Q: I see that "palm fruit oil" is listed as one of the ingredients in your flavored peanut butters. What is it and why do you use it?

A: Palm Fruit Oil is a non-hydrogenated, healthy alternative for creating natural peanut butter with less oil separation. Palm Fruit Oil has been used in culinary applications since the beginning of recorded history. It is grown in tropical regions and is widely used as a culinary oil in many countries.

Q: I always thought palm oil was bad for you -- is your peanut butter still healthy?

A: Our palm fruit oil contains no trans fats. Trans fats have come under scrutiny by the FDA as a link to major diseases including heart disease and cancer.

Palm Fruit Oil is often confused with Palm Kernel Oil. Palm Kernel Oil is derived from palm kernels and contains 82% saturated fat. Palm Fruit Oil comes from the fruit of the palm and has a nutritionally balanced profile of approximately 50% saturated and 50% unsaturated fat.

When safely processed using traditional methods, palm oil promotes health by providing important lipid antioxidants and fatty acids. A high percentage of the saturated fats in palm oil are supple long-chain fats, excellent sources of energy. In contrast, hydrogenated fats result from converting supple long-chain fats into still "plastic-like" short-chain fats, producing desirable texture in foods but highly undesirable results from a health standpoint.