Palm Oil Continuously Needs Consensus European Voice To Address Barriers - Minister

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 6 (Bernama) -- Palm oil continuously needs a consensus European voice for it to tackle the various barriers in the region, including punitive taxes and "no palm oil" label, Malaysia's Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities, Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong said. He said Malaysia was concerned about the proliferation of the no palm oil label without substantial basis and attempts by European lawmakers to propose punitive taxes on palm oil. "This year, the challenge was from the French authorities," he said. "However, as a result of Malaysia's interventions and explanations, as well as the support of the French Alliance for Sustainable Palm Oil and other European Alliances, the bill has for now been defeated. "We would like to thank all of you but also plead that you should continue to voice your concerns regarding such punitive taxes. In this issue, a consensus European voice goes a long way towards overcoming these evolving barriers," he said at the European Palm Oil Conference in Warsaw, Poland. The text of his speech was read by the Ministry's Secretary-General, Datuk M. Nagarajan. Mah pointed out to the audience that Malaysia was committed towards ensuring the sustainable production of palm oil and that the country's palm oil industry was one of the best regulated in the world. The industry, which provides employment for over one million people in the country, had invested heavily in nutritional research and findings and consistently benchmarked itself against best practices and standards, he said. Most recently, the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) led a debate on possible contaminants such as 3-monochloropropanediol (3MCPD) in all edible oils and fats that may impact health adversely, which is reportedly higher in palm oil. Mah emphasised that Malaysia viewed this seriously since the country prescribed to food safety and did not compromise on the well-being of palm oil consumers. "In this context, the Government is prepared to provide incentives to encourage the adoption of milling and refining technologies aimed at reducing or eliminating these contaminants," he said. Once these technologies are proven, it will be adopted throughout the industry and Malaysian palm oil will be appreciated for its reduced low levels of these contaminants. "If necessary, we are prepared to mandate such levels in consultation with EFSA, CODEX (Standard for Edible Fats and Oils) and our global end users," he added. -- BERNAMA