Palm oil is a form of edible obtained from the of the palm tree. Previously the second-most widely produced edible oil, after , 28 million metric tons were produced worldwide in 2004. It may have now surpassed soybean oil as the most widely produced vegetable oil in the world.The palm fruit is the source of both palm oil (extracted from palm fruit) and palm kernel oil (extracted from the fruit seeds). Palm oil itself is reddish because it contains a high amount of . It is used as , to make and is a component of many processed foods. Boiling it for a few minutes destroys the and the oil becomes colourless. Palm oil is one of the few vegetable oils relatively high in (such as ) and thus semi-solid at room temperature.It is also an important component of many , washing powders and personal care products, and has controversially found a new use as a feedstock for biodiesel.
