrhosis. Moreover, saturated fats negatively affect the cardiovascular system as they disrupt cholesterol metabolism, promoting plaque formation that clogs vessels, increasing the risk of a stroke."

Despite this, it is profitable for manufacturers to use palm oil. Deputy Head of the Food Safety and Veterinary Medicine Department and Head of the State Control Department of the State Consumer Service in Kyiv Yuriy Myrkeev explained why this is the case.

"Trans fat is a substance that lowers the cost of the product. Hypothetically, dairy fat costs 300 UAH per kilogram, while trans fat is half as cheap. This price difference allows for superprofits. A market operator can lower the price and boast that they have a great product, but if we see that confectionery is cheap, we should understand that 'cheap fish makes bad soup'," emphasized Myrkeev.

According to the official, the ban on palm oil will not affect the cost of natural products, but those products that used trans fat acids may disappear entirely, or manufacturers will be forced to transition into legal use and employ non-banned ingredients.

"The price will increase not because market operators want to profit excessively, but because they will be required to use safe raw materials. This way, we will receive safe food products, but the price for this segment will accordingly rise," Yuriy Myrkeev informed "Unian".

Let's recall, the parliament, on second reading, adopted bill №5148, which prohibits the use of palm oil in traditional dairy products and baby food. This was reported by Maria Mezentseva, Deputy Head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Ukraine’s Integration into the European Union.