Palm oil, is the most widely produced and consumed vegetable oil. It is derived from the African palm tree belonging to the Palmaceae family. It is a vital and most versatile vegetable oil, and is widely used as a raw material from both food and non-food industries. 

Being a vegetable oil, palm oil is cholesterol-free, just like all vegetable oils. In effect, palm oil like olive oil, are the only two common vegetable oils that are derived from palm trees. As such, there are certain compositional similarities among the two oils. 

Palm oil has a unique and balanced composition, which rendered palm oil a highly versatile oil. This makes palm oil a preferred choice for food manufacturers, as palm oil can readily meet the characteristics demanded by different food products.