Science Free

How Labels are Deceiving Consumers

and Undermining Palm Oil Reputation

Chapter 1 - The Commercial War

We all are aware…
…but…there’s something more dangerous
because it’s silent

Chapter 2 - Reputation
 Worst Oil for Health
ITALY FRANCE SPAIN GERMANY
Palm Oil 22 42 43 19
Lard 26 11 11 32
Margarine 10 9 5 12
Butter 10 9 5 12
Rapeseed Oil 9 2 16 1
Sunflower Oil 2 2 2 3

Worst Oil for Health

USA CANADA UK AUSTRALIA
Palm Oil 2 9 5 11
Lard 34 33 46 28
Margarine 17 19 10 18
Butter 18 14 7 11
Rapeseed Oil 0 3 1 3
Sunflower Oil 1 1 1 1
 Health: Trend in Perception
ITALY FRANCE SPAIN GERMANY
5 5 5 15
4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
4 4 4 10
3 3 3 10 8 8 8 8

GOOD
3 3 3 6 7
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 5
2 2 2 5
1 1 1
0 0 0 0
10
12
13
14
15
16
17
18

10
12
13
14
15
16
17
18

10
12
13
14
15
16
17
18

10
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20

20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20

20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20

20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
30 26 27 50 43 43 40 39 39 42 50 43 20 19
22 22 40 36 40 34
20 15 11

WORST
30 30 9
10 17 10
10 7 6 8 20 20 11 4 5
5 3 3
10 10 1
0 0 0 0
10
12
13
14
15
16
17
18

10
12
13
14
15
16
17
18

10
12
13
14
15
16
17
18

10
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20

20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20

20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20

20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
60 47 49 43 80 80 40
59 58 53 53 54 55 63 31
40 35 60 47 60 49 30 22 23
BAD 20 17 15 17
22 40
20
28 40
20
23 20
10 7 10 12 13
14

0 0 0 0
10
12
13
14
15
16
17
18

10
12
13
14
15
16
17
18

10
12
13
14
15
16
17
18

10
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20

20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20

20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20

20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
Health: Why the Worst?
ITALY FRANCE SPAIN GERMANY

Read/Heard 30 25 33 24

Harmful/bad 30 12 19 15

Cancerogenous 10 4 9 8

Harmful Fats 9 13 16 17

Deforestation 2 6 1 3
 Summary: Trend Negative Perception
ITALY FRANCE SPAIN GERMANY
60 80 80 40
47 49 43 63 31
59 58 53 53 54 55 30
35 60 47 60 49 22 23
40
HEALTH 20
17 15 17
22 40
20
28 40
20
23
20
10 7
10 12 13
14

0 0 0 0
10
12
13
14
15
16
17
18

10
12
13
14
15
16
17
18

10
12
13
14
15
16
17
18

10
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20

20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20

20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20

20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
50 47 43 60 49 49 49 50 51 50 45 40 37
40 32 31
40 41 42 40 34
40 30
21 21 20
ENV.
30 24 30
18 18 20 13
20 10 13 20 20
10 10 10
0 0 0 0
10
12
13
14
15
16
17
18

10
12
13
14
15
16
17
18

10
12
13
14
15
16
17
18

10
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20

20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20

20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20

20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
50 50 42 50 40
39 39 41 37 35
41 31
40 32 36 40 34 32 40
29 30 25 24

SOCIAL
30 21 30 30 16 18 18
16 15 20 12
20 11 14 20 20
10 10 10 10
0 0 0 0
10
12
13
14
15
16
17
18

10
12
13
14
15
16
17
18

10
12
13
14
15
16
17
18

10
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20

20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20

20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20

20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
News About Palm Oil
Biofuels Cosmetics Ecology Food Health Social
70
62
60
50 49
50
42 41
40 35
33
30
30 25 27
24 22
21 19
20 17 16 17
13
8 9 10 8 9 9
10

Italy France Spain Germany

 Summary: Trend Negative Perception
ITALY FRANCE SPAIN GERMANY
100 100 100 100

90 18 90 13 90 14 90 18
80 80 80 80

Substitution: 70

60 39
70

60
43
70

60
44
70

60 39

NO CLUE 50

40
50

40
50

40
50

40

30 27 30 28 30
28 30
33
20 20 20 20

10 12 10 12 10
10 10
8
0 4 0 4 0 4 0 2

100 100
5 100
9 100
8
90
22 90 90 90

23 24
Claims:
80 80 80 80

70 70 70
34 70

60 36 60 60 60

MKT TRICK 50

40
50

40
35 50

40
50

40
46
39
30 30 30 30
29 23
20 20 20 20

14 17
10
9 10
14
10 10

0 4 0 0 4 0 5

Strongly Agree Strongly Disagree

Chapter 3 - Free From Products

 Healthy Lifestyle…

• + 11,7% EU Free From Products sales (2017)

• Only 1,3% EU Free From Allergens (2017)

Extending Free From Products into Healthy Lifestyle

Chapter 4 - The Label

Label is the King

• The 5th P: Packaging

• It captures consumers
• It conditions their choices
 Power to the Label

EU Market scenario 2016/19 (food & welness):

• Mature, fragmented, aggressive
• Driven by emotions - media, influencers, gurus
• No scientific evidence
 And…No Ethics

Chapter 5 - Palm Oil Free

 The Fairy Tale

Palm Oil is an easy target:

• Harmful - somebody says so
• Unsustainable - NGOs say so
• Unethical - friends of the above say so

And…it’s not grown in Europe

…What do you see here…???
Chapter 6 - The Impact
 The Fall

• - 18% palm oil import (food)

• - 60% Indonesian palm oil import (food 2014/18)
• - 40% Malaysian palm oil import (food 2017/18)

The Surge

Increase in Palm Oil Free sales:

• +13,5% 2016/2015
• +12,9% 2017/2016
• +7,4% 2018/2017
 Public Domain

• 180 Tenders
• +100 Municipalities
• +100 Schools

Chapter 7 - Science
Are Palm Oil Free goods better???

We know the answer…but…

We compared Saturated Fats
 Findings

• 75% No improvement
• 20% No significant improvement
Palm Oil Free claim deceives Consumers

Illegal???
 After the Study

• Technocrats: improvements must be significant

• Regulator: no position…
• Media: went quiet

Chapter 7 - Science
 And the smart Industry…???

The Good Samaritan

How food producers/traders reacted:

• Stop Palm Oil Free (2-3 cases)
• Appeal precautionary principle (1 case)
• Whining
What about sustainability…???
Chapter 8 - Science, again
 Land Use/Output

Soybean Palmoil

Rapeseed Soybean

Cottonseed Rapeseed

Sunflower Sunflower

Palmoil Groundnut

Others Others

LCA: Comparison
UP23 Avg. Palm Oil Avg. Rapeseed Avg. Sun Flower Avg. Peanut Oil
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
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 LCA: Environmental Profiles
5000

4000

3000

2000

1000

0
PO PK CN OV BO RS SF
Energy Global Warming Acidification

Eutrophication Photochem. Smog Land Use

Palm Oil Palm Oil Free

16

14

12

10

SAT FATS
8
gr/100gr
6

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

LAND USAGE (index)

 What about sustainability…???

Palm Oil Free claim deceives Consumers

A DELICATE BALANCE

Get in Touch

ppaganini@competere.eu
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