Palm oil and palm fruit oil are often used interchangeably, but it's important to understand their precise relationship. As stated in the reference, "When most people use the term “palm oil,” they are most often talking about palm fruit oil." Essentially, there is no difference between palm oil and palm fruit oil; they are the same thing.
Clarifying Palm Oil Terms
To understand this better, it's helpful to distinguish palm fruit oil from another related oil: palm kernel oil.
| Oil Name | Source | Commonly Referred To As |
|---|---|---|
| Palm Fruit Oil | The fleshy fruit of the oil palm tree | Often called "Palm Oil" |
| Palm Kernel Oil | The seed (kernel) of the oil palm tree | Palm Kernel Oil |
Key Points:
- Palm fruit oil is extracted from the fruit of the oil palm tree. It is the oil most often meant when people simply say "palm oil".
- Palm kernel oil comes from the seed (or kernel) found inside the fruit. This is a different oil with different properties.
- The confusion arises because "palm oil" is commonly understood to mean "palm fruit oil".
In Summary
The term "palm oil" typically refers to palm fruit oil, which is derived from the fleshy fruit of the oil palm tree. Palm kernel oil, on the other hand, is extracted from the seed inside the fruit. When someone says "palm oil," they almost always mean "palm fruit oil". Therefore, asking for a difference between the two is essentially asking for the same thing.
