Latest news with #Restrictions
Indian Express
29-04-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
India: A Growth Frontier for Sustainable Palm Oil By Dr. Puah Chiew Wei
India is the most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 1.46 billion people. The rapid population growth presents significant opportunities for potential growth, particularly in the demand for both food and non-food products across the nation. Thus, it is essential to develop strategies and policies through a holistic and comprehensive approach to ensure security in both food and non-food sectors including energy. In the food sector, edible oils are a staple in the Indian diet, commonly used for cooking, frying and food processing. However, India relies heavily on imports of edible oils to meet its growing demand taking into consideration the domestic production can only satisfy a fraction of the total need, resulting in India becoming the largest importer of edible oils in the world and the top importer of palm oil. Palm oil plays a crucial role in supporting the demand for edible oil in India as it is the most widely produced edible oil in the world, accounts for about 35% of global vegetable oils production. The unique properties of palm oil make it a functional oil in various food applications and a valuable ingredient for the food industry because it enables an enormous range of manufacturing processes at no health risk to consumers. Palm oil has better oxidative stability and is resistant to the formation of oxidised polymers, making it the preferred choice for cooking oil in India. One of the health-related concerning palm oil in India is associated with the claim that palm oil is unhealthy due to its high level of saturated fatty acids. This claim is misleading and creating negative image for palm oil as a food source and food ingredient. Palm oil contains a balanced proportion of unsaturated and saturated fatty acids at about 50% each. Studies showed that palm oil behaves more like a monounsaturated fat and has no adverse impact on blood cholesterol levels. In addition, scientific evidence has confirmed that moderate consumption of palm oil is no worse than other cooking oils. More importantly, palm oil does not require hydrogenation for use as a fat component in food, avoiding the formation of trans fatty acids which have been proven to have detrimental effects on health. The Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Second Amendment Regulations, 2021 of India stipulated that all food products in which edible oils and fats are used as an ingredient should not contain industrial trans fatty acids more than 2% (by mass) of the total oils/fats present in the product, on and from 1 January 2022. Therefore, palm oil and its products are good alternatives to replace trans fatty acids for formulation of trans fatty acids-free food products. Red palm oil, which is commercially available, is rich in phytonutrients, including carotenoids, tocols (tocopherols and tocotrienols), phytosterols and squalene which have gained significant attention due to their nutritional benefits. It is the richest natural source of carotenoids, particularly alpha- and beta-carotene, biologically active pro-vitamin A and a powerful antioxidant. Palm oil also contains tocotrienols, antioxidants that are several times more potent than tocopherols and have been proven scientifically to possess anti-inflammatory and cholesterol-lowering properties. Therefore, the consumption of nutritious red palm oil can provide beneficial antioxidants to the Indian population, supporting better overall health. Palm oil is also an important raw material for non-food applications due to its versatility. Oleochemicals industry is one of the industries that relies on the use of palm oil as raw materials in a wide range of industrial and consumer products to replace petroleum-based chemicals. The physical and chemical properties of palm-based oleochemicals enable the manufacturing and production of many products such as personal care products and household products. The growing demand driven by consumers' increasing preference for 'natural' products will support the use of palm-based oleochemicals which are renewable and biodegradable alternative to petroleum-based chemicals. The demand for oleochemicals in India is expected to grow in tandem with the positive economic growth and socio-economic development. Palm oil is also the most widely used feedstock for the production of biodiesel, with the share of about 32% of the global production. This reflected its crucial role in supporting global energy security. It is therefore important for India to leverage on the use of palm oil as a renewable and sustainable energy source. Indonesia and Malaysia, the two largest palm oil producing countries, are committed to produce sustainable palm oil compliance to international and national standards, as well as committed to international agenda on combating climate change and global warming. Both countries have put in place policy framework and regulations to ensure the sustainable development of the oil palm industry balancing the conservation of forest and biodiversity. The implementation of mandatory national sustainable certification schemes namely, Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) and Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) are important milestones of the industry, making palm oil the only vegetable oil subjected to stringent sustainable requirements vis-à-vis other vegetable oils. The industry focusses on increasing productivity through good agricultural practices and better planting materials without opening new land. The continuous improvement, technological advancements and innovation, coupled with the supports of relevant stakeholders including the Governments of palm oil producing countries have driven the positive development of the industry. The positive prospects in India are expected to be a pivotal growth frontier for the oil palm industry. The author is the Director of Strategy and Policy, Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC). Dr. Puah Chiew Wei About the Author: Dr. Puah Chiew Wei is the Director of Strategy and Policy of the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC). She graduated from the University of Malaya, Malaysia with a Bachelor of Science (Major in Applied Chemistry and Minor in Statistics) and Ph.D. in Chemistry. She has more than 20 years of working experience in the Malaysian oil palm industry. Dr. Puah has authored and co-authored more than 180 publications in journals, book chapters, technical publications and reports as well as presentations in conferences and seminars at the national and international levels. She has five (5) patents filed and granted based on her research findings in the palm oil research including one technology that has been commercialised. Disclaimer: This content is sponsored and does not reflect the views or opinions of IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd. No journalist is involved in creating sponsored material and it does not imply any endorsement whatsoever by the editorial team. IE Online Media Services takes no responsibility for the content that appears in sponsored articles and the consequences thereof, directly, indirectly or in any manner. Viewer discretion is advised.
Time of India
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Anzac Day 2025 in New Zealand: Everything you need to know about services, events, and what's open
Events across New Zealand Live Events Trading Restrictions and Surcharge New Zealand will come to a solemn pause this Friday to observe Anzac Day. In ceremonies from dawn until midday, citizens will stand with veterans, defence force personnel, and dignitaries to honour New Zealand's military will host one of the nation's largest dawn services at the War Memorial Museum in Parnell. The parade is set to begin at 5.45 am, with the official service commencing at 6.00 am at the Court of Honour. Vanguard Military School will perform a powerful haka in honour of the fallen. With both paid and free parking available around the venue and numerous road closures, attendees are encouraged to arrive early or plan alternative Wellington, the capital's commemorations will take place at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park, beginning at 6.00 am. Veterans and attendees are expected to gather on Tasman Street from 5.30 am. The ceremony will include speeches, hymns, and the playing of the Last Post. Dignitaries, members of Parliament, and senior defence officials are also expected to attend the will mark the day with a service in Cathedral Square, beginning at 6.15 am. Veterans will assemble at Worcester Bridge before parading into the square. The New Zealand Army Band will perform, concluding with the traditional Last Post, a minute of silence, and the national will host both a Dawn Service and a Civic Service at the Cenotaph in Memorial Park. The dawn parade starts at 5.50 am and will be followed by a 40-minute service including performances by the Waikato Rivertones Chorus and Salvation Army Band. The Civic Parade begins at 9.50 am, with a formal service from 10.00 am to 11.15 am featuring the Hamilton Brass Band and another performance from the Fields of Remembrance Trust will install 350 white crosses, while over 5000 poppies will decorate the corner of Memorial Drive and Anzac Parade to honour local service will host services across several locations, including Mount Maunganui, Pāpāmoa, Te Puna, and Pyes Pā. In Tauranga's city centre, the dawn service will begin at 6.00 am at the RSA Cenotaph, with the Civic Memorial Service to follow at 9.00 am in Memorial Park. Mount Maunganui will hold its dawn service at 6.00 am at the Marine Parade Cenotaph, followed by a 9.30 am civic Pāpāmoa, the memorial service begins at 6.00 am at Stella Place. Te Puna will hold a 5.45 am ceremony at Poututerangi Marae, while Pyes Pā's service will take place at 11.00 am at the cemetery.A significant New Zealand-led commemoration will be held on April 27 in Le Quesnoy, France. The event marks the liberation of the town by New Zealand troops in 1918. Dignitaries from both nations will attend alongside travelling New Zealanders and French wearing of red poppies will be visible throughout the day, and Anzac biscuits made from ingredients with long shelf lives and once sent to soldiers at war will be throughout the country will be flown at half-mast as a symbol of national mourning and will be several trading restrictions on Anzac Day.. Most shops are prohibited from opening until 1.00 pm, with exceptions for pharmacies, service stations, dairies, and certain cafés. Tourist hotspots like Queenstown are permitted to open from noon, while towns such as Whitianga, Tairua, and Whangamatā can open from 8.00 am due to regional exemptions if the date falls on a Monday or Friday, as it does in sales at hospitality venues are allowed only with meals. Many cafés and restaurants will also apply a public holiday surcharge, which must be displayed to customers under Commerce Commission regulations.
