Oil World figures indicate the U.S. imported 796,700 MT of lauric oils in calendar year 2009. This is only 5.7% more than the previous year at 753,400 MT. Of the total, coconut oil was 484,400 MT and accounted for 60.8%; palm kernel oil was 312,300 MT and shared 39.2%. Palm kernel oil exceeded prior year import of 254,300 MT by 22.8% while coconut oil slid from year-ago at 499,100 MT by 2.9%.

       The Philippines was a major origin of lauric oil imports delivering 332,800 MT (358,300 MT year-ago) of coconut oil only. The volume was 41.8% total lauric oil purchases. Malaysia was the second biggest supplier of lauric oils contributing 35.7% at 284,300 MT. This expanded by 16.6% the prior year data at 243,700 MT. The product mix comprised largely of palm kernel oil at 266,600 MT (215,600 MT) and coconut oil at 17,700 MT (28,100 MT). Shipment from Indonesia shared 21.6% at a total of 172,100 MT, higher by 19.0% from prior year at 144,600 MT. Respective uptakes during the year of the two lauric oils from this source surpassed year-earlier levels with palm kernel oil at 44,200 MT (35,100 MT) and coconut oil at 127,900 MT (109,500 MT). Other countries took smaller amounts of 7,600 MT (7,000 MT) of which 6,000 MT (3,300 MT) was coconut oil and 1,600 MT (3,700 MT) was palm kernel oil.

       Cargill announced early this month that it was selling its operations in Papua New Guinea (PNG), the island nation where it had three oil palm plantations and several mills. The sale, reported at $175 million for about 62,000 acres of plantations, was characterized by the company as a move to streamline its operations. ?We believe there is more value for our shareholders and customers in focusing on Indonesia,? according to a company statement. ?Our PNG oil palm plantations were the only investment we had in PNG. Since no other Cargill business is actively investing in PNG at this time, we could not build any synergies to increase the value of this investment.?

       The palm oil processing plant on Lake Victoria Island of Bugala has started operations. At full scale, the project will produce about 140,000 MT of crude palm oil and 14,000 MT of palm kernel oil annually, saving about $60 million in foreign exchange that would be used for importation, according to Kodey Rao, managing director of Bidco, the investor. The $10 million facility will also generate 1.5 megawatts electricity for the estates and the island. Rao said the plant will be commissioned next month on March 7, by President Yoweri Museveni and will help alleviate poverty in the rural areas.

       Researchers from the University of Thessaloniki in Greece discovered that despite the characteristic flavor of olive oil, when used to partially replace margarine in a cake, appearance and odor of the final product was not affected. In fact, the cake that contained olive oil was preferred by a panel of tasters.

       Shortenings play a vital role in the cake making process by helping to trap air bubbles in the batter, which is necessary with the leavening of the product and enhances crumb tenderness, moistness and mouthful. But many of these shortenings are created from vegetable oils. These fats may have undergone hydrogenation processes, which some scientific reports have shown to have detrimental health effects such as reduced levels of HDL-cholesterol and increased levels of LDL cholesterol, and may promote inflammation.

       A new study says the omega-3 compound ethyl-eicosapentaenoic acid (E-EPA) may improve memory and learning, and reduce the risk of Alzheimer?s disease. The study done by Pornnarin Taepavarapruk from Naresun University, Thailand and Cai Song from the University of Prince Edwards Island, Canada show that while levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine decrease with age, E-EPA may slow this decline. The findings were published in last month?s issue of the Journal of Neurochemistry.

       According to the European School of Oncology, over half a million new cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed every year worldwide, and the cancer is the direct cause of over 200,000 deaths. More worryingly, the incidence of the disease is increasing with a rise of 1.7 percent over 15 years. The role of diet in prostate cancer development is not fully understood with some studies reporting a link between dairy and an increased risk of prostate cancer. The new study, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, indicates that fat intake, of any kind, may also be a major risk factor for the development of prostate tumors.

       Stacey Sires, vice president of Environmental Development Group, Tucson, Arizona, said Tucson restaurants generate between 40,000 and 50,000 gallons of used cooking oil per month, and the majority of its shipped out of the area to be recycled. The company is preparing to open a new 3 million-gallon biodiesel plant in hopes of turning Tucson?s used cooking oil into a valuable commodity for the community. Sires said her company hopes to persuade more local restaurants to make their grease benefit the area through a program called Enjoy Dining Green. Some 20 businesses already have signed on to become part of the program, which recognizes each member with a large window decal, a certificate and a new grease receptacle for the restaurant.