Hydrogenated Palm Oil

About

What it is and where it shows up.

Hydrogenated palm oil is palm oil that has been subjected to a catalytic hydrogenation process, converting unsaturated fatty acids into saturated ones to produce a semi-solid or fully solid fat used in baked goods, shortenings, margarines, confectionery, and frying applications. Partial hydrogenation generates industrial trans fatty acids (TFAs), while full hydrogenation produces a trans-fat-free hard stock used as a base for interesterified fats.

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

Partially hydrogenated palm oil is the primary dietary source of artificial trans fatty acids (TFAs); eating trans fat raises LDL ('bad') cholesterol and increases the risk of heart disease, the leading cause of death in men and women. The WHO recommends total TFA intake not exceed 1% of total dietary energy (approximately 2.2 g/day for a 2,000 kcal diet). Hydrogenated palm oil and other refined palm-based fats may also contain process contaminants — glycidyl fatty acid esters (GE), 3-MCPD, and 2-MCPD — generated during high-temperature refining, raising potential carcinogenic and kidney-related concerns particularly for high consumers and young age groups.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States)	Banned	FDA's 2015 final determination declared partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), the primary source of artificial trans fat, no longer Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) for use in human food. Compliance deadline for most uses was June 18, 2018; final administrative compliance date was January 1, 2021. Fully hydrogenated palm oil (negligible trans fat) requires separate food additive approval if used in novel applications.source
Health Canada (Canada)	Restricted	Health Canada banned the use of partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) as food ingredients effective September 17, 2018, mirroring the FDA determination, citing cardiovascular risk from artificial trans fats. Naturally occurring trans fats in dairy and meat are not affected.source
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union)	Restricted	Industrial trans fats in foods are restricted to a maximum of 2 g per 100 g fat under EU Regulation 2019/649 (applicable from April 2, 2021). EFSA recommends TFA intake be 'as low as possible.' Additionally, EU Regulation (EC) 1881/2006 (as amended) sets maximum levels for glycidyl fatty acid esters (GE) in vegetable oils/fats including palm oil — 1 ppm for oils used in infant formula and 1 ppm for other retail fats — due to EFSA findings that GE is genotoxic and carcinogenic.source
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India)

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Heart Disease — Industrial trans fatty acids from partially hydrogenated palm oil raise LDL ('bad') cholesterol and lower HDL, directly worsening cardiovascular risk in individuals already diagnosed with heart disease, per FDA and EFSA findings.

Hypertension — High saturated fat content (even in fully hydrogenated forms) and trans fat content (in partially hydrogenated forms) are linked to dyslipidaemia and elevated cardiovascular risk, which compounds hypertension-related harm.

Infants — EFSA concluded that glycidyl fatty acid esters (GE) in palm-oil-derived infant formula are a particular concern, with infant exposure up to ten times what would be considered of low public health concern; 3-MCPD exposure from formula may also slightly exceed the safe TDI in worst-case scenarios.

Children — EFSA and JECFA identified children as among the most exposed to GE and 3-MCPD process contaminants from palm oil products, with average exposures in younger age groups raising potential health concerns.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1FSSAI. Regulation of Trans Fatty Acids (TFAs) in Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils. fssai.gov.in
2PubMed. The Demise of Artificial Trans Fat: A History of a Public Health Achievement, 2021. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
3FDA. Trans Fat, 2021. fda.gov
4PubMed. Palm Oil on the Edge, 2019. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
5EFSA. Update of the risk assessment on 3-monochloropropane diol and its fatty acid esters, 2018. efsa.europa.eu
6EFSA. Risks for human health related to the presence of 3- and 2-monochloropropanediol (MCPD), and their fatty acid esters, and glycidyl fatty acid esters in food, 2016. efsa.europa.eu

Independently researched7 citations