Product

Patisserie

Category

Food & drink

Challenge

Increase use of more sustainable palm oil

Environmental issue

Deforestation, particularly in Asia and Africa

Millions of hectares of forest have been cleared in recent decades to make way for palm oil production, particularly in south-east Asia and Africa. The loss of so much forest has had a devastating effect on the environment and wildlife.

Palm oil is not only used as a cooking oil, but also in everyday products like detergents, soap and shampoo. In Action’s range, most is found in food & drink products, candles and personal care products.

We are working with our suppliers either to remove the ingredient from the product or switch to sustainable palm oil. We ask suppliers to use palm oil certified by the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), which sets strict standards to protect forests and the environment. As an example, our Patisserie range of cakes, biscuits and waffles (pictured) will now contain RSPO-certified palm oil only.

To switch to 100% sustainably sourced palm oil, we first had to identify which items in our assortment may contain palm oil. This was a difficult process as palm oil can be present in some products without having been identified as an ingredient. Or it may also be found in palm oil derivatives like glycerin – a compound commonly used in food and cosmetics.

Gradually, Action is switching to more sustainable palm oil. All palm oil used as a primary ingredient in Action’s own food & drink products and candles is now RSPO-certified.